Timothy Lochner

Remember when you used to be able to rent games from Blockbuster? How is it that movies got a digital version of renting, but games never did?

The reason is movies do first runs in theatre. Games dont have the equivalent, so publishers won't "rent" games online until their initial sale window. Point blank the AAA business model would explode under a day 1 rental system. Just as films would without theatric release.

AAA business model still existed when blockbuster was renting games day 1. I would rent games all the time. Right now I buy very few games. Parting with $3 is a lot easier than parting with $60.

And reality is I only have enough time to play a new release for a short while anyway. I think I logged 20 hours in FO4 and haven’t picked it up since. Getting so little play time out of it for full price makes me hesitant to buy other games.

Yes, but block buster also paid a significant amount more for that rental version than end users did for retail copies. They also did it in an age where the product was a lot harder to pirate. Notice PC rental stores were almost non existent? Don't get me wrong, I'd love it.