I don't know how many families out there are avid gamers like mine but we've recently experienced several "thank god for gamefly moments" with some of the more recent games on our list. We've sent the last 2 or 3 back after a couple of days if not less.

That simple act really got me thinking on a financial level. Anyone who's into gaming knows how expensive they are to buy. I don't know how many times over the course of our subscription we've sent something back in a short amount of time like that (sometimes the same day we received it).

That right there has more or less paid for the service several times over as you get the next game on your list and the ability to do this over and over again until you get a hit is unlimited. When we do buy games they have always been rented and played first and we buy directly from gamefly with their "keep it" feature and that's always at a discount.

Anyhow, seeing how video games and movies are moving steadily toward online distribution and companies like gamefly and netflix seem to be thriving in an otherwise dismal economy I assume most people are renting their entertainment vs. buying it these days.

What's the consensus? Do you rent vs. buy? I can't see the logic in buying retail anymore. Once you shell out your $60 on a new release video game you're out of luck if it is less than you or your kids expected. At least with a gamefly account you can try something out before you commit and you're not out any extra cash if it ends up unfulfilling.