Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Ventura.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Well, I started working here a few years ago, just part-time as I was studying to be a finance major. Gamers Inc Orlando has been a beloved local store for many years, and I was eager to join the team. In addition to my basic tasks at the time, I began growing our social media presence. Fast-forward to now, we now get well over 1M views a month, and have the highest social media following across all platforms than almost every game store in the southeastern United States. Now, as operations manager, I wear a few hats and have been working with my incredible team and ownership to build a comprehensive website, which has gained a lot of traction and has been a great source for people looking to get retro games that aren’t overpriced. We are all huge gamers at heart, and we pour a lot of that enthusiasm into the social media scene, where we are well-known for our dramatic and hilarious skits. Gamers Inc, as it is known locally, or GamersGoRetro, as it is known now beyond our local borders, will continue to be a beacon for fairly priced games, reliable products, upbeat service, and all around great vibes. If anyone reading this visits our store, we have a great team of Gamers who would help them and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Tyler, Michael, Riley, Misa, Gavin, and Brent as all pivotal parts to the operation!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely anything but smooth. I had tremendous hurdles to overcome with previous management before I ended up as operations manager. We have had our fair deal of issues under different management in the past. It was a difficult time to reach any kind of meaningful goals for the business, as there was no solid business structure. Hours were slim; at one point, we ran the business with only 3 people. This structure did not allow for the growth of the business and did not empower those who wanted to help the business stand out and succeed. There were a lot more hurdles, but they were of a personal nature to others involved in the business, so I will not speak on that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Gamers Inc stands out from the crowd in some enormous ways. As retro game enthusiasts ourselves, we hate going to bland retro game stores where the games are dirty, full of used GameStop stickers, and not even tested. We do not stand for any of that – all of our games and consoles are thoroughly cleaned and tested, in an effort to provide a great product and preserve retro gaming for all to enjoy for generations to come. Among other reasons, this is one of the biggest reasons that we are THE highest rated and longest standing retro game stores in all of Orlando. The social media campaign that I started more than two years ago has really taken off, with more than 1M views monthly, and over 55K followers on Instagram alone. We are nationally known for our quality reels and our goofy skits. Ever since the launch of our website GamersGoRetro.com back in June, we have been hard at work fine-tuning every aspect of the website to maximize viewership, and I have been spreading awareness of the website through our huge network of social media accounts. When people visit Gamers Inc in person, I want them to be immersed in a time capsule that takes them to their most cherished moments in their childhood. Realistically, not all of us had a great childhood, and I know this, but so many can remember going to their room to immerse themselves in the games they had during their generation. For so many, it was an escape; for many more, it was a highlight of being a kid. However, these games we grew up with are so much more than nostalgia, they still are worth playing, worth enjoying, and are full of revolutionary ideas for the time and unique story arcs. Ultimately, I want customers to know that they will get a quality product, a fun and responsive service, and our signature 90-day guarantee, which is our personal stamp of trust with each customer. We have new customers every day, and we have customers who have been shopping with us since we opened up in 2010, and we are thankful for every single one of them.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a quieter kid, preferring to play my Nintendo 64 with a small but quality group of friends. My earliest memories bring me back to learning how to play strategy games like Age Of Empires, adventuring outside with an unbridled imagination, and watching documentaries. I grew up enamored with where games could take me. Gaming was very much an emotional experience for me, as I would campaign through various story games as a character’s arc unfolded. I can give credit to my time spent gaming as a means that taught me how to think outside the box and overcome certain obstacles. Problem-solving is the very heart of gaming. Video games inspired me to think differently, to see outside the norm, and peer closer to the heart of the issue. I can remember sitting silently, just processing the various story arcs of my favorite video game characters as I reached new and defining points in the game. Games like Halo made tremendous impacts on me as a kid, and stick with me to this day. As a teen, my interests evolved, but so did my gameplay. I became competitive in nature, and as a result, I would strive to get better at competitive games such as fighting games. Like so many of the games we proudly carry, Gamers Inc is deeply personal to me, and I have learned so much more about gaming and the variety of games because of how many gamers come through those doors with such nuanced stories and perspectives on the kind of games they enjoy. It has taught me so much
A good place to start for anyone looking for a quality game is .
https://www.gamersgoretro.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gamersgoretro.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamersgoretro/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamersGoRetro
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gamers-go-retro-orlando
Image Credits
I took all of the photos 🙂
