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Anatomy of a LAN Party?
malfaetor writes "My colleagues and I are interested in improving on an annual public LAN Party that we first held last year. Before the event, I asked Slashdot, and received some terrific suggestions. The event ended up being quite a bit of fun, and we had very few technical issues. However, there were some non-technical improvements that could be made. We did not break even financially, and ended up having to divide the loss among the seven of us. The biggest financial killer for us was insurance, at nearly $500 for the event. What have other LAN party organizers done about insurance and legal issues? Has insurance (or lack thereof) come back to haunt anyone in the past?"
"We've also had trouble deciding which network games would be the most popular. Our group has tried to focus on games that are the most familiar (or at least the smallest learning curve), and that most individuals already have installed. What games have been the most popular at LAN parties you have attended in the past six months? We know many individuals with consoles, but are unsure if promoting the console gamers would be a large draw. Have consoles been a common sight at the LAN Parties you have attended? If so, have you had any problems related to having to juggle both console and PC players?
Advertising was also an issue. We ran a grassroots advertising campaign because radio and TV advertising were too costly to be considered. However, we were concerned that the flyers we created and the postings we had on certain websites were not reaching enough local gamers. Strangely, local game shops have been very hesitant to allow us to place flyers there. What creative ways have other groups used in the past to get the word out?
Our webmaster has done a great job so far in getting sponsors. Sponsors have been very good to us, but other events that have been around longer seem to have quite a bit more swag to give away to the attendees. Is the real trick to getting sponsors to have longevity, Get Big, or have the organizers donate a whole bunch more money toward the cause to purchase these prizes themselves? Do local sponsors tend to give more than big national sponsors? Does anyone have any tips or tricks for approaching sponsors?
Lastly, has anything changed in the LAN Party scene in the past year? Has anybody seen or been involved in any noticeable trends, or have experiences worth mentioning?"
Advertising was also an issue. We ran a grassroots advertising campaign because radio and TV advertising were too costly to be considered. However, we were concerned that the flyers we created and the postings we had on certain websites were not reaching enough local gamers. Strangely, local game shops have been very hesitant to allow us to place flyers there. What creative ways have other groups used in the past to get the word out?
Our webmaster has done a great job so far in getting sponsors. Sponsors have been very good to us, but other events that have been around longer seem to have quite a bit more swag to give away to the attendees. Is the real trick to getting sponsors to have longevity, Get Big, or have the organizers donate a whole bunch more money toward the cause to purchase these prizes themselves? Do local sponsors tend to give more than big national sponsors? Does anyone have any tips or tricks for approaching sponsors?
Lastly, has anything changed in the LAN Party scene in the past year? Has anybody seen or been involved in any noticeable trends, or have experiences worth mentioning?"
Besides that, I would say that, yes, a few console systems would be a great idea. Fighting games like Soul Calibur II get old at home, when your best buddy won't take any more asskickings. But at a gathering, it can become the life of the party.
Console systems provide something other than the FPS/RTS fest PC LANs inevitably become. A Soul Calibur here and a Madden/ESPN there can spark some great side-action. People appreciate the change of pace, and enjoy going back to their PCs and playing the FPS stuff again more after a little time on something else.
Best basic rule of LAN parties: leave as little "stuff" out as possible. With the consoles, have THE game for that console in the system, and don't leave the case around. If you are going to play more than 1 game on any given console, keep the spare games in a back room/area, and switch them at intervals. Don't leave spare controllers sitting by the system - if you want to accomodate 4 players, have all 4 controllers plugged in from the get-go. Rolled-up controllers that are next to the system won't be noticed when they go missing. Same for loose game cases and stuff. They won't necessarily get *stolen*, but very easily kicked around accidentally and possibly thrown in with someone's stuff inadvertantly.
Lock down everything that can be locked down, and minimize the amount of stuff out there that can't. It's not just about security of property, but also people appreciate things being in "order" and not requiring plugging in, fiddling, etc. Make it as close to a game store system kiosk as possible.
Er... that has nothing to do with what he said, genius.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
It wasn't GW that sentenced them to death, it was the juries. If you have a problem with the death penalty, complain about the elected officials who permit that penalty and the private citizens who assign it, not the public servants who are required to carry it out.