Though Madison offers great activities for the outdoors, people still find it fun to spend time indoors with a variety of activities, such as playing video games.
Madison offers a few gaming stores throughout its city center, namely GameStop Prestige. This gaming store is located on State Street, offering University of Wisconsin students local gaming options near campus.
UW student Dalton Tuskowski is an avid gamer and has been working at GameStop for more than four years, where he is now a senior guest advisor.
At his work at GameStop, Tuskowski is interested in the “business perspective.”
He said the gaming industry is changing, and he’s interested to watch the pattern of change in both digital games and free-to-play games. Free-to-play games, or free-to-start games, are ones that offer content that is primarily free to the video game players.
“I enjoy my job for a few reasons,” Tuskowski said. “The first is that it’s laid back and I get to talk to many different people about video games, whether it’s a regular or someone who is just getting started. Secondly, I get a peek into the gaming industry from a business perspective that I never had before. Third, they provide great resources to their employees like scholarships.”
GameStop currently has special offers such as “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” “Division 2,” “Dead or Alive 6,” “Anthem,” “Jump Force” and “Super Smash Bros Ultimate.” Tuskowski said GameStop offers more than just games though.
Customers can sort through an array of apparel and as well as collectibles — like cards and board games.
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GameStop will also buy games, accessories and gaming systems off of people at the store.
Tuskowski said contrary to popular belief, GameStop does pay well for people’s items, and they might actually pay more than other companies.
New games are being released all the time at GameStop, Tuskowski said. Nearly every Tuesday and Friday new games are released, so customers should never feel as though they have a lack of gaming options.
Most of the popular games are released in fall, Tuskowski said. But for those in antsy for a spring release, Tuskowski said “Mortal Kombat” will be offered to customers this April at GameStop.
“Mortal Kombat” is a horror-fantasy game that includes fighting in live-action animation. The game includes characters like humans, cyborgs, deities and more.
If GameStop doesn’t offer the options you’re looking for, employees are happy to point you to another store that does offer what you want, even if that means sending you to competitor stores, like Target and Best Buy, Tuskowski said.
Big box stores like these might carry many different options than GameStop, so employees are happy to suggest other store options, just as Target and Best Buy might recommend customers to GameStop.
“At GameStop, I like to think we have some of the best service when it comes to video games,” Tuskowski said. “Compared to other stores, we are one of the last stores where that is our sole specialty.”
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With their location on State Street, it’s easy for students to have quick and easy access to new, available games.
Interested people can stop in for gaming advice, to sell their games and gaming products or to simply browse the store.
“Based on my staff, I know we all play games and always give honest opinions on games,” Tuskowski said. “We are typically laid back and love talking to people.”
