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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- A flag raising ceremony solidified Ottumwa’s claims as video game capital of the world Friday afternoon.

Ottumwa Mayor Dale Uehling, Twin Galaxies owner, Pete Bouvier, and Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day held the honors of raising the flag.

Before raising the flag, they shared a few remarks about the importance of this ceremony.

Day pronounced, “Raising this flag, announces to the world ‘Here we are.’”

He added, "We officially take on the responsibility of building the International Video Game Hall of Fame."

Several Hall of Fame inductees were among the dozens that attended the flag raising ceremony.

“Walter Day is the one responsible for the score tracking and all the diligence and all the impact on the community and all the gaming events that were happening at that timeframe from 1980’s to current. Ottumwa, Iowa I think is a perfect spot because it all originated here,” said soon to be Video Game Hall of Famer Todd Rogers, who holds more than 2,000 video game world records.   

In another ceremony Friday, Ottuwma changed the name of Central Park to Pac-Man Park for the remainder of the evening.