GameZnFlix
Encyclopedia
GameZnFlix was a DVD-by-mail subscription service offering flat rate
rental of home videos and video games to customers in the United States
. On September 6, 2007, the company did a 1:1000 reverse split
of its stock
and changed its ticker symbol
from "GZFX" to "GMZN." The company's home page went dark in November 2008.
GameZnFlix operated in much the same fashion as other DVD-by-mail subscription services such as Netflix
, although it rented both movies and video games and thus also competed with game-only services such as GameFly
. Subscribers could also buy selected DVDs or games at a reduced price, should they choose to keep the movie or game. GameZnFlix also acted as a traditional online retailer and offered new copies of DVDs and video games for sale.
Circuit City (now defunct) offered one month prepaid subscriptions of GameZnFlix for new customers, and gift certificates that could be sent to friends and family.
, PlayStation 2
, Xbox
, GameCube, Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, and Wii
and movies in DVD
, HD DVD
, and Blu-ray Disc
formats. They did not offer cartridge-based gaming formats such as those used for the Game Boy Advance
and Nintendo DS
.
GameZnFlix offered three monthly subscription plans, which allowed the customer 1, 2, or 3 video games or movies at a time. All plans were of the unlimited variety. 14-day free trials of most of the plans were available with a restricted selection of titles.
Members of the U.S. military received discounted pricing (roughly 10% off) on these plans, and GameZnFlix apparently shipped to foreign military bases through the APO/FPO military mail
service.
s, GameZnFlix discontinued operations in the video rental business in November 2008. The filing states that the company will look for other business ventures to be acquired. The company had net losses of $1.1 million on revenue of $931,000 in 2008 versus losses of over $10 million on revenue of $3.6 million in 2007.
GameZnFlix maintained a television advertisement
campaign, some of which featured the actor Ben Curtis
(best known as "The Dell Dude" in advertisements for Dell, Inc.).
A pilot marketing program with electronics retailer Circuit City from November 2005 to March 2006 was extended to a full co-marketing agreement with all US stores offering prepaid subscriptions and other promotional efforts by Circuit City (flyers
, online
, etc.). All stores were participating as of December 2006.
Throughout 2006, GameZnFlix sponsored of a bicycle racing
team in and around Tennessee
and several watercraft
competition
s throughout the United States. They increased Internet advertising with Internet service provider
s and started an affiliate program. They also teamed up with McDonald's
and ClickCaster in a cross-country series of promotional events featuring tour bus
es, Ridge Racer 6
gaming competitions, outdoor movie showings, and other activities. Other tie-ins included Circuit City stores, ClickCaster broadcasts from on-site locations, and contributions to the Ronald McDonald House
and other local charities.
GameznFlix CEO John Fleming states "Between CNBC, Fox Business Network and Bloomberg, the market is pretty well saturated with information about Fortune 500 companies. We intend to focus on the companies you rarely hear about, those trading on the NASDAQ Small Cap, OTCBB, Pink Sheets and some interesting privately-held firms that aren't publicly traded at all."
The company's former website is once again active as of August 2009, however, the domain is being forwarded to the new company's website tbcglobalnews.com. As of September, 2011, however, the website forwards to a site about casino gambling.
Flat rate
A flat fee, also referred to as a flat rate or a linear rate, refers to a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service, regardless of usage. Rarely, it may refer to a rate that does not vary with usage or time of use...
rental of home videos and video games to customers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On September 6, 2007, the company did a 1:1000 reverse split
Reverse stock split
On a stock exchange, a reverse stock split or reverse split is a process by a company of issuing to each shareholder in that company a smaller number of new shares in proportion to that shareholder's original shares that are subsequently canceled. A reverse stock split is also called a stock merge...
of its stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
and changed its ticker symbol
Ticker symbol
A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a short abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. "Ticker symbol" refers to the symbols that were printed on the ticker...
from "GZFX" to "GMZN." The company's home page went dark in November 2008.
GameZnFlix operated in much the same fashion as other DVD-by-mail subscription services such as Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
, although it rented both movies and video games and thus also competed with game-only services such as GameFly
GameFly
GameFly is an American online video game rental subscription service that specializes in providing games for game consoles and handheld game consoles....
. Subscribers could also buy selected DVDs or games at a reduced price, should they choose to keep the movie or game. GameZnFlix also acted as a traditional online retailer and offered new copies of DVDs and video games for sale.
Circuit City (now defunct) offered one month prepaid subscriptions of GameZnFlix for new customers, and gift certificates that could be sent to friends and family.
Rental offerings and memberships
GameZnFlix offered online rental of video games for the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, GameCube, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and movies in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
, and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
formats. They did not offer cartridge-based gaming formats such as those used for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
.
GameZnFlix offered three monthly subscription plans, which allowed the customer 1, 2, or 3 video games or movies at a time. All plans were of the unlimited variety. 14-day free trials of most of the plans were available with a restricted selection of titles.
Members of the U.S. military received discounted pricing (roughly 10% off) on these plans, and GameZnFlix apparently shipped to foreign military bases through the APO/FPO military mail
Military mail
A primary feature of military mail systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic...
service.
