Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Gaming is serious business. Globally, it’s an over $100 billion industry. One estimate puts combined gaming revenue between software and hardware at $149 billion, on par with that of the sports industry. That’s unsurprising with the number of ways there are to enjoy video games in the present day, from consoles by Nintendo, PlayStation and Microsoft to gaming PCs and mobile devices to simply watching others stream on a platform like Twitch or YouTube.

According to a 2017 Pew research poll, 60 percent of Americans aged 18-29 play video games “often” or “sometimes,” as do 53 percent of Americans ages 30 to 49. And pro gaming, or “esports,” is growing into a viable career choice for those with the best mechanical skills. For example, the Overwatch League, run by Blizzard Entertainment, carries a $1 million prize pool and a minimum $50,000 salary for each player.

Some cities cater to gamers by hosting the biggest events in the industry. That includes e-sports stadiums or conventions like PAX and the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Others offer the opportunity to get a career through college programs and company locations.

But some places are better than others for the gamer lifestyle, so WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 key indicators of gamer-friendliness. Our data set ranges from average internet speed to video-game stores per capita to number of esports tournaments. Read on for the winners, gamer advice and industry insight from a panel of experts, and our full methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/36270/geochart-gamers.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2sNW7T8>  

Best Cities for Gamers

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Total Score	‘Gaming Environment’ Rank	‘Internet Quality & Coverage’ Rank	‘Gamer & Developer Opportunities’ Rank
1	Seattle, WA	67.72	3	14	2
2	Orlando, FL	64.53	2	54	4
3	Atlanta, GA	63.57	1	66	9
4	Austin, TX	63.26	6	19	3
5	New York, NY	60.88	4	36	5
6	Irvine, CA	59.57	9	10	12
7	Los Angeles, CA	57.74	10	64	1
8	Las Vegas, NV	56.97	7	35	11
9	Raleigh, NC	55.95	5	15	31
10	Fremont, CA	52.61	22	1	54
11	San Diego, CA	51.25	18	41	6
12	Columbus, OH	50.43	8	48	23
13	Boston, MA	50.01	14	56	10
14	San Francisco, CA	49.49	28	28	7
15	Portland, OR	47.64	15	21	24
16	Pittsburgh, PA	46.18	23	24	17
17	Jersey City, NJ	46.16	51	9	13
18	Anaheim, CA	46.11	11	26	82
19	Madison, WI	46.04	25	20	19
20	San Jose, CA	45.99	27	17	16
21	Denver, CO	45.51	12	70	18
