Blockbuster To Test Mail-Order Game Rentals; Stock Jumps 3 Percent
This story was written by Tameka Kee.
Watch out GameFly: Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) wants in on the mail-order video-game rental biz now. The company is adding games to its Total Access program, which lets members rent and return movies by mail (or exchange them in stores). Games for the Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360 will be available to a pilot group of users in Q2; a national roll-out is planned for the second half of the year.
It's the movie rental giant's latest effort to fight back against challengers like Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) and, to a lesser extent, GameFly, that have been stealing market share with their mail-order rental services. Blockbuster has a distinct advantage in that it can offer movies and games; the news sent its shares up by 3 percent in early trading, per MarketWatch. Release.
By Tameka Kee