Questions about game jobs (EB,GS, etc.)

[Ikari Warrior]

Hey guys, I know some of you work at Gamestore like EB Games, Gamestop, and Gamecrazy. I just have a few questions about these places.

Right now I'm an assistant Kindergarten/preschool teacher, and have been for almost 5 years. I also run the afterschool care for 5-12 year olds as well. However, the jobs been getting pretty stressful lately and I only make $9 an hour. I'm getting older now (28) and just can't afford to live working this job, and the stress doesn't seem worth it anymore, as much as I've liked it, I'm burning out. I have a college degree in animal science but there aren't any jobs I'm interested in in that field now.

I've been thinking about getting into a game indusrty related job for a while now. I've been into the game scene since about 1986, and have always loved the industry itself, not just playing the games. I go to game stores all the time, we have about 15 in the area that I visit at least once a month. I get every gaming magazine. I read all the online reviews, message boards, and know all the upcoming games. In stores I end up answering more customer questions than the employees can. Basically, my hobby is homework for a game job.

What I'd like to know is how it is to work in a game store. How much do you make, enough to earn a decent living? How about sales reps, assistant mgrs, and managers? How's the work enviornment?

I also thought about applying to be a merchandiser, the guys that go around to stores and help with displays and promos and stuff. I'd say I've been to enough stores over the years to know what works in a store and what doesn't.

So does anyone have any advice or information?
I'd appreciate it, thanks!

[MegaDrive20XX]

to be honest, lower then what you are making now an hour...

I started at gamestop at $5.25 an hour...and only got one raise of 50 cents more...

[Aussie2B]

For the normal cashier jobs, you won't get paid much of anything, but if you get a manager position, it should pay decently. I imagine it's a stressful job, but my boyfriend's former friend/manager is enjoying being a GameStop manager. She used to be a manager of an Eckerd pharmacy, so being a manager of a GameStop definitely in an improvement both in stress level and salary. o_O

[Joelius]

Manager would be the only way to go if you wanted a raise. I hired in at $7 an hour, so thats a definate wage drop. I don't know exactly how much managers make, but that depends on volume of the store and such things.

[TheHammerGod]

As a former Rhode Island Gamestop manager I can give you a run down. $7 an hour to start as a cashier, a bump up every Feb with reviews. There is no real bonus program from the grunts, there are contests but the top stores win them every month and none of the RI stores are in the top ranks. You may be able to get a senior customer rep position (3rd key) with your limited retail background but there are clerks in every store waiting for that position. That will pay you $7.50-$8.50 depending on experience. Cashiers and Senior reps tend to get under 20 hours a week, no benefits.

Assistant managers get a little better pay ($8.50-$9.00) and benefits like insurance. They must work 32 hours a week, no more then 40. Gamestop does not allow overtime unless in very extreme and authorized moments. There are usually people in the store who have been trying to get to this position for a while and hires off the street are rare with no retail experience. The problem is once you are an assistant it is very hard to move up to manager. Strange as that may be, I know of a number of assistant managers (Andy in N.A. for one) who have been promised a manager slot repeatedly but never get the promotion.

Managers are hired from the outside, but a strong retail background is needed. Usually at least five years in a retail management position along with at least five people under you in a supervisory position. I know a few managers in RI who don't even care for video games that much - one even is a manager at Stop and Shop and manages both.

The thing to remember is that the Assistant and key holders positions often go to friends of the manager. I was in one location, I think Woonsocket, and the new assistant there used to work for the manager at K-Bee and got the job through him and she hates video games. She actually asked a customer why he spent so much money on the stupid things, lol.

So if you are really interested, go talk to the manager and get to know him. Applications left with the cashiers usually go right into the filing drawer never to be seen again.

Good luck!

[Arcade Antics]

So does anyone have any advice or information?
I'd appreciate it, thanks!

Put the college degree to good use; keep the gaming stuff on the hobby side of things.

[TheHammerGod]

Indeed, indeed. That is advice to live by. Roughly half of the managers in the district keeps their eyes out for other work, there is a lot of stress invloved (4th quarter is brutal - 60+ hours a week with no OT since they are on salary) but it can be fun as a part time job. If you have a degree you could do so much more.

