GameFly prepping "Unlimited PC Play" service

[Shawn Knight]

By-mail video game rental service GameFly will be launching an online client that allows for “Unlimited PC Play” later this year. More specifically, members will be able to download and play computer titles on their PC (and later Mac) from an ever-expanding list as long as they remain active GameFly subscribers.

This new service doesn’t require a separate subscription, but rather is bundled alongside a standard GameFly by-mail subscription. GameFly co-founder Sean Spector told Joystiq that they have no plans to offer a digital-only subscription, as they believe the real value of their service to gamers is the combination of both console and digital PC game offerings.

"We're talking to all publishers about participating. Several have been signed, but we're not announcing at this time," GamFly co-founder Sean Spector told Joystiq. "In the 'Unlimited PC Play' portion for GameFly subscribers, we expect to have over a hundred titles available for the beta launch, but we'll be adding to the list constantly and should have hundreds at the time of our holiday launch."

GameFly acquired digital game retailer Direct2Drive from IGN earlier this year but at the time no word was given regarding how the acquisition would be used. It's highly likely that GameFly is harnessing this technology to offer the Unlimited PC Play addition.

GameFly will be joining an already impressive list of streaming game sites including Steam and OnLive. OnLive is a cloud gaming platform that launched last year with the ability to rent and buy digital copies of popular titles. A key aspect of OnLive is the fact that games are stored and run on remote servers, meaning you don’t need a powerful computer or graphics card to enjoy them.

The service is expected to arrive in time for the holiday season with a closed beta to begin on September 8. You can request a beta invite by visiting GameFly’s website and submitting your e-mail address.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/45014-gamefly-prepping-unlimited-pc-play-service.html

 

[mikeusru]

I'm pretty sure the video said something about selecting a game from any platform, and playing it on your PC or Mac. That's not true... right? I doubt they just built their own PS3 and 360 emulators...

 

[howzz1854]

i'll be interested in this, very interested in this if they make the pricing enticing. like $9.99 a month. this can work if they allow user to download the full game, and can only run one game until user move on to the next.

 

[HiDDeNMisT]

lol wow steam is going to have competition

 

[gwailo247]

And in 2 years they're going to stop offering free downloads along with the subscription service, and they'll offer it as a separate paid service, and everyone will protest and say they'll cancel their gamefly subscriptions.

 

[ramonsterns]

mite b cool

 

[veLa]

hiddenmist said:
lol wow steam is going to have competition

GameFly can't even come close.

 

[Relic]

Sounds pretty interesting if they can pull it off properly.

hiddenmist said:
lol wow steam is going to have competition

They don't seem to be a direct competitor but more of an alternative to the norm.

 

[thewind]

This is AWESOME! If they can pull this off I will definitely sign up for a gamefly account. Instead of pirating games to test them I'd be able to do that here and if I want to own them, just wait for a steam sale!