GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GameStop, the world’s largest multichannel retailer of video games, today announced plans to hire approximately 17,000 employees nationwide as the company prepares for the upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One console launches, and the busy holiday shopping season.

The positions GameStop is currently recruiting for include in-store Game Advisors, consumer electronic technicians within its refurbishment operation center (ROC), and warehouse personnel within the company’s two distribution centers. This year’s total number of seasonal hires is in line with the number of hires GameStop made during the same period in 2012.

In the weeks leading up to the holidays, GameStop experiences a substantial peak in the number of customers it services online and within its retail stores. As a result, ensuring that there is an adequate number of talented Game Advisor staff to support this increase in store traffic is a priority in order to maintain the high quality of customer service shoppers expect from GameStop.

“Providing our customers a great experience is of paramount importance when it comes to defining who GameStop is as a retailer and delivering the total value we offer our customers,” said Mike Buskey, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at GameStop. “The holiday season is our busiest time of the year, accounting for approximately 40% of our annual revenue. As we near the 2013 holiday season, and the upcoming launches of the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, it is critical that we attract and retain high quality-talent both in our stores as well as in our consumer electronics refurbishment and distribution centers.”

GameStop’s recruiting efforts for identifying and hiring talented, hardworking and passionate employees for this holiday season are already underway and will continue into December. Interested applicants should visit the career’s section on GameStop’s website, GameStopCorporate/EmploymentListings, or check out the company’s recruiting efforts on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for a full list of available jobs, descriptions qualifications and application details.

Seasonal jobs offer employees part-time, flexible work schedules during the week, weeknights and weekends. In addition, all employees will receive a 15 percent discount off select merchandise made at GameStop stores and online-savings, which should come in handy when buying gifts for friends and family this holiday season or treating oneself to a new title like Grand Theft Auto V, Call of Duty: Ghost, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, or Super Mario 3D World.

The GameStop Associate Experience

Working at GameStop is so much more than a retail job, rather it is a chance to interact and engage with like-minded individuals who collectively make up the gaming culture. Whether helping a seasoned gamer make a purchasing decision between the new Xbox One or the PS 4, or assisting a parent or family member as they navigate the shelves of new titles to find the perfect entertainment for a 10 year old, employees play a critical role in the GameStop experience from the minute a customer walks in the door.

In recognition of the positive impact seasonal associates can have on a customer’s encounter with the GameStop brand, the company also rewards those seasonal associates who truly embrace the retailer’s commitment to quality and knowledgeable customer service by potentially offering them full-time employment. Between 25 – 30 percent of the 2012 holiday season associates were hired on full-time at GameStop in 2013. For the full year 2013, GameStop has hired more than 13,000 associates in various roles across the company.

About GameStop Corp.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is the world's largest multichannel video game retailer. GameStop's global retail network and family of brands include 6,505 company-operated stores in 15 countries and online at www.GameStop.com. The network also includes: www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer^® magazine, the leading multi-platform video game publication; Spawn Labs, a streaming technology company; a digital PC game distribution platform available at www.GameStop.com/PC; and an online consumer electronics trade-in platform available at www.BuyMyTronics.com.

General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GameStop.