LAN All Night

A quick journey through time. 

My first LAN experience was back in high school. My brothers and I cut a hole in the wall to connect Xbox consoles and challenge each-other without the option of "screen looking". It completely changed my gaming experience.

In collage we would have regular garage LANs with copious amounts of beer, pizza, caffeine, and power surges. It was always a highlight and a great opportunity to connect, celebrate, and explore new game releases.

The first professionally organized event I attended was in 2007. "World Series of Video Games" (WSVG) with The University of Akron Computer Science Club. We packed a couple cars with our computers and drove to Kentucky. I met many nerdy and awkward people expressing their love of gaming.

Since then, I've explored events around the country ranging from large stadiums, computer repair shops, garages, and basements. The experience has always been exciting and energizing. Not only from copious amount of sugar and caffeine. But the opportunity to engage and connect with others sharing a passion for gaming and community. The rush of victory and defeat from people in the same room. Shouts of excitement and of anguish, all feeding into a shared experience and lasting memories.

LAN All Night was hosted in Dallas, May 14-16, 2021 with an online participation option. I heard about the event from a group of friends from Texas (we met at Dreamhack 2016). My brothers and I joined the fun playing games and hanging out virtually.

We competed in tournaments for Golf With Your Friends, Quake Champions, and Rocket League. I took first place in Golf and last place in Rocket League. This event had a long list of sponsors and a lot of prizes! They even gave out a prize for those who placed last in any given tournament. A poster signed by all of the event staff. So if you experienced a crushing defeat you still won something.

There were also non-gaming related events. I participated in a MS Paint competition. The theme was "llama's in space" the requirement was to use only Microsoft Paint. Staff members judged the artwork submitted live on Twitch, It was fun to see what people came up with and I was happy to participate. I received the highest score and won an event medal!

It was a great time and I'm glad I had the opportunity to connect with my brothers and friends in Texas. I look forward to attending more events in the future!

An update will be posted once all the prizes come in! 

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2021-06-22 Prize Update: