In the sleepy town of Ottumwa, Iowa, there has been a push by residents to be officially hailed as the video gaming capital of the world. Loads of video games aren’t made here, but quite a few world record video game high scorers were born and raised here. Starting in 1982, Ottumwa, Iowa, started to make headlines in the gaming world. While Dollarcents.org covers the many reasons why gamers should consider investing in Nintendo stocks, this small city just wants to be recognized for its accomplishments. They already have their own Hall of Fame, including many classic video game creators as well as high score record holders. So, is Ottumwa really important enough in the video game world to be known as the capital?
Going Down in History
How many places in the world can say that they are home to several classic video game high score record holders? Most games that are put out today don’t even allow players to score points. You can either finish a quest, take down a boss, or race across the finish line ahead of your competitors, at least for the most part. So, for Ottumwa to have several people who have gone down in history, residents might have a point when they say that they want to be hailed the video gaming capital of the world.
Video Game Documentaries
If you love hearing about the days when arcades stayed open all night as gamers battled head to head, vying for the top score, you’ll likely want to see the wonderful documentaries that document these events. In fact, quite a few classic video game documentaries have been filmed in Ottumwa. Instead of being centered around the video gaming scene in Los Angeles or even New York, filmmakers centered their focus on this Iowa town. If Ottumwa didn’t have a lot to offer, there’s no way that entire documentaries would have been filmed there.
Classic Game Arcades
Go into a contemporary video game arcade and you’ll find a lot of titles that were made in the last five years. These games will probably consist of racing simulators, first person shooters, and a mix of virtual reality inspired game. In places like Ottumwa, going to the arcade means going to play classic arcade titles like Super Marios Bros and others made by the likes of Nintendo. Although a bit on the older side, these video game machines are still worth thousands of dollars – and they still take quarters. Few people are keeping track of the record high score holder for games like Galaga, but in Ottumwa, breaking a world record is something like a sport. Only those who practice hardest will end up finishing first.
Not Everyone is a big video game fanatic who goes to tournaments. In fact, most people living in Ottumwa probably aren’t big video game aficionados themselves. On the other hand, longtime residents do know and recognize that a lot of video game history has been made and continues to be developed in this quaint town.
