GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - How GoNintendo came to be: Part 1

Time for another round of snow in NJ! Is it going to be 3 inches or 3 feet? I don’t know, but we’ll find out in a few hours! Looks like things are going to hit late Tuesday and continue into Wednesday. Mom Brain is counting on a Wed snow day, but we have to make it through tomorrow first! If you’re dealing with snow, stay warm and safe! If you’re not, make sure to stay warm/safe/cool wherever you are!

I’m not quite sure why, but a lot of people have been emailing me lately with a particular question. They want to know how I started GoNintendo…how the site came to be. It’s a pretty involved story, and I’ve been promising a few people an explanation for awhile now! I thought it would make sense to offer up that explanation through a series of ‘End of Day’ thoughts. Hopefully those that didn’t ask this question won’t be bored out of their minds by these features!

I have a bad feeling that this feature idea is going to make some people think that I’m full of myself. I really hope you don’t feel that way. Trust me, I would have never put together this feature if people weren’t asking! I am hugely thankful every single day for what I do, and I know it’s all because of you guys. Again, I am writing this to fulfill a promise to multiple readers.

Somewhere 6 or 7 years ago, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to end up doing as my life’s career. I was wrapping up some schooling that would eventually take me down the path of computing. I was going to head in the direction of a system’s analyst, or something else along those same lines. Not exactly the most exciting line of work, but it seemed like it would be a good fit for me. It also seemed like a job that would mesh well with my free time, which would be spent gaming!

Gaming has always been a big part of my life, and the year or two before GoNintendo was no different. I was enjoying a lot more gaming in those days, due to a lot of free time. Eventually I realized that I was going to need a part-time job to keep up with all of my gaming habits. That notion lead me to applying for a position at the local arcade. I was going to be one of the guys that dished out tokens, cleaned the machines and kept the place tidy. It was an arcade that I had been frequenting for years, and the idea of being a part of it was pretty cool. It may have been small and home to a small collection of games, but it was an arcade, damnit!

I went down to put in my application…and then just waited. Eventually I heard back, and somehow I was lucky enough to be picked for the position. A couple more interviews and I was good to go. Before I knew it, my first day of work was coming up! I was going in to get my shirt with the arcade’s logo, and then get right to work! At least, that’s what I thought the first day would be like.

I made it out to the arcade, and while the games were up and running, there wasn’t a person in sight. That goes for employees as well. I walked all around the arcade, peeking around every nook and cranny to try and find an employee. The boss, other employees, they had all gone missing. Where on the earth did everyone run to? Was this some sort of initiation for new employees? At first I thought it was, but after about 25 minutes of finding no one, I started to think something was up.

After sitting at a table outside of the arcade for another half hour, I was starting to think that something was really wrong. I called the numbers of the employee I had, and that didn’t get a response either. I ended up leaving a message saying that I came by but no one was around, and I didn’t have any keys to access the uniform/items for work. I stated that I was going home, but to call me back and I’d come right back in. I didn’t get a call until the next day.

It turns out that the arcade was closing down almost immediately. The employees had absolutely no idea, as this news was sprung on the boss that very day. Turns out the mall didn’t see their arcade as a big draw anymore, and they decided to cut their losses and close shop. Real nice of them to do so with no warning. It just goes to show how little the employees knew of this possibility, seeing as how they hired me just a few days earlier. It feels pretty damn sucky to get a job and then get fired before your first day of work even happens.

So what do I do now? I have to find some sort of other part-time job that I could get some cash at, keep my schooling going and also buy a game here or there. As I was pondering my next step, I read that a writing position opened up on one of my favorite Nintendo sites. I had nothing else to do at the time, so why not try my hand at this?