For a brief shining moment in the 1980s, Ottumwa was the unlikely hot spot of the fledgling video game industry as gamers around the globe flocked to this sleepy Iowa city and its video game arcade for a series of landmark tournaments. Gamers set world records, the TV show “That’s Incredible” broadcast a tournament to a national audience, and then-mayor Jerry Parker dubbed Ottumwa “The Video Game Capital of the World.”

The glory days didn’t last long. The Twin Galaxies arcade closed within a couple of years, and memories of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong dimmed for everyone – except arcade owner Walter Day, who dreamed of making Ottumwa into a permanent game destination. It’s a calling that’s been heard by town officials, and in April, they announced plans for an International Video Game Hall of Fame.

Town officials said they hoped to buy a building near the original Twin Galaxies site and want to secure naming rights and a designation as a nonprofit and build up a Web site. Day said he’s also reached out to his contacts in the gaming industry for donations. The hall of fame would likely include donated classic games, exhibits about the industry and an area with modern games for visitors to play. While they haven’t broken ground yet, Dale Uehling, the city’s mayor, noted there was “a lot of interest, a lot of enthusiasm” for the project.

Source: AP