I Know Things

I'm a gamer. That means I know a few things about video games. That doesn't mean that I know everything about all video games, which is what a lot of customers expect from you when you work in a video game store. I suppose that's the same for any type of retail: I bet cashiers at Wal-Mart get asked how to work the cell phone they just bought there as often as I get asked how to sync an XBox 360 controller. However, I tend to know more about games than some of my co-workers, not because I play a lot of games (which I don't), but because I'm an information sponge and I following gaming news on my free time. Most times when I'm asked if a particular game is good or not, I can recall how well or poorly it was reviewed. I can explain to customers the details of "that NATAL thing" they heard about on Jimmy Fallon. In general, I can bullshit having real knowledge about something by recalling what I've read about it and delivering it in a way that makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about. It's what I've always done, in every job.

Then there are the things I've picked up from working at the store itself. Things such as:

• The NBA 2K series is typically the better basketball game, but the EA NHL series is almost always the better hockey game.
• If someone is new to a console and wants a good shooting game, "Call of Duy 4: Modern Warfare" is the best one to recommend.
• It doesn't matter if the game sells for $250 on eBay, odds are if you trade it in it will be worth $3 or less.
• Have patience, like a year's worth or more of patience, and eventually that awesome game you want can be had for a bargain price.
  
• Blu-Ray discs are harder to scratch than DVDs, and even harder to repair.
• Where to look on most major consoles and handheld systems to tell if they've been tampered with (hacked).

Not really sure where this post is going, but as I enter the one-year anniversary of my employment in video games retail (in what was supposed to be a temporary position), I find myself reflecting on how far I've come.