Type Private Founded 30 September 2003 | Website Gamerang.com | |
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Key people Greg Gentling, Co-Founder & CEONargess Fassih, Co-Founder & COO Profiles | ||
Gamerang is an American subscription-based online video game rental service that specializes in providing game titles for popular gaming platforms, including handheld game consoles and other mobile devices.
Contents
Gamerang operates its rental service similarly to online video rental services such as Netflix and Blockbuster Online. Members pay a monthly fee and receive video games delivered to their homes via United States Postal Service First Class Mail, using pre-paid mailers. Subscribers keep the games as long as they wish and may return them at any time, as long as an account is paid in good standing. Once the returned game is received by the distribution center, the next game on a user's Game Queue, or list of game titles prioritized in order of desired delivery, is sent. Members also are provided the option to purchase games they have rented rather than send them back, as well as to purchase new and previously-played games directly from the Gamerang website.
Gamerang is ranked #2 on TopTenREVIEWS' list of Online Video Game Rentals, and site editors have indicated that "Gamerang has one of the largest and most comprehensive game libraries on the internet and with just a little more innovation, this service could be a real force to reckon with."
History
Gamerang was launched on September 30, 2003 by co-founder and CEO Greg Gentling, and currently features over 9,000 game titles for popular gaming platforms, including Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PSone, Nintendo DS, GameCube, and Xbox. Gamerang utilizes four distribution sites in California, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and New Jersey, which reduces delivery times for subscribers.
In July 2010, Gamerang announced the launch of its revised site, scheduled for the end of summer 2010, which will include features designed to improve member accessibility and interactivity through social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. This launch will also include exclusive applications for new mobile devices and smartphones, such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android devices. Additional new features include QuickReturnTM, Gamerang Reward$TM, GamerDockTM app, as well as an expanded library of games and improved parental controls.
Service features
Gamerang operates four basic rental plans:
(Refundable deposits are required for the three-game and four-game rental options.)
QuickReturnTM is a service that allows members who have maintained an account in good standing for at least two consecutive months to receive the next title in their Queue in half the time as the standard delivery/return process, once the previously rented game has been returned. In addition to the USPS alerting Gamerang's Customer Service department that a game has been returned by scanning the pre-paid mailer's barcode, members may access their accounts directly and indicate via an online form that they have returned the previous game, and this will permit the next game on their Queue to be shipped.
Gamerang Reward$TM are earned after two months of membership with Gamerang. These points are valid toward a percentage off the purchase of used or new video games, as well as Gamerang Tokens that can be redeemed for free game rentals.
The GamerDockTM app allows users to customize a dynamic sliding bar that controls shortcuts to locations on the Gamerang site, as well as game control functionality on mobile devices such as the iPad or iPhone.