22	Minneapolis, MN	45.38	13	50	27
23	Washington, DC	45.36	21	25	30
24	Garland, TX	44.81	50	7	21
25	Chicago, IL	44.73	40	60	8
26	Plano, TX	44.19	38	4	53
27	Virginia Beach, VA	44.10	57	3	68
28	Durham, NC	42.90	44	11	42
29	Irving, TX	42.55	36	5	92
30	Dallas, TX	42.14	19	79	22
31	Cincinnati, OH	41.74	20	65	45
32	Tampa, FL	41.06	17	49	49
33	Sacramento, CA	40.75	26	51	26
34	Houston, TX	40.39	16	87	34
35	Indianapolis, IN	39.97	24	68	37
36	Charlotte, NC	39.88	29	39	41
37	Chesapeake, VA	39.72	89	2	89
38	Chandler, AZ	39.47	41	18	66
39	San Antonio, TX	39.14	39	37	29
40	Lexington-Fayette, KY	38.89	37	33	60
41	Fort Worth, TX	38.83	33	42	84
42	Long Beach, CA	38.52	53	16	38
43	Louisville, KY	38.22	31	38	64
44	Gilbert, AZ	37.53	64	8	83
45	Scottsdale, AZ	37.28	45	55	40
46	St. Paul, MN	36.98	47	30	51
47	Santa Ana, CA	36.69	46	44	35
48	Arlington, TX	36.30	35	76	93
49	Tucson, AZ	35.75	34	74	50
50	Philadelphia, PA	35.74	79	47	15
51	Bakersfield, CA	35.09	75	27	99
52	Jacksonville, FL	35.02	32	88	70
53	Colorado Springs, CO	34.89	48	40	77
54	Riverside, CA	34.89	65	34	62
55	Henderson, NV	34.88	88	12	47
56	Phoenix, AZ	34.51	49	71	39
57	Baltimore, MD	34.21	63	82	20
58	Anchorage, AK	34.03	59	52	87
59	Chula Vista, CA	34.00	78	31	28
60	Oklahoma City, OK	33.85	54	43	72
61	Norfolk, VA	33.80	87	13	78
62	Fort Wayne, IN	33.59	93	6	75
63	Lubbock, TX	33.42	60	57	95
64	Honolulu, HI	33.36	42	84	65
65	Mesa, AZ	33.08	73	29	67
66	Nashville, TN	32.90	55	73	44
67	Reno, NV	32.76	76	63	32
68	Aurora, CO	32.75	56	75	58
69	Lincoln, NE	32.28	68	61	76
70	Birmingham, AL	32.26	43	92	57
71	Baton Rouge, LA	32.22	69	67	43
72	North Las Vegas, NV	32.12	82	22	88
73	Oakland, CA	31.85	77	77	25
74	Milwaukee, WI	31.53	52	81	59
74	Miami, FL	31.53	30	99	33
76	New Orleans, LA	30.81	61	80	56
77	St. Louis, MO	30.70	66	62	46
78	St. Petersburg, FL	30.20	91	32	96
79	Tulsa, OK	30.03	58	85	94
80	Greensboro, NC	29.95	74	83	91
81	Wichita, KS	29.69	83	53	73
82	Fresno, CA	29.49	81	58	79
83	Glendale, AZ	29.39	67	69	74
84	Omaha, NE	29.35	71	86	52
85	Corpus Christi, TX	28.95	92	45	100
86	Kansas City, MO	28.80	84	46	86
87	El Paso, TX	28.31	90	59	81
88	Albuquerque, NM	28.31	70	91	63
89	Toledo, OH	27.70	80	89	69
90	Winston-Salem, NC	27.08	85	23	85
91	Newark, NJ	26.68	86	72	71
92	Boise, ID	26.01	62	96	80
93	Buffalo, NY	25.88	72	94	61
94	Stockton, CA	24.79	97	78	98
95	Hialeah, FL	23.97	98	93	13
96	Cleveland, OH	23.65	96	90	48
97	San Bernardino, CA	22.27	94	97	36
98	Memphis, TN	20.02	95	95	97
99	Laredo, TX	15.98	99	98	90
100	Detroit, MI	14.21	100	100	55

