From the desk of the President of Gamers Link, national stores: In light of recent events, I wish to discuss some of the possible concerns of customers past, present, and future. This is also intended for our peers in the industry. Accusations and Libelous statements are a much more significant part of todays internet-oriented society. It allows for people to voice opinions, true to the American ideal of free speech, but sometimes purposed merely to harm others. I have to say that, as an outsider to this industry and the heavily competitive card game oriented community, I have come to see that much of the joy derived from casual gaming is tainted by rivalry, poor sportsmanship, and inferiority complexes. We have made it very clear that anybody is welcome to present us with questions and issues they may have while attending our events or staying as guests in our community gaming centers. Please do so both publicly and privately. It is in my utmost interest to create a gaming environment, full of the color of eclectic personalities, and a wealth of shared experience. This is a challenge, of course, because there will always be conflict within a collection of people. I expect to see interesting results from all of the reviews, both negative and positive. Some of them are quite entertaining. While most of this is backlash from 1 incident, it has truly done us the favor of creating buzz about the Gamers Link brand. The support from loyal fans is inspiring. Even casual visitors have chosen to defend our reputation with great reviews! The negative reviews have some merit in being great publicity, a boon in any popularity contest. Rest assured that most of these are from a small, insignificant group of players who wish to diminish the reputations of those they consider adversaries. With respect, I assume that none of this is supported by other gaming stores owners or staff, and I like to believe we are all part of a greater plan to accelerate the quality and volume of places and players to choose from different types of environments, events, and competitive level. This brings me to the word professional as it has come up several times since my initial foray into business. Does a standard of professionalism have any real format? There are industry standards and requirements for product handling, with which my stores are compliant. I chose to finance and labor a business that is not known for high profit margins or quick turn-around, but is known for creating friendships, and helping bring people together in a way that allows for dropping all of the typical expectations of the professional world. The same sense of abandon is something I personally covet as a purveyor of senseless happiness. Uniforms, politically sugar-coated language, and high-pressure sales tactics, typically reserved for professionals are never a guarantee of results or service. My personal promise to my customers is this: We have created an environment we personally find desirable for gathering to play games, and if you have similar interests, you will feel more than welcome without having to be told so. Our retail prices reflect a need to maintain a physical location for your benefit, unique to retail game stores as a whole. We support our hobbyists with long hours and great attention to detail. We do not try to require you to only game with us, but if you do, it will help support your preferred local outlet. Play at bigger stores, play at smaller stores, there are benefits to each. The best thing you can do, though, is help us grow the community, bring together the most challenging gaming experience for those who want it, and take the time to teach those who need it. -Eddie Marmol
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 00:20:03 +0000
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