Redbox Ending Game Rentals; Purchases Going Away Soon

The kiosk rental service Redbox is no longer renting video games, and will cease sales of used games at the end of the year. The company announced that it is "permanently transitioning out of the games business" and will now exclusively rent movies.

The company confirmed the move on Twitter after Reddit users noticed their local kiosks were no longer offering game rentals. In a statement to The Verge, the company said you'll be able to buy games through the kiosks through the end of the year. That effectively ends physical game rentals for many users, since other businesses like Blockbuster have largely closed their doors.

Like Redbox's movie service, it rented games for a daily rate and allowed users to keep games for as long as they wanted. This meant that if you could speed through quickly enough, it was an inexpensive way to try a lot of games.

Purchases through physical kiosk locations is only available through the end of the year, but online purchases appear to be available through early 2020. That likely means however long into the new year it takes for the company to clear out the stock sold through its site, which is currently offering a holiday sale.