#gamegroup

I would be the last person to describe myself as "smart". It's said that if someone is good at something, they can't understand why others aren't. Take an artist for example. Painting comes so naturally to them that they can't understand why others can't do it. I like to think I'm pretty good when it comes to things like business and financial markets, hell I'd almost say I'm smart in those areas!

Many years ago I started working for a company called GAME group PLC. A multi-national video games retailer that started in the UK. About a year ago I actively started looking for jobs elsewhere and am now in a new career. I enjoyed the job I did for GAME group. It was mainly a day of playing games and talking about games (I'm a nerd. Piss off.). Why would anyone leave that job?!

In 2009, a year after I started, GAME group called a massive meeting of all its staff for an announcement. The announcement was that they were cutting staff, hours and stores due to low profits. This was the start, for me, of the downturn. LON:GMG (GAME group) had a pretty good share price, alright it was lower than 2008, but the financial collapse hit everyone. This wasn't a matter of making a loss, this was a matter of making enough profit for the shareholders.

I was a senior member of the team, and I was being paid 2 pence more than a new starter in the company. Customers were pre-ordering games that we simply weren't gonna' get in stock. We charged up to £15 more than the RRP on some games. This wasn't a video game company anymore, this was a snatch and grab.

It became very clear to me the company needed money for the shareholders and would do anything possible to do it in the short term. For a period of over a year, no member of staff were happy with the way the company was run, and if you kill your relationship with the staff, you kill the relationship with the customer! Staff discount levels were lowered to a point where some things were actually cheaper if you were a customer!

Within the last couple of days, there have been a number of reports in relation to the company. The share price has sunk to just over 1p and they have been given 2 weeks to sort it out before calling in the administrators. The official company line is that they're blaming it on lack of a new console and the decreasing economy.

They are right to an extent, but GameStop in America are still going alright. There's a reason for this; GameStop kept the fun. GameStop know that they sell video games, and that in its very nature is meant to be fun! If the staff are happy, they customers will buy more. That's a fact! GAME group decided against keeping the staff happy and at times it seemed they just wanted to piss people off.

I have friends who still work for the company, and I'm still passionate about keeping them informed and trying to get them to realise the truth. The fact is, the company will not be around soon. Like it or not, it's happening. Hiding under the covers isn't going to stop it. I urge anyone working there to get out while you can and start looking for jobs now! Stop denying it's happening. Oh and the real kick in the bollocks? The real evidence that the company don't care about the staff? The staff havn't been told this is happening. In fact, most found out through the Internet.

Jump ship.