Get games on the fly with G-Box

Students can get many things at the campus Bookstore: textbooks, apparel, school supplies and now video games. Last week, the online video game service GameFly launched its G-Box — the latest in video game rental technology.

G-Box is a kiosk that allows patrons to rent a variety of games with just a swipe of a credit card and a push of a button. Located in the Bookstore, G-box rents a selection of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games for $2.49 per day, as well as Wii and PlayStation 2 games for $1.99 per day.

The bright yellow G-Box uses a simple touch screen that lets customers browse through popular genres including adventure, role playing and sports. The kiosk also has a slot for returning games.

Sean Spector, co-founder and senior vice president of business development and content of GameFly, said the service is perfect for on-demand gaming.

“There are those moments when you really want a game that day or that night, and the G-Box caters to that desire,” he said.

Spector, a gamer in his own right who is currently playing Mario Kart and Gears of War 2, said GameFly plans to keep the G-Box as up-to-date as possible.

“Our goal is to refresh the inventory a couple of times a month — if not more,” he said.

Spector also said that while there is no option to buy games from the G-Box, renters who wish to keep a game can simply choose not to return it and will be charged only up to the retail price of the game plus a small restocking fee.

The kiosk accommodates students who are unable to leave campus to rent games, as well as those who don’t want to sign up for one of GameFly’s online subscriptions

To promote the G-Box, the Bookstore is handing out promotional one-day rental coupons at the cashier’s desk.

Customers should have no trouble locating the kiosk. Bradley Keville, a sophomore majoring in mass communications, said it’s hard to miss.

“It was the first thing that caught my eye as I walked in the Bookstore — I had to at least go check it out,” he said.

Keville said he doesn’t consider himself a “video game aficionado,” but thought the G-Box was easy to use and inviting even to the not-so-avid gamer.

“I wasn’t quite satisfied with their selection, but it’s a good start — I’m definitely interested,” he said.

Bookstore employees are also excited about this latest feature.

“We hope that it becomes a service that students come to count on and enjoy,” said Grace McQueen, Bookstore manager.

She also said she doesn’t anticipate any problems with the G-Box.

“Our association with GameFly has been very responsive. It’s a brand-new machine, there is a help line that the customer can call — so I’m not anticipating any service issues, and if there were any they would be addressed immediately,” she said.

Once construction is finished, the G-Box will be relocated to the new Marshall Student Center Atrium.