lan partys a thing of the past?
- Thread starter ssharp59
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I've been to a LeachLAN, and I'll be back there in October (I've just missed one as it coincided with my wedding anniversary 
). I had a great time there, and I'm looking forward to going again.
I must have been twice the age of some of them, but only ever felt welcome.
). I had a great time there, and I'm looking forward to going again.I must have been twice the age of some of them, but only ever felt welcome.
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At Northleach, in Gloucestershire, It's a two hour drive for me, but totallly worth it. 4 days of gaming nirvana (and no wife to frown at me for gaming 18 hours straight).
There are still plenty around, but you need to dig to find them. It's a pity there isn't a central site with a Google maps thing.
Basically, LANs are only over if no-one goes to them, and there are still people who go to them.
There are still plenty around, but you need to dig to find them. It's a pity there isn't a central site with a Google maps thing.
Basically, LANs are only over if no-one goes to them, and there are still people who go to them.
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We still do this every now and then, the numbers have shrunk to 3-4 of us mostly because there's only a couple of us who buy games. The others used to bring along hacked copies of games and it never worked. Waste of time on all counts. Hopefully we'll have another arranged by the end of the Summer.
Age of Empires is the "wind down" game at ours, normally kicks off about midnight and sees us through till about 4-5am lol.
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Would love to have a bit of lan game action. I even tried to get one setup about 10 years ago in my town, posted flyers about, but got nothing back no interest.
In the old days LANs were a big deal because the majority of gamers had slow/metered internet, so it was a rare chance to play without lag and also copy huge amounts of 'stuff' off each other (even on ISDN you could only download half a gig a day max). Things like voice comms were very unusual (Roger Wilco, Battlefield Communicator)
Nowadays the majority of people have decent internet, and voice comms are more prevalent (built into games or via Mumble/Ventrilo etc). So aside from getting to meet up with and hang out with other gamers there isn't really a lot going for it in the casual sense (obviously you will still have 'pro' LANs with prizes etc).
One more element I think is worthy of mention is that there is less social stigma associated with playing multiplayer PC games now than there was in 1990s. I mean back then I didn't really talk much about my gaming 'habit' except to other people I knew that were gamers. Whereas in the 2010s gaming has become pretty mainstream, people are much more open about gaming and can play with friends etc (thus getting the social element normally associated with LANs from everyday life). Consoles have a role to play here too, back in the heyday of LAN parties there was no such thing as online gameplay with consoles.
Nowadays the majority of people have decent internet, and voice comms are more prevalent (built into games or via Mumble/Ventrilo etc). So aside from getting to meet up with and hang out with other gamers there isn't really a lot going for it in the casual sense (obviously you will still have 'pro' LANs with prizes etc).
One more element I think is worthy of mention is that there is less social stigma associated with playing multiplayer PC games now than there was in 1990s. I mean back then I didn't really talk much about my gaming 'habit' except to other people I knew that were gamers. Whereas in the 2010s gaming has become pretty mainstream, people are much more open about gaming and can play with friends etc (thus getting the social element normally associated with LANs from everyday life). Consoles have a role to play here too, back in the heyday of LAN parties there was no such thing as online gameplay with consoles.
When I was at college we used to LAN regularly - but there was ~100 of us on IT and related courses and one of the guys had keys to rooms above a nightclub so we'd easily get 10-20+ people who'd come along. Good old BNC network 
Later on the clan I gamed with would hold them, especially if we had a big tournie game coming up so we could all play with low lag.
Later on the clan I gamed with would hold them, especially if we had a big tournie game coming up so we could all play with low lag.
Some of you guys should check out Epic Lan. Based in Uttoxeter so nice and central (within driving distance of ocuk for emergency hardware supplies) and cracking fun.
There are a fair few ocukers that go regularly (Vertigo1 is one, can't remember the forum names of others!)
Next event is at the end of the month, would be great to see some more from ocuk there
There are a fair few ocukers that go regularly (Vertigo1 is one, can't remember the forum names of others!)
Next event is at the end of the month, would be great to see some more from ocuk there
I'd like to consider myself somewhat acquainted with LAN parties.
I used to regularly attend the Multiplay i-series LANs, then staffed them as both a yellow shirt and a red shirt, I also attended and still do attend the smaller Multiplay Stratlan events.
There's the relatively recent and excellently run epic.LAN events way up in Uttoxeter near Stoke. I also attend a number of smaller (20-50 person) sized LANs throughout the year (including a private one where about 20+ of us go to a rented village hall near reading / newbury in the summer and have BBQs, drink and maybe a little gaming if we feel like it... A lan PARTY if you will, rather than a LAN Party...
)
However LAN parties have never taken off in the UK the way they have over in Europe or the US. The UK's only big lan, the i-series is primarily aimed at the professional gaming market, which for me isn't much fun and the atmosphere isn't so good. In the rest of the world, pro gaming takes a back seat to fun and atmosphere.
For the last couple of years a group of us (a mixture of Multiplay and epic.LAN staff and regulars) have gone over to Sweden for Dreamhack Winter. 10,000 + gamers, a massive PA with a lighting rig most nightclubs would be very jealous of and more hardstyle music than you can shake a stick at (not to mention other appearances by live bands such as Scar Symmetry). The atmosphere is incredible and there's just nothing quite like it.
And of course, we made sure that people knew where we were from, if the loud shouting didn't give it away already...
I used to regularly attend the Multiplay i-series LANs, then staffed them as both a yellow shirt and a red shirt, I also attended and still do attend the smaller Multiplay Stratlan events.
There's the relatively recent and excellently run epic.LAN events way up in Uttoxeter near Stoke. I also attend a number of smaller (20-50 person) sized LANs throughout the year (including a private one where about 20+ of us go to a rented village hall near reading / newbury in the summer and have BBQs, drink and maybe a little gaming if we feel like it... A lan PARTY if you will, rather than a LAN Party...
)However LAN parties have never taken off in the UK the way they have over in Europe or the US. The UK's only big lan, the i-series is primarily aimed at the professional gaming market, which for me isn't much fun and the atmosphere isn't so good. In the rest of the world, pro gaming takes a back seat to fun and atmosphere.
For the last couple of years a group of us (a mixture of Multiplay and epic.LAN staff and regulars) have gone over to Sweden for Dreamhack Winter. 10,000 + gamers, a massive PA with a lighting rig most nightclubs would be very jealous of and more hardstyle music than you can shake a stick at (not to mention other appearances by live bands such as Scar Symmetry). The atmosphere is incredible and there's just nothing quite like it.
And of course, we made sure that people knew where we were from, if the loud shouting didn't give it away already...
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