A LAN party is a computer gaming event in which gamers congregate in one central, physical location to compete in various tournaments, socialize with other gamers, and enjoy the high-tech atmosphere. A LAN is a local area network, a small group of computers connected through a series
of networking hardware so that they may communicate with other computers at the party.

The advantage of playing games at a LAN party is that games are more exciting when gamers are playing against other gamers in the same room and the game play is much faster because it doesn’t need to compete with the traffic of the greater Internet.

Although a LAN party may have an Internet connection, the connection generally exists to allow gamers to play games which require Internet-based authentication and to check their email. The focus, then, is competing against gamers not more than a stone’s throw away.

Worldwide examples of very large LAN parties are Dreamhack (Sweden, more than 13,600 attendees, www.dreamhack.se), The Gathering (Norway, more than 5,000 attendees, www.gathering.org), QuakeCon (Dallas, Tx, more than 8,500 attendees, www.quakecon.org), and MillionManLAN (Louisville, Ky, more than 1,500 attendees, www.millionmanlan.com).

Unless otherwise posted in our forums, each attendee is expected to bring his or her own working computer or gaming console (staff members will not fix attendees’ computer or console!). This includes a desktop computer and/or console, monitor, keyboard, mouse, joystick, 25′ Ethernet network cable, and headphones. You may instead bring a laptop. Do not bring speakers—your sounds may interfere with others’ and detract from their experience. Also, do not bring an uninterruptible power supply—they consume far too much power and may cause blackouts at events. Spectators may not bring a computer.

Gaming consoles are a fairly new addition to the LAN party environment. Attendees who wish to bring a console should bring a television or have the facility to connect to their computer monitor. Additionally, console-using attendees are expected to use headphones for sound and may need to bring extra headsets and/or a splitter in order for other players to hear the game’s audio.

It is wise to bring a small amount of cash. Pizza is often sold at the event, and attendees often coordinate trips to local restaurants during downtime. Additionally, there often arises a bit of a marketplace for old parts as attendees purchase or win new parts.

Each venue has its own rules regarding food and beverages. Please peruse the forums or contact a staff member or the venue itself to find out these rules.

Smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages are prohibited within the venue. Each venue has its own rules regarding these activities outside of the building. If you are visibly intoxicated, you will be removed from the event. If needed, we will contact the local police.

The best answer to this question is anything. We announce official, sanctioned tournaments at the opening of registration and sometimes add or remove tournaments based on popularity. Our attendees tend to gravitate towards established multiplayer games, but new games come out all the
time and often garner a serious following among our ranks.

Staple games include Counter-Strike, the Battlefield series, the Call of Duty series, the Starcraft series, the Unreal Tournament series, the Far Cry series, anything by Valve Software, the Street Fighter series, and even older franchises such as the Descent series and the Mechwarrior series. This list is certainly not exhaustive: many of the games we play didn’t exist a year ago!

Please ensure that you have working copies of the games you own. We will not accommodate attendees who are unable to get their copy of a game to work with others’ or our servers. There is often a warm-up period before tournaments; gamers should seize that opportunity to ensure that their configuration is able to successfully connect. Individual gamers or teams with gamers who are unable to connect at the time their round starts will be disqualified.

You must have a signed waiver of responsibility (available on www.pittco.org). If you are 18 or older, you must have a valid photographic identification card (driver’s license, college ID, military ID), the registration number contained in your confirmation email, or the confirmation email itself. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must sign your waiver. The parent or guardian need not be present at registration.

Please print your name as clearly as possible on the waiver of responsibility so that our check-in staff can process your waiver as swiftly as possible. Pittco staff will not allow attendees to pass the check-in table having turned in a signed waiver. There are no exceptions to this rule. Pittco staff will not accept a vocal or digital acceptance of the waiver.

There has never been a major theft at any of our events. Sometimes smaller accessories get misplaced, but they are generally returned quickly by those who find them. Also, no machine has ever been physically damaged, unintentionally or maliciously. Our rules prevent the horseplay that would lead to such damage.

It is important to make sure that you have an up-to-date anti virus program running throughout an event. No one is able to determine if an attendee will bring an infected computer, so the best bet is to make sure that you are protected. A good, free anti-virus program is Avast!.

If this is your first LAN party experience, you should back up the contents of your computer in case something does happen.

Pittco and its staff hold absolutely no responsibility for lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise maimed possessions. This includes, but it not limited to, computers, computer accessories and peripherals, monitors, personal audio devices, jewelry, mobile communication devices, and data.

Most of our attendees and staff members are between 16 and 40 years of age. Some attendees’ parents are gamers, as well, so they often come to participate. Younger attendees generally come in groups or with older, responsible siblings. Some staff members are employees of Pittsburgh-area companies and institutions, including schools, churches, and fire departments.

Minors are welcome at Pittco events, but Pittco cannot assume responsibility for their supervision. All attendees, regardless of age, are treated equally and thus must respect and follow Pittco rules.

Spectator passes are available at registration table for each event. These passes are good for a short amount of time so that parents can check-up on their children, bring food, spare parts, etc. If a parent wishes to stay for the entire event, he or she may be asked to purchase a seat. Contact the staff for more information.

If the person whom you would like to contact does not have a mobile phone or pager, and cannot be contacted via an instant messaging service, ask a Pittco staff member at the event for a contact number for the staff or the facility. Either will be able to notify the person of your call.

Yes. We allow our attendees to leave so that they may get food or even sleep at home.

No. Our registration table is watched closely throughout the event and staff are on the lookout for persons without wristbands or badges signifying a paid registration.

The availability of food and drink varies from event to event and venue to venue. The staff may provide snacks and soft drinks when possible, but there still would be only a limited supply available—no guarantees of availability. Check the forums for announcements on the availability of consumables for the next event.

Since Iron Storm 10, we have always sold pizza and have almost always had an affordable concession stand. Some local fast food restaurants frequently offer discounts during the event to our attendees, as well.

The availability of a sleeping area also varies from venue to venue. While some venues have a sitting area with couches and chairs, our most common type of venue—fire halls—often do not. Some attendees sleep in their vehicles or bring small inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags. You are welcome to sleep under your table if there is room, but do not block the aisle. Check the forums for announcements on the availability of a sleeping area for the next event.

Our events are typically held in the spring, March or April, and in the late summer, usually in August. If there’s not a date announced yet for the next one, it’s because we’re still planning some awesome release news to go with it. Pester us on the forums,  Facebook, or Twitter and you’ll get something out of us!