Behold: The future

While online rental services like GameFly, Netflix and LoveFilm have largely taken the place of the in-person video store, viewers who've missed the quick fix of an instant pick-up have seen their needs met in part by services such as Redbox, which offers a small variety of DVDs and, recently, Blu-Ray discs via computerised vending machines generally located outside of grocery stores and in McDonald's restaurants around the United States. Customers pay with their credit cards and are charged a small fee per 24-hour period until the rental is returned to the machine.

The frugal gamer-on-the-go, however, has had no such recourse, but that's set to change later this month as the aforementioned service has announced plans to begin distributing video games, Wii discs among them. These were previously available to a very small test market, and this marks the company's expansion to distribution on a wider scale. Make sure that you take a look at the Redbox website to verify that your area will be among those to which Redbox is currently expanding this service.

The initial Wii inventory is set to consist of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Deca Sports 2, Iron Man 2, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Mario Party 8, Metroid: Other M, NBA Jam, New Carnival Games, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Toy Story 3. Starting later this month, you can rent each for just $2.00 a night.

Note: We apologise for any confusion; we've contacted Redbox and they've informed us that the titles available differ from location to location. The above list may not apply to your area.

[source ebm.e.redbox.com]