Fri, Oct 31, 2008 | 10:00 GMT

Games rentals banned in Belgium

According to this De Standaard piece, games rentals will be banned in Belgium as of December 1.

Gamemania – the largest specialist game retailer in Belgium – says in the piece that rentals make up 10 percent of its revenue.

Apparently the practice has always been illegal in the country, but has been tolerated until now.

No longer. Thanks, NeoGAF.

9 comments

Robo_1
31/10/08, 10:06 am

Yeah, my local GM is super pissed about it. About a third of shop space is dedicated to rentals, so this is going to hit them pretty hard.

patlike
31/10/08, 10:08 am

You Belgian? Speak Dutch?

MesserWolf
31/10/08, 10:25 am

why ban rental ? O.o

patlike
31/10/08, 10:26 am

To force people to buy new games, innit.

Robo_1
31/10/08, 10:37 am

@pat

I live in Belgium (I’m from the UK originally) and I speak enough Dutch to order a beer… many beers in fact

patlike
31/10/08, 10:50 am

Dank u wel! Helps to know who can speak what, innit

MesserWolf
31/10/08, 11:15 am

ok pat , but where were retailers such as Blockbuster when they were approving this law . I mean what about films and library ? are they banned too ? I don’t think so , so why the difference of treatment .

patlike
31/10/08, 11:23 am

Don’t ask me, dude. I’m a British journalist

I agree, though. It sounds like one of those things that was OK until people started making proper money out of it. I’m sure secondhand book sales still go on in Belgium.

MesserWolf
31/10/08, 12:39 pm