Tell GR: Have You Ever Played on LAN?

July 17, 2017

This last week I’ve been battling with nostalgia. The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PGL tournament has reminded me of my early days of competing on LAN, back when gaming was more simple, and the internet hadn’t yet divided us.

In the early 2000’s good internet and affordable PC hardware weren’t widely available. As a result, many gamers went to LAN centers to enjoy games like Battlefield 1942, Counter-Strike, and Diablo 2.

For gamers like myself who enjoy local multiplayer, these were the golden days.

I would later get access to broadband internet and my own PC, largely casting away the concept of going to LAN centers. At that point, my friends and I started hosting LAN parties of our own, inviting groups to bring their hardware over and play in-person. It wasn’t an easy thing to do given everyone used CRT monitors at the time, but we made it happen anyway.

This wasn’t a PC gaming exclusive thing, either. Console gamers got in on the action, going as far as bringing TVs and Xbox consoles to their friend’s homes to play Halo for hours on end.

Have you ever played on LAN? If so, which games? Let us know in the comments below.

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.