In August 2010, Blockbuster announced that subscribers could add video games to their By Mail queues without paying an extra rental fee. The offer had no monthly limit on the number of games rented, but how many could be out at once depended on the subscriber’s plan. It was a historical service change, not confirmation that Blockbuster By Mail is available today.
What Blockbuster announced
Blockbuster Inc. announced the addition on August 10, 2010. The company said subscribers could rent games through their existing By Mail subscription at no additional charge, with access to more than 3,000 titles. New customers could start at $8.99 per month, according to the announcement; that was the advertised starting price at the time, not a current price. Blockbuster’s announcement
The release described no limit on the number of games a subscriber could rent in a month. That did not mean every game could be kept at once: the number of games allowed out simultaneously depended on the customer’s plan.
How the game queue worked
Blockbuster’s terms said game rentals took effect on August 6, 2010, four days before the public announcement. Subscribers added games to their online queue in the same way they added movies and television shows. Blockbuster’s terms
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Supported systems
The announcement listed games for these platforms:
- Xbox
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 3
- PlayStation 2
- Wii
How this differed from the earlier By Mail plan
Blockbuster’s SEC-filed annual report says that in the third quarter of fiscal 2007, it adjusted its subscription plans to include Total Access options with different quantities of free in-store exchanges, alongside a By Mail plan described as movies through the mail only. The 2010 game-rental announcement therefore marked a later expansion of the By Mail offer; it does not show that mailed games were part of the plan from the outset. Blockbuster’s annual report filing
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Blockbuster By Mail available now?
The dated announcement and terms establish what Blockbuster offered in 2010, but they do not establish whether subscriptions or shipments are available today. The $8.99 starting price, catalog size and rental terms above describe the offer reported at that time.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
- Officially licensed Atari titles. Titles include Asteroids, Centipede, Millipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Crystal Castles and many more. Game save options.
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