I don't keep it secret that I'm a fan of video games. It's my primary hobby, and honestly, the only thing I can do these days to reliably cool off from a rough day. Seriously, if you have a tough day at the office, try playing Mega Man when you get home, and I promise that you'll have a new appreciation for what 'difficult' actually means. It's a great way to give yourself some perspective, while simultaneously making you feel like a superhero.

I have also not kept secret my disdain for the fact that trying to cultivate a video game hobby on the Western Slope, while also supporting local business, is effectively impossible. This is presumably because we're all too busy enjoying the beautiful Colorado scenery, like a bunch of noobs.

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So, imagine my surprise when I found out that Colorado actually ranks amongst the states most obsessed with having a controller in their hands. Based on my experience, unless I'm doing all of the work for nearly 6 million people myself, there's no way that could be true. However, that's exactly what Wise Voter determined, using data like internet connection speeds, population demographics, and a number of gaming conventions to find out which states like gaming the most.

As it turns out, I've been getting Colorado wrong, this whole time. At number 14 on the list, we've not only ranked in the top 20, but this news has also shattered my perception of the Centennial State's residents. We call that an added bonus. Clearly, 14 isn't number one, as that distinction belongs to the state of Maryland. Rounding out the top 5 were New Jersey, California, Texas, and Delaware, respectively.

California being in the top 3 makes perfect sense, especially when you consider how many video games are actually made in the Golden State. I did find it odd that Texas was in the upper echelon of gamers until I remembered that Austin is basically California now, so it tracks.

While this is encouraging news for my fellow 'indoor kids', I still find it odd that there are basically no video game stores on the Western Slope. Perhaps this has less to do with Western Slope culture, and more to do with the overall death of specialty retail stores. Then again, it may just be that the numbers only account for the Front Range.

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