Pittsburgh Among Nation's Top-Ranked Cities For Video Gamers

PITTSBURGH, PA - In findings that should bring great joy(stick) to area video game players, Pittsburgh has been rated one of the nation’s best cities for serious gamers.

In a new study, the financial data website WalletHub ranked Pittsburgh 14th among the country’s hundred largest cities for gamers. That makes the city an important cog in the wheel of an industry whose revenues are expected to top $25 billion this year.

“About half of U.S. adults play video games, and nearly two in three households are home to at least one gamer who plays an average of three to four hours per week,” WalletHub’s Richie Bernardo wrote in the study. “For some players, however, gaming is more than a hobby; the virtual world forms part of their identity. In fact, about 10 percent of adult players would label themselves `gamers’.”

The gaming study rated Pittsburgh third in average Internet speed, fourth in video arcades per capita, 13th in share of population aged 18 to 49 and 21st in both video game stores and electronics stores per capita.

The top 15 cities:

1. Orlando
2. Seattle
3. Austin, TX
4. New York
5. Atlanta
6. Los Angeles
7. Las Vegas
8. Irvine, CA
9. Boston
10. San Diego
11. San Francisco
12. San Jose
13. Fremont, CA
14. Pittsburgh
15. Columbus

Photo by Eric Holsinger via Creative Commons.