The Best Gaming Companies to work for

The Best Gaming Companies to work for however, one is still so elusive as to where to start or how to enter the industry in the first place. Like a mirage in the desert of employment, it fades into the aether for most people.

You should always check who you’re getting into bed with when you find the mythical door into a company. The following is a quick round-up of some of the bigger names in video games, with data pulled from the job site Glassdoor.

Best Gaming Companies to work for

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While this is meant to be helpful, take all reviews with a grain of salt. Every person’s experience can vary greatly.

Activision Blizzard

  • Rating: 3.6 out of 5 Stars
  • 58% Recommend to Friends – 53% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Great Talent Acquisition, Exciting Projects
  • Cons: Long Hours reported

It’s worrying that one of the biggest publishers in video games has a fairly middle-of-the-road rating. I sympathize with them to a certain extent, but they certainly have the resources to ensure these things don’t happen.

Former employees cite having the pleasure of working with very friendly and talented colleagues at the company, for the big game titles like World of Warcraft that is constantly being updated, with the newest The Burning Crusade release where players are craving TBC Gold, other major games that are Starcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch and more.

Rockstar Games

  • Rating: 4.3 out of 5 Stars
  • 86% Recommend to Friends – 99% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Good Work Environment, Great People
  • Cons: Long Hours with Very High Standard reported

The reason Rockstar Games releases the high-quality games it does at the frequency it does is because its workers put in many grueling hours to get the games to the level they aspire to.

While the company’s name on your CV may bring some level of fame, the company generally compensates its workers quite well. The culture at the company sounds to be in a better place than at other Triple-A studios.

Nintendo of America

  • Rating: 4.2 out of 5 Stars
  • 72% Recommend to Friends – 100% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Work/Life Balance “Unmatched”, Good Benefits for FT employees
  • Cons: Progression is dependant on being a “Brand Ambassador”

The CEO of Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, has a 100% approval rating from employees at the company’s American branch.

Many current and former employees have said that working at Nintendo of America is fun and engaging, with some writing that there are no negative aspects to the company.

While a company like Rockstar has a more heavyweight feel to it when it comes to putting their name on your work history, Nintendo has more of a whimsical childhood dream job feel to it. Many gamers grew up playing titles from Nintendo that shaped who they are, and getting to work for them is almost a reward in itself. Positives for Nintendo of America include a fun environment and company events, good healthcare, and getting to work with people who share a passion for video games.

Epic Games

  • Rating: 4.2 out of 5 Stars
  • 80% Recommend to Friends – 90% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Great People and Benefits, Free Food
  • Cons: Mismatched W/L Balance reported

Epic Games has a long history of making great games, from early titles like Unreal Tournament and Jazz Jackrabbit to more recent hits like Fortnite. It seems like a great place to work, with a lot of creative freedom and opportunity to make amazing games.

Epic Games is “best of both worlds” according to one review, with experienced heads at the helm and new generation talent having the tools to lead the studio from one success to another. CEO Tim Sweeney is called a “visionary” in the same review and the company is cited as being “player-focused” with a good strategy.

Electronic Arts

  • Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Stars
  • 84% Recommend to Friends – 91% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Good Work/Life Balance, Friendly Working Environment
  • Cons: Long Hours reported, Lower Salaries compared with other companies

The reviews mostly consist of complaints about salaries not being high enough in certain areas/roles, with some praising the good benefits, offices, and workspaces. Contractors usually receive continuous work for a good amount of time (even spanning multiple years).

GameStop

  • Rating: 2.9 out of 5 Stars
  • 33% Recommend to Friends – 27% CEO Approval
  • Pros: A Gaming Environment, Friendly Working Environment
  • Cons: Poor Hour Contracts reported

Now in the UK, I’m not as familiar with how GameStop operates, but from what I’ve read and heard, it doesn’t seem to be as bad as the tales that have reached my ears. The majority of reviews come from the people out on the front lines, namely the Sales Assistants, and it seems to be those positions that have the biggest and most frequent gripes. That said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for other members of management.

The good things about working there seem to be the people you get to work with, which for many of us is a fun place to be, and the fact that you’re in the thick of the gaming retail world.

IGN

  • Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
  • 68% Recommend to Friends – 40% CEO Approval
  • Pros: Free Game Codes, Get Games Before Public Release
  • Cons: Long Hours reported

I’ve heard this claim a lot from various companies in the industry, and it really gets on my nerves. If I wasn’t trying to be polite, I would have used a swear word to express my feelings. IGN is like the grandfather of video game news, comparable to OSRS in the video game industry with its OSRS gold.

The main advantage of working at IGN Entertainment is that it’s a fun place to work. You’re at the heart of video game news and media for a large majority of the internet, and working hours are flexible for most. Plus, there are some great age-y perks like free food.

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