I've noticed a trend in the gaming industry that has worried me for some time. It happened quite a while ago... there was no outcry, no one checked if I was ok with it... it just happened. They took all the LAN support out of games.
LAN stands for Large Area Network... and it used to be the social space for gaming geeks. We would all descend on someone's house, link up all our computers and spend the weekend in a sleep deprived Valhalla of death matches, co-op strategy and camaraderie. Some of my most precious memories stem from this period of my life. Battling through the Dust mission in the original Counter Strike, frantically building up an army in WarCraft 3 or sniping from Faces in Unreal Tournament is so much more meaningful when that headshot you just pulled off causes the guy on the other side of the room to scream in anguish.
This style of play is not possible now. Modern games have dispensed with the LAN in favor of internet based multi-player. The internet is quite a cool place, I suppose, it allows you to play people from all over the world, people who you wouldn't have the opportunity to meet otherwise, but it doesn't have the same feel as getting a bunch of your mates into the same room and slaughtering them in your favorite FPS.
I always used to laugh at people who said that computer games were anti-social. I used to regularly get together with 12 or 15 of my friends (in person) and connect through the medium of gaming. Now I think those same people have a point (even if it is accidentally). Even with voice chat, it's just not the same thing.
I miss LAN parties... I wonder if I can get a group of people together who want to play the ancient games that enabled this pinacle of geek culture.... Counter Strike anyone?
-Odd
"Join the Army, see the world, meet interesting people - and kill them." -Pacifist Badge, 1978
Dude. That's so true, and the funny things is that we never had a LAN, me and you. Lol (and I actually laughed out loud there) plenty dnd though. I've got duke nukem 3D, if u wanna hook up for a LAN. Got AOE too. He he. Sometimes the internet is detrimental to our social lives hey. From LANning to WOW.
ReplyDeleteDude very true with regards to LAN's dying out.
ReplyDeleteHowever if you look at the speed of ADSL around the world it makes up for it , kinda.
however we are still stuck in the stone-age for all of us in SA.
with regards to organising a LAN , im there like a bear , but the vital question is "Where will we host it ?? maybe a hall of some sorts , cause that was always the problem with LANs , finding space to put everyones PC's.
I down for a bit of CS or unreal tournament.
I didn't even get into questions of lag over the 'net.... which is a massive problem with internet gaming. I was just commenting on the social aspect.
ReplyDeletePersonally I feel much more connected to my teammates and opponents if they're in the same room as I am.... and it seem crazy that I need to bounce my bullets off a server on the other side of the world to shoot the guy sitting next to me...
^^ we'll make a plan for a LAN .... cool, it even rhymes ^^
Local area network...
ReplyDeleteThe downstairs room by my place can fit many bums and computers...
Who has a switch?
I think internet gaming is much better than LAN gaming. LAN does bring back good memories from my past with all my mates, but I much prefer online gaming now.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, LAN stands for Local Area Network, not Large.