In a significant commitment to digital, members of video game rental subscription service GameFly can now try out its PC client for free. At the moment it offers news, high-definition video clips, screenshots, account management, and access to hundreds of playable games.
The feature most likely to drive new subscribers, however, is the previously announced Unlimited PC Play library, which enables download PC game rentals at no additional cost to existing GameFly subscriptions. Available titles in this open beta phase run from hardcore games like Assassin’s Creed, Deus Ex and Saints Row 2 to casual challenges including Earthworm Jim, Jewel Quest and World of Goo, with hundreds more set to be added as the service gets finalized.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to open up the beta so anyone interested in video games can start using the client, and we are hard at work expanding our catalog of PC titles for our users to play for free in the Unlimited PC Play section,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and senior vice president of Business Development and Content.
In the near future GameFly will also begin retailing PC games at GameFly.com, with over 1,500 Windows/Mac games for sale, in addition to used console games and new console and PC releases for pre-order.
The digital service, which competes head-on with GameTap, is made possible by GameFly’s purchase of Direct2Drive from IGN Entertainment in May. In that transaction IGN gained a minority equity stake in GameFly and Jorge Espinel, executive vice president of Strategy and Corporate Development for News Corp. Digital Media Group took an observer seat on GameFly’s board.
Publishers currently participating in Unlimited PC Play include: 1C; 2D Boy; Atari; Bohemia Interactive; Capcom; Iceberg Interactive; Interplay; iWin; Kalypso Media; Layernet; Legacy Interactive; Meridian4; MumboJumbo; Paradox Interactive; PlayFirst; Playrix; SelectSoft; SouthPeak Games; Spicy Horse; Square Enix; Strategy First; Telltale Games; THQ; Ubisoft; and Viva Media.
Related links:
Gamasutra – GameFly Makes Digital Debut With New PC Client
Kotaku – GameFly Launches All-You-Can-Eat Digital Download Service for PC Games
Joystiq – GameFly PC client enters public beta
This is pretty cool, but honestly I don’t really game much on my PC, it’s all done through my PS3…before I was paying fifteen bucks a month for Gamefly, then another sixteen for DVD’s and streaming through Netflix…now I get movies through my mail, streamed direct, AND games delivered to my house, all for just ten bucks. I work for DISH and when they announced the Blockbuster Movie Pass I signed up immediately…why throw that extra twenty bucks down the toilet every month? Now I can get over 100,000 movies through the mail/streaming, PLUS games, PLUS an additional twenty movie channels on my TV. I know DirecTV has nothing like this, and as DISH now own Blockbuster, they aren’t going to.