Ask the Experts

Gaming can be both an expensive and a time-consuming habit. For advice on maintaining a healthy gaming lifestyle and insight on the industry, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What tips do you have for someone who wishes to indulge his or her gamer habits without breaking the bank?
2. What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video-game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games?
3. Which is more cost effective: a subscription model akin to Netflix that allows users to access a catalog of games or purchasing games individually?
4. Do you believe the popularity of esports will continue to rise? Will it ever rival major sports leagues such as the NFL or MLB?
5. Does betting on esports fall under the Supreme Court’s recent turnover on sports gambling?

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• Robert Denton Bryant Director of Video Game Development, St. Edward’s University
• Marie desJardins Professor of Computer Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Paul David Cotnoir Director of Design Programs and Associate Dean of the School of Design and Technology, Becker College
• Ellen Yi-Luen Do Professor, ATLAS Institute, Computer Science department at the University of Colorado Boulder
• J.J. Sylvia IV Assistant Professor, Communications Media, Fitchburg State University

Robert Denton Bryant Director of Video Game Development, St. Edward’s University

What tips do you have for a person that wishes to indulge his or her gamer habits without breaking the bank?

I'm a try-before-you-buy guy, so I'm a big fan of renting games through both GameFly and Redbox. Gamefly is a rent-by-mail service. Redbox is like a tiny Blockbuster Video store in a vending machine. Both rent the latest console games. GameFly even lets you keep any game you rent at a discounted price. We're late in the life cycle of the current console generation, so there are plenty of refurbished Xbox One and PlayStation 4 units available on e-bay and through other used goods outlets at prices that are significantly lower than the new latest models. You may not get all the latest features, such as 4K video support, but you can still play the great games that were released this cycle.

What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games? 

I'm of two minds on this issue. Of course parents should be concerned about limiting screen time, especially at table or when the child should otherwise be engaging with their family and other carbon-based life forms. On the other hand, for so many children today, "screen time" often represents the only unstructured, autonomous time they have in our over-scheduled world, so I understand why kids are so reticent to surrender their game devices. Whatever set of rules a parent lays down has to be observed and enforced consistently and fairly so that kids don't "game" the system.

Which is more cost effective: a subscription model akin to Netflix that allows users to access a catalog of games or purchasing games individually?

This is a tough question, as more and more attractive bundles and subscriptions are being developed and released, such as the Xbox Game Pass, which gives you unlimited access to over 100 games for $10 per month. I think what a lot of players consider is that pre-ordering or paying full price early on gives them bragging rights for having played the latest version of their favorite franchise. If that's less of a consideration for you, it's almost always cheaper to wait to buy a game, especially when Steam or GOG is having one of their famous sales featuring deep discounts on older games.

Do you believe the popularity of eSports will continue to rise? Will it ever rival major sports leagues such as the NFL or MLB?

It's still amazing to me how popular eSports is and how quickly it's growing. I can't predict whether it will rival real sports leagues on a revenue basis, but I do know that the growth among younger viewers (teens and young adults) for both eSports and video game streaming dwarfs that of traditional sports viewership in the same demographic. The core sports watching audience is aging upwards in every league except the NBA, which is why you're seeing some smart leagues (including the NBA) and franchise owners expand their business models to embrace eSports in some way.

Does betting on eSports fall under the Supreme Court’s recent turnover on sports gambling?

I'm not a legal scholar, but my understanding is that the recent decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association is essentially a states' rights ruling which said that the federal government cannot prohibitively prevent states from permitting or regulating sports betting within their jurisdictions. The 1992 federal statute at issue in that case pre-dates eSports. So if eSports betting becomes a thing in the next few years, I think you would see it rolled out, regulated, and taxed on a state-by-state basis.

Marie desJardins Professor of Computer Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games?

I think a key part of the answer is start early to limit and monitor your children's screen time. Make sure they have many other hobbies and interests. Turn off the devices and let them be bored, so that they can discover other ways to occupy their time, such as reading, board games, creative play, and physical exercise. Give them age-appropriate chores, and lots of positive reinforcement for contributing to making your household and the world a better place. Teach them self-discipline and self-control from an early age. Be an authoritative, not authoritarian or permissive, parent, and set loving, consistent boundaries to help them grow up into responsible, mature adults. Treat your daughters and sons equally; don't assume that they will be interested only in "gender-linked" activities; and recognize (and try to counter) the extreme gender-related expectations that society still places on all children, starting from infancy. Don't permit toy weapons in your house, and don't permit young children to play violent games or spend time in online gaming forums. (Even Minecraft gaming forums are often rife with misogyny, crude language, and inappropriate conversations.)

Paul David Cotnoir Director of Design Programs and Associate Dean of the School of Design and Technology, Becker College

What tips do you have for a person that wishes to indulge his or her gamer habits without breaking the bank?

There are a number of safe, convenient, and inexpensive alternatives to battle the high price of computer gaming. If you are a PC gamer you a have a whole world of great, bargain-priced games from Independent developers (Indies). These games can be downloaded from a variety of on-line gaming platforms including Steam, Origin, or Gog. If you are a console gamer (ie. Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation 4, or the Microsoft Xbox One), you’ll be paying full fare for the newest titles (similar to first run movies currently playing at theaters). You can also rent newer titles from RedBox and other rental venues. However, if you don’t mind waiting a bit for your favorite title, you can find great deals on older games at on-line auction sites, the clearance bin at big-box stores, or the used game section at your neighborhood game store. There are also internet retailers that specialize in pre-owned games.

