14 DAY TRIAL // Redbox, which has been so far known for its movie rental service, has announced that it has added a video games section to its vending machines, allowing interested clients to access a number of titles for the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
The company says that it has vending apparatus in more than 21,000 locations all over the United States and that video games will be available to rent for just 2 dollars for one day.
Redbox is also offering a wider selection than in the machine on its official website, with the customer having the ability to log in and reserve a certain game in order to then get it later from a rent box.
At the moment the number of games on offer is not huge but players can pick up new releases like Red Faction: Armageddon, the shooter with a physics elements that THQ has launched, Infamous 2, the superhero powered game from Sucker Punch and Sony, and L.A. Noire, the mix between detective work and action from Team Bondi and Rockstar.
Redbox ran a test of the video games rental service last year and apparently the results were satisfying enough to justify a launch in all United States territories where the company has vending machines.
Joel Resnik, who is the vice president in charge of video games at Redbox, said last year, “At this point in time, we're focusing on the based on the overall installed base of those platforms and physical media that we're familiar with.”
A recent report from a consulting firm suggested that in the coming years the video games market will be heavily influenced by the wider spread of digital distribution service, which will also be expanding on home consoles.
One of the results of that trend will be the decline of brick and mortar stores and possibly of Redbox vending machines.