Gamefly is widely credited as the leader in game rental by mail, and we agree. They have a reputation for excellent customer service, and appear to be the best at swiftly stocking new releases, the biggest complaint about most rental companies.

Gamefly provides the most extensive game information features of any rental site. This includes basic descriptions, ratings, as well as reviews from IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy, and Gamefly members, cheats, faqs, codes, even the odd game trailer to see what the game is like before you rent. They boast an unrivalled 10,000+ different game titles on their various platforms, listed in 10 genres to aid browsing. Likewise, we appreciate their top-rented list, which can help to see what's hot and other gamers are playing.

The web interface is user friendly and simple to use. You add your desired titles to "My GameQ." If you like a particular game and want to purchase it, you can choose the "Keep It" option at a discounted price. In this case, you'll get the original game case and manuals as well. They even have extra like Gamefly gift certificates, the perfect Christmas present for a gamer. And there is a Gamefly Rewards program, where the more you play, the more discounts you get.

Their customer service line has been described as slow at times--the only real negative we can find from researching and using the company--but at least Gamefly has a phone contact (most rental companies don't, which can be very frustrating). Their staff appear knowledgeable and able to answer questions well. The site has parental controls, so children can be left to manage the GameQs on their own without risk of coming across or renting mature titles.

The company originally shiped only from Los Angeles, but in mid-2007 opened a new warehouse in Pittsburgh, followed by outlets in Texas and Florida. We're especially impressed with their "fast return" feature, where they will mark the game as received before they've actually gotten the game in the mail, to improve delivery times; this makes even deliveries some distance to the interior viable. This expansion, plus their recent TV commercials, suggest Gamefly is a healthy, expanding company, likely to continue purchasing the latest new releases in large numbers, always good for the consumer.

Gamefly was founded in early 2002 by Sean Spector and Jung Suh, gamers frustrated at not being able to rent video games. They searched local video stores and even the internet (which at that time didn't boast any good rental sources). So they quit their jobs, formed Gamefly, and are now the market leaders in the growing games rental market, always striving to improve their service. In October 2006, Gamefly won the Shopzilla/BizRate Research Circle of Excellence Award, only one of 58 online companies to be so honored.

Prices:Gamefly offers a 10-day free trial, or you can instead choose to pay 40% off the first month tariff and also get a free OSM or PSM gaming magazine. Prices are a couple dollars steeper than industry average, but then the service is far better than average, a good tradeoff in our opinion. Prices for unlimited rentals are $15.95 per month for one game out at a time, $22.95 for 2 games out at a time, $29.95 for 3 games out at a time, and $36.95 for 4 games out at a time. Note that according to the terms and conditions, Gamefly will authorize your credit card for the full amount of the first monthly installment to verify the account, but no money is actually paid until the end of the free trial.