What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games?

The first step in monitoring the video content that your children are playing, is to check out the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) ratings which provide content and age recommendations for videogame titles. Video game retailers oftentimes restrict the purchase of mature rated games to individuals over the age of 17. Of course, the ratings of the ESRB are just a starting point, as they may or may not represent your values as a parent. I would suggest there are some other common sense strategies to follow that you can use to keep an eye on the games your children are playing. These include: doing some internet research on the titles your children have expressed an interest in, playing the games with your children, and paying attention to the title of the games (ie. a game with a title like Grand Theft Auto, probably involves gameplay that includes some disrespect of authority).

Some game systems like the Nintendo Switch have built-in tools to help parents limit their kids’ videogaming time. Voltbolt’s “Bob” screen time manager is another piece of hardware that works with many devices to shut them off after a specified time limit. There are also a variety of software products that work on mobile and PC platforms that do the same thing.

Which is more cost effective: a subscription model akin to Netflix that allows users to access a catalog of games or purchasing games individually?

Typically casual gamers who want to try out a variety of games would probably benefit more from a subscription model than a gamer that prefers to play just a few games to a greater depth.

Do you believe the popularity of eSports will continue to rise? Will it ever rival major sports leagues such as the NFL or MLB?

Based on current trends, eSports will not only continue to rise, but, I feel it will eventually eclipse the popularity of many traditional major sports leagues. Just a look at the number of team owners who are investing heavily in eSports is a strong indicator of its emerging popularity. The list of investors includes team owners such as Bob Kraft (New England Patriots), Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning), Peter Guber (Golden State Warriors), and Ted Leonsis (Washington Capitals and Wizards), among others. I think what they see is that there is a natural overlap in the fan bases and common sponsorship opportunities in electronic versions of traditional sports, as well as a chance to expand revenues from the wider audience associated with non-sports oriented video game titles, such as League of Legends, Overwatch, or Counter Strike. The publishers of these games are also investing significantly in developing eSports opportunities. This year, Epic Games is earmarking $100,000,000 to fund prize pools for 2018 Fortnite competitions.

 

Ellen Yi-Luen Do Professor, ATLAS Institute, Computer Science department at the University of Colorado Boulder

What tips do you have for a person that wishes to indulge his or her gamer habits without breaking the bank?

Ha, that's a good question. First I would suggest the person play only free games. If that's not satisfying (Understood that some free games might not seem as exciting or fun), maybe position oneself as a game evaluator, starting a blog, sharing the personal evaluation of the games, and ask for the full feature evaluation copies or access of the game so that one can do an evaluation. Or, form a gamers group, and try to spread out the costs of games together with the group to reduce the cost. Or if have to pay for all the expensive games, found other ways to generate revenue (writing game reviews, as game testers, etc.) to pay for the games. Or if possible, subscribe to "games on demand" such as EA Access, PS Now. Could also sign up for the free trials, but then it will be hard to quit when the trial period is off.

What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games?

I would actually suggest parents have honest discussions with their children about their concerns about the contents of the video games. If they can take interests in the games and play with their children together, they could understand more deeply why they are so addictive and what issues and lessons can be learned from the games. Parents could have some sort of "contract" with their children about how much time they should spend on the various things, gaming, homework, household chores, community services, etc. and related rewards for a balanced schedule. Spending some time with children on their favorite games together is like playing sports or going to events together with them that would gain more trust and credits for the parents.

Which is more cost effective: a subscription model akin to Netflix that allows users to access a catalog of games or purchasing games individually?

If one is playing a lot of games from the same producer, the subscription model seems to be more cost-effective.

Do you believe the popularity of eSports will continue to rise? Will it ever rival major sports leagues such as the NFL or MLB?

Yes, I think it will continue to grow and would rival and even exceed the popularity of major sports.

Does betting on eSports fall under the Supreme Court’s recent turnover on sports gambling?

I will think so. Betting on sports and games, either physical or electronic, would continue to gain popularity. Of course there will be many interesting legal and tax issues involved.

