Redbox looking to add video games

Redbox has again expressed interest in offering daily video game rentals in its kiosks, alongside DVDs, a Reuters report indicates.

Redbox has traditionally offered DVD movies through its rental kiosks for $0.99 per night, but it has also experimented with Blu-ray movies and has talked about possible video game offerings in the past.  Redbox has put increased pressure on Blockbuster, which continues to close retail stores and launch movie rental kiosks of their own.

The biggest challenge Redbox now faces is attempting to convince video game studios to jump onboard with the kiosk rental idea. Although, with some DVD studios continuing to complain about declining DVD sales due to rental kiosks, it’s unknown if video game studios will be interested in taking the same chance.

“If you look at movies and music in some ways, resisting new business models has not been a great formula for success,” THQ CEO Brian Farrell told Reuters.   “One of the things I like about our industry is we tend to think, ‘we have to adapt to this change.’ So it’s part of our DNA.”

In agreement with what Farrell told Reuters, the video game industry should attempt to work with Redbox to find a fair revenue sharing agreement for both sides.

Redbox has tested the water by offering $2 daily video game rentals in select markets, which can lead to significant revenue as it takes a few days — at the earliest — to  play through most video games today.

I don’t honestly like the idea of renting video games through Redbox, but there has been some interest, according to analysts, as the number of retail locations renting video games has dwindled. The video game in a kiosk idea isn’t totally unique to Redbox though, as Gamefly has launched some game rental kiosks of its own this year.