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Have you ever wanted to start your own business while doing something you are passionate about?  Well then you have to check out our Soletron exclusive below.

Michael Gluck is president of VGMarket a market research firm that specializes in the video game industry, and he has an amazing success story. The company conducts surveys, playtesting, focus groups, and usability testing for major video game companies.Some of VGMarket’s clients include: Zynga, Microsoft, EA, Activision, Sony, Sega as well as other top firms.

VGMarket made it big when Gluck identified a need in the industry, and saw numerous inefficiencies in this market.  Differentiation? His firm beats competitors on price, turnaround time, and has the best staff in the game! Triple knockout!

Let’s check out this awesome interview below, on how Gluck turned $5k into a multi million dollar empire. 

Interview

“My first job was music. I performed video game piano concerts at anime and gaming conventions on the weekends while attending college during the week. I worked at Electronic Arts after college and then founded VGMarket a few years later.”

What made you think of the concept behind VGMarket?

“We saw an opportunity to offer better and faster service at a much lower price than other vendors by focusing our services exclusively on video game. We started working with people we knew from Electronic Arts, and word quickly spread to the rest of the industry that VGMarket offered great insight at great value.”

How did you startup VGMarket? How has VGMarket performed as a business over the years?

“I invested $5,000 into VGMarket in 2007 to fund the cost of the first project. In 2012 we exceeded $5,000,000 in annual revenue.”

Who are some of your clients?

“We work with video game publishers and developers such as Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Microsoft, Square, Enix, and Zynga. Because we offer a wide variety of services, anyone making a game–from large companies to startups-can benefit from working with us.”

What makes you different from other companies providing consumer research?

“We conduct research for more video games than any other vendor. This gives us the the greatest level of insight into the video game industry. Additionally, we leverage our economy of scale in the video game industry to offer the most competitive pricing and turn-around times available in gaming research.”

How can someone playtest upcoming titles?

“Sign up to participate in our playtests at http://vgmarket.com/signup. You will get payed to play unreleased video games and contribute your feedback.”

Do you personally play video games? If so, what are your favorites?

“I have a lot of love for Japenese RPGs. Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VI, and Lost Odyssey are my favorites. I also enjoy being a gold league scrub in StartCraft 2.”

What advise do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own business/find their own niche?

“Look at the field/industry you know best, and find the processes that are broken. Things are always to slow, too expensive, and too mediocre. Anywhere you see stupidity is a business opportunity.”

We appreciate you taking the time with Soletron.com

Michael Gluck, President of VG Market Stops By For Quick Interview

Images Provided by: Michael Gluck