J.J. Sylvia IV Assistant Professor, Communications Media, Fitchburg State University

What tips do you have for a person that wishes to indulge his or her gamer habits without breaking the bank?

First, I recommend that someone looking to save money on gaming check out their local library. Many libraries offer a collection of games for a variety of systems that can be checked out for free. This access allows you to try new games without any cost. Just remember to return them on time so you don’t incur any fees!

Second, don’t be in rush to purchase new games as soon as they are released. Often prices will come down after an initial release, or you can buy the game used or even trade games with other friends or family members.

What tips do you have for parents looking to monitor video game content and prevent children from spending too much time playing video games?

While it is always important to check out game content and reviews before a purchase (commonsensemedia.org is a great starting place), actually taking time to play video games with your children is invaluable. In addition to the time spent simply bonding, it allows you to better see how your children are interpreting the games and offers the possibility to have conversations about any content that might raise questions for you or your kids. Be involved and be a part of the play and the conversation that surrounds it.

It terms of time spent playing, it can often be easier to clearly lay out tasks that must be completed before play can begin, rather than to monitor the actual minutes or hours spent playing. For example, one requirement might be that all homework and/or chores must be completed before playing.

 

Which is more cost effective: a subscription model akin to Netflix that allows users to access a catalog of games or purchasing games individually?

The type of player that you are can change the calculation as to whether buying games or subscribing to a catalog is more cost effective. Some gamers have just a few games that they like to go back to again and again, so purchasing those games may be more cost effective. However, if you’re a gamer who gets tired of games quickly or finishes them and never wants to return to the game again, then a subscription model probably makes more financial sense. Getting a handle on how you play games can help in making that decision.

Does betting on eSports fall under the Supreme Court’s recent turnover on sports gambling?

I believe that eSports betting does fall under the recent Supreme Court decision turnover on sports gambling. In terms of eSports, the most relevant factor of that decision that it makes clear that each state can set its own rules and regulations for sports betting. While it is not clear how every state will regulate eSports betting, it seems highly likely that at least some states will update regulations to include eSports. It seems that eSports betting is on the cusp of major growth.

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for gamers, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across three key dimensions: 1) Gaming Environment, 2) Internet Quality & Coverage and 3) Gamer & Developer Opportunities.

We examined those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for gamers. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the “Number of Residents” in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

We then determined each city’s based weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Gaming Environment – Total Points: 50

• Video-Game Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Arcades per Capita*: Half Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Computer Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Electronics Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Share of Adults Owning a Smartphone: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Share of Households Owning a Computer: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Number of Annual Comic-Book, Video-Game, Anime, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy Conventions: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• “Sci-Fi & Games” MeetUps: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of “Sci-Fi & Games” MeetUp groups per number of adults aged 18 to 49.
• Number of LARP (live-action-role-playing) Groups per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of “LARP” groups per number of adults aged 18 to 49.
• Presence of a Major League Gaming Event: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)Note: This binary metric considers whether a city has hosted or never hosted a Major League Gaming event.
• Share of Population Aged 18 to 49: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)Note: The average age of the U.S. gamer is 35, which is the same for male gamers, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The average age of the most frequent female gamer is 44.

Internet Quality & Coverage – Total Points: 30

• Average Internet Speed: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Share of Households with Broadband Connection: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Internet Cost: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

Gamer & Developer Opportunities – Total Points: 20

• Video-Game Job Openings per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
• Number of Video-Game College Programs: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
• Number of Video-Game Companies: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
• Presence on “Top 50 Best Game Design Schools & Colleges” Ranking: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)Note: This metric is based on the ranking by gamedesigning.org.
• Number of Esports Tournaments: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
• Average Prize Money Awarded at Esports Tournaments: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Yelp.com, Esri's Updated Demographics - 2017 estimates (Market Potential: GfK MRI), Major League Gaming, BandwidthPlace, MeetUp.com, Numbeo.com, Indeed.com, The Entertainment Software Association, Lake House Media, UpcomingCons, Convention Scene, VideoGameCons, LARP List and e-Sports Earnings.

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