The sale of video games in the United States have once reached the peak of $12.5 billion in 2006. However, not everyone can afford to buy each and every new game introduced, especially when new versions and new games are developed at skyrocketing rates. Some people simply don't want to pay these prices.

Most cost conscious people will start to rent games. Even storefront game rental venues still haven't met the consumers' need, not to mention having some drawbacks of their own. So online game rental companies have come into existence and the competition begins.

Regarding the price, the availability of old and new games, plus the deliveries and customer service, online game rentals seem to be the all time winner over storefront rentals. There's no surprise that more and more gamers turn to them.

Though online rental companies can be found almost everywhere and any time, there are certain things to consider when choosing a rental company. Besides the rental price, we should give some thought to the location of the company and our time and budget.

The closer the better

For online game rentals, we only receive new games after we return the old ones to the game rental company via mail. On average, the mail may take from 1 to 5 days depending on the distance. Therefore, the closer the company is located to our place, the sooner they will receive our return. Why wait for 4 days for a reply from a company 8 miles away from us when just around the corner is another one? So a quick survey of the possible companies near our house location will do a lot of help.

Flexible plan or money wasted

An important thing that some people may not consider carefully is their time budget. The rental may sound fast, convenient and flexible at first, and some companies even give us discount. However, for those of us who have little time spared for their gaming pastime, who only play games once or twice, or even go a few months without playing at all, renting games online may be a waste of money. To avoid this situation most rental companies offer varied renting plans for customers to choose from, such as one-game-a-month plan or some low price plans. In some cases, we may need cancellations to our plan, which most online rental companies allow at any time within your membership.

Some online companies may ask you to sign a certain contract, meaning they will charge you a regular fee for your membership, regardless of how often you use it. The membership is enjoyable in that it may offer discounts, reviews and up-to-date information. However, if we don't frequently rent games and make good use of our membership, there is an excellent chance that our money will be wasted.

The busy people among us simply can't wait for the mail during our unpredictable free time. Instead, going straight to the nearest storefront may be better. Even though the selection and rental durations may not be up to par with online rentals, they will save you money in the long run if you are not an avid gamer.

As online game rental companies give customers a wide range of options, perhaps the task of choosing and planning falls on us customers. Decide which venue is right for you before you go ahead and signup for an online game rental company, but do know that you can cancel at anytime and without worry over paying late fees and/or contract charges.