T-Mobile, WildTangent try 25-cent Android game rentals
updated 12:35 pm EDT, Wed June 8, 2011
Cheap rentals available for a day of use
T-Mobile is reportedly working in collaboration with WildTangent to develop a rental model for mobile games on Android devices. The strategy relies on a one-day rental window that enables users to try games before making a purchase. Users pay a small fee of just $0.25 for the rental; the charge can be applied to the standard purchase price to own the app.
Subscribers on T-Mobile's network will be the first users who can take advantage of the new system, which utilizes carrier billing for simplicity. The capabilities will be standard on all of the carrier's new Android devices in the future.
Users will be able to choose from outright rentals or a subscription-based service that uses WildTangent's "WildCoins" virtual currency for rentals and in-game items. The system also provides an option for users to watch advertisements as an alternative to paying for gaming currency.
"We have no interest in being an app store,” WildTangent's executive VP of product development, Matt Shea, told AllThingsD. “We see an opportunity that addresses the challenges of discoverability inside a cluttered and overly sourced app store with poor advertising choices."
