Admittedly, Ottumwa, Iowa isn't what most people think of right away when they think of video game heavy cities. Some might think of Redmond, or Seattle, or even New York or Chicago. Me, I think of Schaumberg, which is pretty close to Chicago anyway. Ottumwa has a little more claim to the video game city title than some might expect, and that just got augmented thanks to a new landmark, the Video Game Walk of Fame.

Already home to the Video Game Hall of Fame, and the self-described Video Game capital of the world, the newly minted Video Game Walk of Fame will feature some of the biggest names in the field. One of the biggest such names poised to find a place on the Walk of Fame is Walter Day, one of the first arcade owners to keep scores on a national basis, opening up the field for modern competitive gaming in a very real way.

Day received kudos from no less a figure than Kevin Bachus, who not only had a hand in the creation of the original Xbox while working for Microsoft, but also became senior vice president in charge of games with the Dave & Buster's chain. Day "...took the focus...off video games and put the attention on people," as Bachus described.

That's an exciting prospect, and one that makes it worth taking formal note of for the Walk of Fame. This element may not be enough to really cement Ottumwa as the Video Game capital of the world, but it certainly does lend an extra punch to it. Day's role in things is actually deeper than just a slot on the Walk of Fame; the Hall of Fame has an award named after him, and for lifetime achievement, too. An included museum puts a little extra in the mix, and makes it more likely Ottumwa can keep its title.

It's important to note that Ottumwa is putting itself in a great position; it's got a museum and at least one new major landmark geared toward promoting video games. The more that can be done to promote the history of video games, the better off we'll all be. As was the case when the Smithsonian started up, we have to preserve gaming's history in order to better understand its future. We know what's already been done, we have a better idea of what can be done down the line. In order to know that, though, we have to keep that history preserved and ready for viewing. That's what Ottumwa is doing, and more power to them.

Great news for the gamers, and if you make it out to Ottumwa, gamers, you've got a reason to stop in and check out what's going on.