games made specifically harder so that you’d have to rent them multiple times

Fucking BattleToads

That's mostly true, except for games made specifically harder so that you'd have to rent them multiple times

Wait this was a thing game designers actually to into account? I’ve never heard this

The game companies also wanted gamers to call their hotline if they get stuck, where they would charge by the minute to give tips (and they weren't known for their brief calls).

Except there were so many Japanese games not brought to the west because they were deemed too difficult for western gamers.

Did game companies get royalties from rentals? I though the idea was that you’d want to buy it if you couldn’t beat it in a rental period

But is making a game harder to discourage rental and encourge purchasing stealing your quarters? Id argue no. You still get value if you renting the game, and the idea of rentals is really that if you like it then you pay to own it.