WildTangent Review — Game Dowloads Comparison (2012)

WildTangent is a new and innovative games service that allows customers around the world to access and download the game of their choice through one convenient Games App. This is a great new way to play games quickly and easily, and due to their digital currency ‘WildCoins’ and their ad platform, you’ll find it one of the cheapest ways to play the games that you love.

If you love low prices, why not try renting games? If you decide that you absolutely must have it, then go back and buy it! Some games are even free of charge courtesy of WildTangent’s advertisers! It doesn’t get much better than that.

WildTangent has already reached more than 100 million monthly unique gamers and the numbers are growing daily. With top social games, web multiplayer games, virtual words and syndicated flash games, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

The days of buying electronic games in shops are virtually over with the advent of WildTangent. Here is an online shop where you can get your games literally as soon as they are released, download them in a matter of minutes and begin playing them for a fraction of the cost you would have paid to buy them in the shops. These games can be played on traditional gaming models such as the X-box and PlayStation, Facebook and with the help of Android Apps on your mobile phone. This is 21^st century gaming.

What makes WildTangent unique? The fact that you can try the games for free before you buy. Just about every game offered has a two session free trial period. That’s a refreshing concept. The WildTangent interface is very easy to use and little configuration is involved. There is a great community section, which has a link to Orb forums for games help, contests and of course top scorers.

What’s really good about WildTangent it that most game download services require their users to purchase the full game for a one-off fee, which can be quite expensive; WildTangent’s arcade like style of buying their coins ‘WildCoins’ and using them almost as if you were putting money in a slot-machine is a much more economical way to play games. Considering that most people tire of computer games after a week or so, this is a great idea.

The games at WildTangent are quick to download (around 1 – 5 minutes in duration) and parental controls are available. WildTangent also offers its users the ability to deposit ‘WildCoins’ to their own personal computer which means they can play WildTangent’s games offline. This isn’t common for games download services and is great feature. The sheer number of games on offer and the easy access make WildTangent a great choice for gamer’s young and old alike. 

What does WildTangent offer in a nutshell?

• Great free trial periods
• Good social community with forum help for hints and tips on gaming
• Renting games is much cheaper than buying them
• Offline function means you can play even when your internet connection is offline
• Parental controls
• Quick to download
• Lots of choice

The GameHouse is a competitor of WildTangent and while it offers downloadable games and subscription packages, it won’t allow its customers to rent titles. This makes it considerably more expensive than WildTangent. On the plus side it too provides free games for its users and you will be able to try before you buy with a free trial, although it isn’t quite as generous as that offered by WildTangent. You are also encouraged to buy their premium editions which will cost around$19.99 if you don’t have a subscription. The community at GameHouse is similar to that of WildTangent and offers forums and facebook pages for you to compare and swap notes over games and reviews. The GamesHouse gives no mention of being able to play games offline, so it’s probably safe to assume there is no offline mode.

Con's of GameHouse vs. WildTangent:

• More expensive
• No offline function
• Can't rent titles

Direct2Drive is another competitor of WildTangent and again there is no offline mode available to gamers. There is also very limited social network features, which the previous two companies offer. Direct2Drive isn’t too dissimilar from buying your game from a store as the prices aren’t very competitive, although the download speeds are fast and you can have your game in a matter of minutes. Its user face isn’t quite as easy to use as those of WildTangent or GamesHouse and users must manually install their games using the ‘launch’ button. Installer files are also not removed from the user’s computer, which means that the games take up twice the space they should on your computer and it won’t take too many downloads before your PC is running on slow-mode.

Direct2Drive doesn’t really compare to the two companies mentioned above, but it does at the very least save a trip to the store. 

Con's of Direct2Drive vs. WildTangent:

• Very expensive
• Difficult to install games
• Games take up a lot of computer memory space
• Can't rent games
• No offline mode

WildTangent offer games rentals from just $0.25 per day. WildCoins subscription packages are between $4.00 and $10.00 dollars per month depending on how much game play you would like and there are 1000’s of games on offer, so there is little chance gamers will ever get bored.

The GameHouse offers subscription packages from $6.99 and also offers an unlimited ‘Fun Package’ from $19.99 per month. This could work out a good deal for those addicted to their computer screens, but for most this is overkill and rather expensive. You can’t rent games unfortunately and those who just want to play the odd game here and there will be forced to pay between $2.99 and $19.99 depending on the game they choose.

Direct2Drive doesn’t have the option of renting titles or letting their gamers take out a subscription package. This website will only allow you to buy games and they don’t offer a free trial, which isn’t very helpful. Games cost anywhere from $10.00 to $49.99, making this a very expensive option for keen gamers. 

Here is what WildTangent’s customers and followers have been saying about them:

PCMAG.com says:

Can you marry the realism of today's 3-D CD-ROM games with the narrow bandwidth of most Internet connections? Until recently, the answer was a definitive "No!" But WildTangent has a solution that seems right on target. The company's Web Driver Software Development Kit lets developers build multimedia applications that can interface with DirectX-enabled hardware for rich graphics and audio. The applications are delivered across the Internet by making use of highly compressed graphics and intelligent streaming.

Unlike traditional games, Web-based content can be readily updated. End users will be able to get new levels and scenes each time they launch the game. Meanwhile, marketers can provide more targeted and current ads in their sponsored games. (WildTangent Inc., www.wildtangent.com)

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Androidguys.com say:

WildTangent, gearing up for their Android-based game service, just shot us an email with details on some of the more notable participating developers.  Expected to launch with T-Mobile later this year, WildTangent's game service lets players buy credits called WildCoins which can be used for rental and in-game purchases.  Rentals are tallied and apply toward ownership, and run a fraction of the retail price.  Players will also have the opportunity to play premium versions of popular games at no cost so long as they are willing to stomach an ad or two.

Things should be off and running for WildTangent as with games such as Collapse, Cake Mania and Tiki Towers (GameHouse),  as well as FruitNinja (Halfbrick).  Glu is also on board with the game service however it's not clear which titles they'll be bringing along for the ride.  Hopefully, the open the floodgates and drop them all in there.  This way, we'll be able to rent games like Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2, Guitar Hero 5, Gun Bros., and Bug Village!

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Gamezebo.com says:

Game portal WildTangent has just become a little more social, with the addition of a new section that focuses specifically on social games. Popular Facebook games like It Girl and Salon Street are now playable on the site, and a contest is currently underway that lets users win free virtual currency.

A total of eight social games are currently available on WildTangent, each one a port of a game also playable on Facebook. You'll still need a Facebook account to play, though, as the games utilize Facebook Connect. The biggest difference is that games on WIldTangent use a different virtual currency; WildCoins, as opposed to Facebook Credits.

To celebrate the launch of the new social games section, WildTangent is running a contest. By playing the featured game of the day, and answering a few questions about it, you'll be entered into a a draw to win 1,000 WildCoins. A different game is featured each day, and the contest will be running until July 9.

In addition to established titles like Gun Bros, WildTangent will also be home to new releases such as the just-launched Odd Manor.

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In conclusion for great up-to-the-minute games of all genres which can played on or offline WildTangent is a great choice. Their quaintly old-fashioned ‘put a coin in the slot’ manner of paying for games makes gaming more affordable and available to everyone. Their free trial period for each game is generous and that alone makes it well worth a look – see for yourself!