Top 10 Destinations for Game Fanatics

The United States is in any case the largest Western gaming country with a large and influential gaming industry. California is home to Silicon Valley, where many of the world's largest gaming companies are located. In San Francisco you have Ubisoft and Electronic Arts and you can also visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View to discover the history of video games. In Los Angeles you can find the legendary Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), perhaps the largest gaming event in the world. Gamers and gaming companies from all over the world gather here annually to introduce and try the latest games and technology. You can also head to PAX West in Seattle for a celebration of all things gaming, enjoy the Seattle Retro Gaming Expo, or visit offices of companies like Microsoft and Valve Corporation. Furthermore, the eSports sector in the United States has grown significantly in recent years, with major events and competitions attracting significant audiences. If you like to play casino games, the United States is of course also the place to be, with locations such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City where you can play both traditional games of chance and more modern forms of gambling, such as a crypto casino.

You probably saw this one coming! Japan is a paradise for video game lovers and has so many iconic locations, events and attractions that it will be difficult to know where to start. The Land of the Rising Sun is home to some of the most famous and successful game developers ever. Companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Capcom have been around for several decades and have shaped the entire video game landscape. The Japanese market covers a wide range of gaming genres, ranging from classic RPGs (Role-Playing-Games) to innovative mobile and VR titles. Japan can therefore without exaggeration be called one of the birthplaces of video games. You can visit Akihabara in Tokyo, also known as “Electric Town”. This district is packed with game stores and anime-related merchandise. You can also discover retro gaming cafes and test yourself against Japanese gamers in the gigantic gaming arcades, one of the few countries in the world where you can still do this.

While Japan focuses more on console gaming, South Korea is a top country in the field of eSports. Especially Seoul, the capital, has gigantic eSports stadiums, gaming cafes on every street corner and an enthusiastic gaming community. Seoul is home to several professional eSports teams and tournaments (such as the Intel Extreme Masters) for games such as League of Legends, StarCraft and Overwatch. Or how about G-Star, a crazy celebration of Korean gaming culture? This annual gaming festival welcomes more than a thousand gaming companies from more than 40 countries.

Our neighboring country Germany also has a thriving (and hardcore) gaming culture with numerous gaming cafes and avid gamers. You can go to Cologne every year for Gamescom, one of the largest gaming fairs in the world, which attracts developers, publishers and gamers from all over the world. In Berlin there is the International Games Festival Berlin, with a focus more on independent indie games and experimental gameplay.

The United Kingdom is home to some well-known gaming studios such as Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto) and Rare. There are also fun and iconic gaming stores, such as Forbidden Planet and GAME. Gaming events, conventions and fairs are also regularly organized in the capital London.

Canada may not be very well known as a gaming country, but did you know that the Assassin's Creed series was developed by Ubisoft Montreal? In the same city you also have the Montreal International Game Festival. Other major gaming companies that you can find here are EA Vancouver and BioWare.

With Japan and South Korea at the top of this list, China should not be missed. This Asian country is surprisingly not well known for its games industry, perhaps because the Chinese government has rather strict regulations regarding gaming, to limit the negative effects of excessive gaming among young people. Despite this, China has one of the fastest growing gaming industries in the world, with companies such as Tencent and NetEase. You can also visit ChinaJoy in Shanghai, the largest gaming fair in Asia.

Another neighboring country that is a rising star in the gaming world! Belgium has a rapidly growing gaming industry, with a number of talented indie developers such as Larian Studios. You may know this company from the Divinity series and the award-winning Baldur's Gate 3. Every year you can also go to Ghent for FACTS, the Belgian Comic Con for films, series and gaming!

Picturesque New Zealand has a small but thriving gaming industry, with a focus on creativity and innovation. Here you can visit Weta Workshop, a special effects company that contributed to films such as The Lord of the Rings. They also make video games, so you can take a tour there in Wellington and see how they make costumes, props and special effects for video games.

If you want to visit something different from the usual places that gamers go, why not visit Helsinki, the capital of Finland? Finland, and Scandinavia as a whole, are known for their high quality of life and emphasis on advancements in technology, which has contributed to its rapid rise as a major player in mobile gaming. This growing reputation has attracted several major mobile developers to the city, including Supercell, known for games like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Unlike our other suggestions, Helsinki is undoubtedly an outlier, but we are confident that you will agree with us once you have been to the city. It is an extraordinary place that is incredibly welcoming, despite the cold weather. It's quickly becoming one of the leading development hubs in Europe, and while you may not be a huge fan of mobile games, its status as a rising star in the gaming landscape makes it worth a visit.