Redbox just keeps creeping along.
After launching market tests in Wilmington, N.C., and Reno, Nev., last year, redbox now has launched a video game-rental market test in another city, this time Orlando, Fla.
A redbox spokesman says the company won't comment on the results or speculate on the potential expansion of the video game-rental tests — but the first two likely aren't going too badly if there's been an expansion into another significant market.
The company started offering $2-a-night video game rentals from select redbox rental kiosks around Orlando on May 17, and said the move is a test to gauge consumer interest.
"Video games are growing in popularity across all generations as games have become part of workout routines, family game night and personal entertainment," redbox senior vice president of new business Mark Achler said in the company's release announcing the move. "Orlando consumers will now have convenient, affordable access to the latest games at about 135 redbox locations throughout the market during our test."
The video games for rent are for top platforms like the Wii, the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, and the number of video game titles and copies will vary by kiosk and location, with new games being added each week.
A blogger for the Orlando Sentinel called the move "pretty cool news" in a recent post, adding a little extra bite to his comments:
Another flavor on the try-before-you-buy menu is most welcome with GameFly requiring a Netflix-like monthly commitment and Blockbuster not existing anymore… oh, Blockbuster still exists? Really?! My bad…
And that's particularly galling, given that Blockbuster was in the not-too-distant past the country's leading video game rental source. Other companies, like GameFly, had started moving into the space, but if the already ubiquitous redbox continues to expand its expansion into video games, it could spell even more trouble for the embattled brick-and-mortar position of Blockbuster.
