Never been to Ottumwa, Iowa? If you're a fan of video games, you might need to plan a trip soon.
Situated roughly two hours from Des Moines, the unassuming city of 26,000 recently dubbed itself the "Video Game Capital of the World" and announced plans to create and host the official Video Game Hall of Fame museum, reports the Des Moines Register.
"We have produced some great folks like Tom Arnold, but the more we can do to brand our community and bring in visitors who will spend money here, the greater of a place it will be," said Terry McNitt, executive director of the Ottumwa Chamber of Commerce.
Birthplace of it all?
Despite having the moxie to call Tom Arnold "great," Ottumwa certainly has the gaming roots to back up its claim to fame. Back in 1982, an arcade called Twin Galaxies played host to countless video game high-score record attempts, including a nationally-televised Donkey Kong record set by Billy Mitchell, antagonistic co-star of the critically acclaimed documentary, "The King of Kong." City officials have cited the film's success in helping jumpstart the push for the Hall.
Mitchell was on hand to lend support for the cause, which he hopes will do for Ottunwa what the Baseball Hall of Fame did for Coopserstown, New York.
"For Ottumwa to make this claim, and push to be the home of a video game hall of fame, it puts them at a point almost like Cooperstown," Mitchell told gaming blog Kotaku. "It's hard not to be enthusiastic or supportive of it. I've made donations of time and effort, over the years, to push and promote competitive gaming, so it seems silly that I wouldn't push for this."
The Hall itself will trace the past 35 years of gaming, including playable versions of old arcade game cabinets alongside newer releases on home consoles.
Longtime classic gaming enthusiast and activist Walter Day, who oversees the official Twin Galaxies high-score video game records list, believes the Hall is exactly what the city needs.
"You would be able to go for world records," he said. "This will become a very, very big vacation destination."
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Posted: 4 May 2009