[klausien]

Put the college degree to good use; keep the gaming stuff on the hobby side of things.

True.

I have worked in Game stores between jobs on several occasions. The pay is very low at GameStop and not all that much better at EB or GameCrazy. The hours suck, and managers are micromanaged to death. Not for the faint of heart.

I even turned down a position as a merchandiser for Nintendo because the pay and job sucked. Glorified stock boy.

Stick to real paying jobs and make a career. Then you can buy all the games you could ever want!

[Oobgarm]

Stick to real paying jobs and make a career. Then you can buy all the games you could ever want!

This man speaks the God-honest truth. Heed his words.

Getting into the retail game industry is NOT worth it.

[Griking]

I don't think I'd ever want to work at a GS or EB. It seems to me that the corporate attitude would sour me to the hobby that I love. The only benefit that I can think of would be the ability to buy newly traded in games (if employees are even allowed to do that).

[drwily008]

Yes I agree (corporate hunger). Anyways I worked in various video game venues for almost the entire last decade of my life. If you can prove your worth they will not let it go not noticed. They can be very rewarding jobs (i.e. benefits, all the free spiffs from reps, vendor shows, discounts..etc). But they are also money hungry corporate dicks that only see a Profit & Loss sheet every few days or so. Those jobs (EB GAMES & SOFTWARE ETC/BABBAGES) ate me alive at the end, they are uber-stressful ecspecially during the Christmas times. Picture BITCHING WHINING PEOPLE WHO JUST TOOK 45 MINUTES TO FIND A PARKING SPOT. Those people come directly to you so you can tell them "Sorry Maam, but those are THE hottest item this holiday season we should get more in January." ........NOT FUN

You are expected to keep a cool demeanor while being just treated like a PEON SLAVE (by customers & REGIONAL VP's). They also expect you to make ridiculous goals & they set them so high so that it is almost impossible to get a bonus.

Anyways, as a Manager training to be a District Manager I was making $34,514 gross a year. That equals out to about $17ish an hour. Sounds good, but a VERY small fraction of what their bottom line profits are per year.

One more thing I was on the other end of the stick (firing people & doing internal audits & accepting peoples 2 week notices (then telling them they were no longer needed). The point for telling you that is that I KNOW they only keep people for so long before they get rid of them (because of their high salary due to # of years with company).

-All of this comes from above and you have NO control over it.
-You feel as if you could lose your job for a simple 3 month bad stretch in physical sales numbers. (MORE COMMON AT GAMESTOP THAN EB GAMES).
-Pay is OK for manager's but then you have to hear your part timers being mad for making slightly over $6-7 an hour.

BTW- I knew all of my reps very well (all good friends who I still talk to) and they dont make much at all! Maybe $21,000 to 29,000 a year.

If you had to work at one or the other, go for EB GAMES as they do treat you a little better....but not much. Gamestop pays much less also.

Get a journalism degree and start practicing writing reveiws for websites. Then when your all done you can go work for a game magazine or start your own! Or do what I'm doing and start your own video game store with your own rules! 8-) THANKS FOR LISTENING I NEEDED TO VENT!!

[squidblatt]

DrWiley is right. I managed a Software ETC and my experience was very much the same as his. Also keep in mind that Software ETC, Gamestop, Babbages, and Funcoland are all owned by Barnes and Noble, which means the corporate culture is not at all friendly towards its store level employees. You will get sorta good insurance for the type of job, but that's it. You will not be rewarded for your hard work, and one instance of bad luck erases all of your past successes. It is a very frustrating and unrewarding environment that I highly recommend you avoid. Your young, but not young enough to waste your time working a job like this. I know what it's like to have a degree that doesn't pay. You want a decent job with a future and enough of a salary to at least be able to pay the monthly bills, but, trust me, this isn't it. Maybe you should consider taking out some loans and going back to a professional school. Anyway, don't get sucked into retail; it will get you nowhere and erode your self-respect. They won't care if you're smart, respectable, or hard working - all you are is a red number on a financial statement. This is not the route you want to go.

