Gaming companies generally have a surplus of potential employees. These employees will do a lot to work in the gaming industry (see crunch time, lower pay, etc, etc.). So employees will move to where the companies are.
If you look at older companies they're often headquartered in second or third tier areas. Not middle of nowhere but also not the hip city. Seattle wasn't a hot place when Microsoft started there. South Bay (Google, Yahoo, etc, etc.) is pretty desolate compared to San Francisco and an 45 minute drive away. However commercial rent is cheaper and there's room to expand over time.
It's only companies that don't have good ways of pulling in employees that tend to locate in the hip areas as they need every advantage they can get.
edit: Also if your employees are older and with kids then they value more than living in the "hip" places. They want a nice calm suburban location with good schools.
If you look at older companies they're often headquartered in second or third tier areas. Not middle of nowhere but also not the hip city. Seattle wasn't a hot place when Microsoft started there. South Bay (Google, Yahoo, etc, etc.) is pretty desolate compared to San Francisco and an 45 minute drive away. However commercial rent is cheaper and there's room to expand over time.
It's only companies that don't have good ways of pulling in employees that tend to locate in the hip areas as they need every advantage they can get.
edit: Also if your employees are older and with kids then they value more than living in the "hip" places. They want a nice calm suburban location with good schools.