By nature, most gamers are usually comfortable staying at home and exploring the latest releases by big name game studios. However, there comes a time when the urge to travel can be too much to ignore and even the most comfortable gaming homebody needs a vacation. In choosing a place to go, many of these gamers look for places where they will be able to find like-minded people to meet and share gaming stories. They may be few and far between, but there are some places where a gamer can be sure to find some brothers in arms.

Los Angeles, California

For one weekend every summer, southern California turns into the mecca of the gaming world. Held in various locations like the Los Angeles Convention Centre, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is the world’s largest convention dedicated to the video game industry. Each year, nearly all of the major and most of the minor game studios open up a stall to show off their latest creations to eager fans that travel from all parts of the world to take part in the convention. In addition to the stalls, there are also groundbreaking presentations and informative lectures for all of those that are interested or involved in the business or technical sides of video gaming.

Vancouver, British Columbia

With upwards of 50,000 visitors attending E3 each year, some gamers would prefer a more intimate location that is off the beaten road. Vancouver, British Columbia may be the answer as it has quietly developed into one of the biggest video game industry hubs on the planet. Many of the major players of video gaming, like Electronic Arts, Capcom, and Rockstar have set up shop in the Canadian city. Following the many talented designers that have moved to the city, smaller gaming outfits have made the move as well. Slant Six, Hothead, and Relic are a few of the smaller companies operating out of Vancouver. With so many video game industry employees, finding someone to swap stories with should be quite easy.

Austin, Texas

As with nearly every other sub-culture on the planet, Austin, Texas also has its share of gamers. The unique atmosphere of the city lends itself well to fostering creative talents and the gaming world has certainly taken notice. EA has an office here, as well as Blizzard, Zynga, Twisted Pixel, Retro Studios, and Bio Ware. The location of Austin also means that it can be reached in a reasonable amount of time from most areas of the country. A good time for a gamer to check out Austin would be during the Game Developers Conference in the spring, when tons of industry professionals and fans come together to check out the latest happenings in the video game world.

Video gaming has continued to grow as more people get involved in everything from small Facebook-based games to massive online worlds that can host tons of players at the same time. For a real world experience, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Austin are three great choice where a person can meet fellow gamers.

About the Author: Jon Dennis loves to travel and find new games and challenges! He currently works for Ladbrokes Games.