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Console LANs now mirroring PC LANs


By Noir - Posted on 22 December 2008

On my walk to work this morning I was thinking about the awesome Left 4Dead LAN party we had at Revek’s house last month. What it reminded me off was old school PC LAN parties. More specifically all the wire mess and monitors associated with LAN parties. But weren’t consoles originally intended to be quick and easy party machines? I also remember the good old days of split screen Golden Eye for the N64, alas those days are long gone. Here is a break down of what you need for an Xbox360 LAN party, and what you need for a PC LAN party.

Xbox360 LAN party goodies:
1) One 360 each
2) One controller each
3) One monitor each
4) One network cable each
5) One set of headphones with microphone each (speakers not allowed)
6) One or more powerbars
7) One or more routers (unless you have an awesome 24 port hub)
8) Copies of games to be played (Note: Each person must own one)
9) (optional) Xbox Live account

PC LAN party goodies:
1) One PC each
2) One keyboard and mouse each
3) One monitor each
4) One network cable each
5) One set of headphones with microphone each
6) One or more powerbars
7) One or more routers
8) Copies of games to be played (Note: Can make burnt copies with CD cracks of all games to be played. Note #2: Burning several copies of popular games makes install faster)

As you can see the main setup for Console LANing is, I would say, exact the same as, as it has always been for, PC LANing. You have to buy the games for consoles (or atleast rent); whereas, for PCs you can be an ass and burn them.

I just thought I would post an observation instead of all the lame videos and comics that are just being pulled from other sites these days.

Coxxorz's picture

Why Console LANs are better than PC LANs of old:

1) Everybody is now using smaller, lighter LCDs instead of bulky CRTs
2) Consoles are smaller than PC CPUs
3) More room for snacks (corollary to #1 and 2)
4) Less time spent frigging with cracks/patches/drivers
5) Home networks are more sophisticated nowadays (and most people have one!), requiring a lot less setup time there too. Although I still end up making some patch cords on the spot most of the time.

But most of all, it's a much more consistent experience than with PCs. There always used to be some poor bastard who got the colour-shifted 13" crt, and the gimpy Celeron that could barely keep up at 640x480. Now we're all gettin' the HD sweetness.

Noir's picture

I can't really disagree.

Except games look better on PCs, and play better on PCs, so all in all a better experience, even if it takes a bit more time to setup. Also, if you and your LAN buddies are smart, you just install all the games to be played before hand. :)

Akuf's picture

Play with others besides us

It is interesting that the others would allow you to play though

Noir's picture

First off, I don't have an Xbox 360 so I can't play with you guys (unless I am in Ottawa). Secondly, I play with other Pro gamers, on real machines called PCs, with real input devices called keyboards and mice.

I am unfortutanetly going to miss a huge ass LAN party this weekend because I won't be here :(

Stormblade's picture

You really are clueless. PC games look like crap and play like crap. I was always a PC gamer until the XBox 360 came along and I realized that a platform built solely for gaming could be so superior to the PC experience.

I guess you enjoy the pain of constant setup, crap graphics and clunky controls.

Then again, you do use linux.

Noir's picture

Never in my lifetime did I EVER think someone would say what you just said.

You seriously didn't just say that PCs have "Worse" graphics then 360s (or PS3s), did you ?!

I just don't know what to say. I am seriously blown away by the sheer ignorance of what I just read.

I think I'll just make 1 point, I can make dozens but I need to go barf in the toilet in about 2 minutes from sheer shock.

1) 360 and PS3 can do only 2X AA (Anti-Aliasing). Frankly 360, from what I read doesn't even do true AA. Secondly neither console can do AA and AF (Anisotropic Filtering) at the same time well enough to bother. Guess what PCs can do !?!?!!?! 16x AA and 4x AF; as well as, running High Dynamic Range Imaging.

You should be banned for posting Lies.

Coxxorz's picture

But for the price you pay for a graphics card to do that, you can get 2 Xbox 360's.

Noir's picture

But that was not the issue.

Maybe Stormblade just doesn't know that there are other PCs out there aside from Macs ... I don't know. The last time I ever heard a more retarted statement was from Creationists trying to pass off Intelligent Design as a science.

Swag's picture

You must be joking.

There is no way that consoles can keep up with PCs because consoles have fixed hardware, everyone knows this. Have you ever seen a game like Crysis at full detail? Even Revek said that Fallout 3 has noticeably better graphics on the PC than the Xbox 360. Sure, some games can have poor graphics, but that's not the fault of the hardware, but the developer.

I'm not commenting on anything else in your reply (although I know the pain of setting up a pc at a LAN party), but saying that PC has crap graphics is one of the stupidest things that I've ever read on here.

Akuf's picture

But since when does graphics determine whether it is a good game or not???

You being Mr. Wii of all people should know this.

Graphics can look like the old Atari 2600 but if the GAMEPLAY is there graphice are really irrelevant.

No wonder you're lonely it seems to me you're judging by looks. Which is why the attractive girls union always ignores you. But I guess the Attractive games union have you as a president. Maybe you and OC Transpo's Union president should become friends.

Swag's picture

I didn't say anything about gameplay. I just said that the PC will always have the best (potential) graphics.

Although I do think that the keyboard/mouse combination is the best for FPS and strategy games.

Coxxorz's picture

Said the guy posting on this website instead of partying on a Friday night...

Akuf's picture

And I thought I was cool

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