Who would have thought that Iowa would be “the capital of the world” for anything except silly masked nu-metal and corn? While Slipknot holds a funny place in my heart, and I do love me some corn, video games practically take up the rest. Maybe Iowa is the place I should be? Could be true, but the question remains: …why Iowa!?

The answer is easy! Ottumwa, Iowa is in the process of opening the first ever International Video Game Hall of Fame in the world. Yes, there isn’t one yet anywhere. Weird, eh? You would think an industry with such a rich culture and thriving community would have some kind of gathering to display achievements made and history built. Awesome news and all, but it still doesn’t answer the damn question: Why IOWA!?

Well, Ottumwa, Iowa has had the slogan “Gaming capital of the world” for a while now. It was a huge part in shaping the arcade scene, and many people in the small town of 26,000 made a name for themselves through gaming. It makes sense, I mean, what else are you going to do in Iowa? The best part of all this is the overwhelming support by the community, including the state and city governments. For once, a political body is proud of video games. Eat that Jack Thompson!