[Snapple]

*Post Baleeted*

[Dk_slammer]

I worked as an Assistant Manager at Gamestop for 2 years and when I left i was making $9.50 an hour...plus alot of free games and all the bonus stuff i could handle. :D

[hezeuschrist]

I worked in a Gamerush over the summer and it really wasn't that bad. I'm sure working with my friends had something to do with it, but it really wasn't overly horrible work, there weren't any presale requirements (they push stuff like everywhere, but your job isn't dependant on it), and I got my hands on a load of games on the cheap.

The pay sucks though. I'd not recommend it.

[evildead2099]

Don't get sucked into retail; it will get you nowhere and erode your self-respect. They won't care if you're smart, respectable, or hard working - all you are is a red number on a financial statement.

Well put. :)

[mezrabad]

Go read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyasaki (not sure of spelling).

Great book about being an employee versus owning your own company and the type of freedom that comes from both. Just a thought.

By all reports from anyone I've ever known who work in retail. Retail is poison. It's only a job you take while you're training yourself for another kind of job. Or you take it for the employee discount right around the holidays.

[portnoyd]

Getting into the retail game industry is NOT worth it.

If you ever need convincing, talk to Achika. She *will* unconvince you.

dave

[Lord Contaminous]

Go to technical school and major in game design.

Maybe you'll love it so much that you'll create an underground empire of 2-D games. Lots of respect might come from people like us (DP) you'll never know.

I'm working retail right now. Sooo sick of it. I just applied for one of those 18 month Techies and am going into Drafting and Design.

[agbulls]

I live in Chicago and have been personally managing one of the largest volume stores in the metropolitan area for around 3 years now. To be honest, in terms of raw pay and numbers, it seems that EB clearly beats Gamespot (not trying to brag, just being honest). I also oversee three other stores as a market leader and have been doing so for the past year and half or so. Fact of the matter is, I do really love my job. Yes, no matter how you get around it, it IS corporate. But you know what? Benefits life excellent medical, dental, 401k and stock options are all there because it is corporate. I guess there are two sides to the retail games business. For the part time guys at EB, it can be a great part time job. But, you have to love to talk---a LOT. Each store has specific goals that must be attained as one might expect. Managers and assistant managers wages fluctuate depending on area of the country and the specific market you are in. In Chicago, an assisntant manager can easily make more than 9 and hour, but it depends on experience and knowledge of the industry in combination with your retail experience. And, I would agree with an earlier poster...the job is not for the "faint of heart" if you are in a competitive market ---- like Chicago. But, then again, no good job is easy. You get out of it what you put into it. And one last thing...EB almost always promotes from within.

[poloplayr]

I slave away as an investment banker at one of the largest american investment banks. Sure the money is good but I rarely have time to play any games at all - apart from a few minutes here and there on the can :)

The grass is always greener on the other side...some days I would love just to hang out at a video game store and talk to regulars...

[Zadoc]

Hey guys, I know some of you work at Gamestore like EB Games, Gamestop, and Gamecrazy. I just have a few questions about these places.

Right now I'm an assistant Kindergarten/preschool teacher, and have been for almost 5 years. I also run the afterschool care for 5-12 year olds as well. However, the jobs been getting pretty stressful lately and I only make $9 an hour. I'm getting older now (28) and just can't afford to live working this job, and the stress doesn't seem worth it anymore, as much as I've liked it, I'm burning out. I have a college degree in animal science but there aren't any jobs I'm interested in in that field now.

I've been thinking about getting into a game indusrty related job for a while now. I've been into the game scene since about 1986, and have always loved the industry itself, not just playing the games. I go to game stores all the time, we have about 15 in the area that I visit at least once a month. I get every gaming magazine. I read all the online reviews, message boards, and know all the upcoming games. In stores I end up answering more customer questions than the employees can. Basically, my hobby is homework for a game job.

What I'd like to know is how it is to work in a game store. How much do you make, enough to earn a decent living? How about sales reps, assistant mgrs, and managers? How's the work enviornment?

I also thought about applying to be a merchandiser, the guys that go around to stores and help with displays and promos and stuff. I'd say I've been to enough stores over the years to know what works in a store and what doesn't.

So does anyone have any advice or information?
I'd appreciate it, thanks!


Don't do it. Gamestop is the worst company on the planet. I can't imagine EB or any others being much better.