Financials
According to the last available SEC filingSEC filing
An SEC filing is a financial statement or other formal document submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . Public companies, certain insiders, and broker-dealers are required to make regular SEC filings. Investors and financial professionals rely on these filings for information...
s, GameZnFlix discontinued operations in the video rental business in November 2008. The filing states that the company will look for other business ventures to be acquired. The company had net losses of $1.1 million on revenue of $931,000 in 2008 versus losses of over $10 million on revenue of $3.6 million in 2007.
Distribution centers
According to the GameZnFlix 2007 Annual Report, the company used warehouses in Colorado and Kentucky to service its customers.Marketing
From February 2004 through the 2005 Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
GameZnFlix maintained a television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
campaign, some of which featured the actor Ben Curtis
Ben Curtis (actor)
Benjamin Bowmar Curtis , also known as the Dell Dude or Slacker Steve, is an American actor and former spokesman for Dell Computers. Curtis was prominently featured in the popular "Dell Dude" ads from 2000 to 2003.-Early life and education:Curtis is the second of two children, and has an older...
(best known as "The Dell Dude" in advertisements for Dell, Inc.).
A pilot marketing program with electronics retailer Circuit City from November 2005 to March 2006 was extended to a full co-marketing agreement with all US stores offering prepaid subscriptions and other promotional efforts by Circuit City (flyers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
, online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
, etc.). All stores were participating as of December 2006.
Throughout 2006, GameZnFlix sponsored of a bicycle racing
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
team in and around Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and several watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
s throughout the United States. They increased Internet advertising with Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s and started an affiliate program. They also teamed up with McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
and ClickCaster in a cross-country series of promotional events featuring tour bus
Tour bus
A tour bus service is a bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Double-decker buses and/or open top buses are commonly used, for their good views....
es, Ridge Racer 6
Ridge Racer 6
Ridge Racer 6 has received generally positive reviews.Pro-G gave the game 8/10, calling it "the closest I've seen to an arcade racer on a home console, in both looks and playability." Gamespy awarded Ridge Racer 6 4.5/5 praising its "killer graphics" and "great presentation", but criticising its...
gaming competitions, outdoor movie showings, and other activities. Other tie-ins included Circuit City stores, ClickCaster broadcasts from on-site locations, and contributions to the Ronald McDonald House
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent 501c3 organization whose mission is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children across the world...
and other local charities.
Legal Proceedings
From the GameznFlix 2008 Annual Report- Item 3. Legal Proceedings:- On February 8, 2008, an action was filed in the United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, entitled Mobile Satellite Communications v. GameZnFlix, Inc. et al. In this action, the plaintiff claims that it was damaged as a result of the termination of the agreement covering leased television channels by GNF Entertainment, LLC. A judgment in the amount of $350,000 has been rendered to the Plaintiff.
- On February 28, 2008, an action was filed in the Simpson Circuit Court, Franklin, Kentucky, entitled CNET Networks, Inc v. GameZnFlix, Inc., D/B/A GameZnFlix.com. In this action, the plaintiff claims that it was damaged as a result of not being paid for online advertising requested by GameZnFlix,Inc. in the amount of $96,000. A judgment in the amount of $67,038 has been rendered to the Plaintiff.
- On July 17, 2008, an action was filed in Simpson Circuit Court, Franklin, Kentucky, entitled Ingram Entertainment, Inc. v. John Fleming D/B/A GameZnFlix, Inc. In this action, the plaintiff claims that it was damaged as a result of not being paid for purchases made in 2007 in the amount of $45,040. A judgement in the amount of $45,940 plus interest until settled was rendered on November 24, 2008.
GameznFlix Changes Name & Trading Symbol to TBC Global News Network, Inc.
Eight months after shutting down its DVD and game rental website (without notice to customers), GameznFlix announced that it has changed its corporate name to TBC Global News Network, Inc. and their stock trading symbol to TGLN. The change is to reflect a change in its business model from Online Video Rental to become a media organization concentrating on news and information about the second and third tier of American business.GameznFlix CEO John Fleming states "Between CNBC, Fox Business Network and Bloomberg, the market is pretty well saturated with information about Fortune 500 companies. We intend to focus on the companies you rarely hear about, those trading on the NASDAQ Small Cap, OTCBB, Pink Sheets and some interesting privately-held firms that aren't publicly traded at all."
The company's former website is once again active as of August 2009, however, the domain is being forwarded to the new company's website tbcglobalnews.com. As of September, 2011, however, the website forwards to a site about casino gambling.
External links
- GameZnFlix Official Web Site
- TBC Global News Network Website
- TBC Global News Netwwork Stock Information on Investor's Hub
- Unofficial GameZnFlix blog
- GameZnFlix review on ResellerRatingsResellerRatingsResellerRatings is a web-based business that solicits consumer reviews of online retailers and sells "Merchant Memberships" to those stores. Rated stores are given two scores - a lifetime score and a six-months score...