[Berty]

I worked full time (on a salary) at an independant shop. I was getting $440AUD (350USD) per week after tax, working 5 days a week. ($570AUD before tax)

I worked from 9am till 5:30. It was a great job, but i decided to go back to university, now i earn alot more even though im still studying so it has paid off.

You would have to work your way up heaps in retail before you started making big money. Try and get a job in QA at a dev house, that is where i am heading and it seems to be great money and a good way into the industry.

[jdc]

I'm not going to go too deeply into it, since the financial aspect has been covered by others.

In short......the pay isn't great, there's no real future at the retail end since management leads nowhere and owning your own store will never get you rich. You'll simply just be buying yourself a job. The profit margins are just far too slim. The customers WILL drive you insane since everyone on both sides of the counter has THE right opinion.

It's one of those situations where the average person envies the prospect of working among all of those games, games, GAMES and being a God to the gaming masses that flock to your store. "You actually work in a game store? We're not worthy, we're not worthy!" Once inside, you quickly realize that it isn't all free games, super huge discounts, idolatry by the teeming masses and day-long gaming sessions. So you got to play Halo 2 a day before everyone else did....big freaking woop.

It's a constant daily stream of annoying requests by increasingly annoying customers. Being a gamer is great......dealing with them sucks.

Don't waste your precious time. Do something else.

[grimbal]

For a couple of years I worked for a independant game store called Game X Change. They are a franchise corporation with most of their stores in the south and southeast.

I worked at the national headquarters in the next town over from me. It was a great enviroment and the owner was a great guy and he handled all the buying and store planning side. BUT his wife who ran the financial/personel side could be very heartless and cold.

In 99 my wife and I were expecting our first child and one day I came in. Told her that I needed to come in an hour late because we were having the ultrasound done and were going to see if it's a boy or a girl. She bluntly stares at me and says "Don't make a habit of it". That's when I decided it was time to move on.

I don't miss the pay but I miss the perks that came with that job and with the exception of her the job was great, even during the holiday season. If it wasn't for her personality and the dark shadow she casted over the assocaites I probably never would have left.

I've talked to several other former associates that joined after I left and have since quit. When I asked them why they quit it was because of her.

[FantasiaWHT]

I live in Chicago and have been personally managing one of the largest volume stores in the metropolitan area for around 3 years now. To be honest, in terms of raw pay and numbers, it seems that EB clearly beats Gamespot (not trying to brag, just being honest). I also oversee three other stores as a market leader and have been doing so for the past year and half or so. Fact of the matter is, I do really love my job. Yes, no matter how you get around it, it IS corporate. But you know what? Benefits life excellent medical, dental, 401k and stock options are all there because it is corporate. I guess there are two sides to the retail games business. For the part time guys at EB, it can be a great part time job. But, you have to love to talk---a LOT. Each store has specific goals that must be attained as one might expect. Managers and assistant managers wages fluctuate depending on area of the country and the specific market you are in. In Chicago, an assisntant manager can easily make more than 9 and hour, but it depends on experience and knowledge of the industry in combination with your retail experience. And, I would agree with an earlier poster...the job is not for the "faint of heart" if you are in a competitive market ---- like Chicago. But, then again, no good job is easy. You get out of it what you put into it. And one last thing...EB almost always promotes from within.

Hey man, welcome to the crowd! How's Mr. McCarthy for a DM, btw? I'm about an hour north of you and honestly I can't stand Paul as a DM.

Yeah, just to back up this guy's analysis, the pay is higher ($6.50 starting for PTers, $11-$14 starting for ASM depending on experience) and the promotions are almost ALL from within.

We are micromanaged to death, but you (ASM or store manager) aren't likely to lose your job over performance, just your bonuses and raises, and your shot at a better store (you can get shunted to a crappier store too) or promotions.

It's not really different from any other retail establishment as far as being a "red number at the end of a financial report" goes, so if you can handle that it IS a fun job, because you get to talk about your hobby all day long with people who love it too.

[FantasiaWHT]

Something else to add...

Working on the retail side is awesome for collectors and re-sellers. If I really want a game I can find it somewhere and have it shipped to my store. Plus, depending on your manager and how much trouble you're willing to get into, you can always outbid your store on trade-ins ;)

Of course I neeeeeeeeeeever outbid my own store.... unless the customer has already said "no" to the store's offer hehe.