These questions always get asked, so read these and see if a Ghetto Lanparty is right for you!
We usually hold between 3 and 4 events per year, with 200+ attendees at each event. Most bring their computers, however a growing crowd of console gamers began to join us in 2006. A majority of the attendees attend to free play games and enjoy the atmosphere, however we also hold official tournaments for gamers wanting more serious competition. At our largest Counter-Strike tournament in October 2006, we had 21 five-man teams participating and gave out $1000 in prize money to the top 3 teams.
Browse
through the Previous Lans section
of the website to see pictures and coverage from the past 7 years of Ghetto.
What do I need to attend a Ghetto Lanparty?
You need your computer in working condition, complete with a Network Interface Card or NIC.
Combined with a network cable provided by us, it lets you plug into our network
and play games against everyone else. If you don't know what a network card is,
find a friend who knows something about networking and computers, and let them
install one for you and set it up. You also need headphones because speakers are
not allowed.
Your computer should be set up with the games BEFORE THE LANPARTY, however we
have the CD's should you HAVE to install them there. It will take a while, and
also take out of your precious gaming time.
How did you get the name Ghetto Lanparty?
We started having lanparties over a 6 years ago, and it started out as a thing we did in my upstairs bedroom. Around 10 or so friends would pack into the room, we would all hook together with our sweet Netgear 10baseT hub, and game the night away. After seeing that people actually liked it, and we were quickly running out of space in our upstairs room, we decided to go public. Initially our equipment was well, "Ghetto," we didn't have switches--instead old hubs--and we had our first two lanparties in an airport hangar with no climate control, bathrooms, or running water. It was a hit, we kept growing, and before we knew it, we were renting ENTIRE YMCA's to hold our events in.
After hitting 250 people at GL17 and seeing the faces of people I have never met, I got questioned by many about why we were called Ghetto. The name has stuck, and now with our
fast gigabit network and full rack of servers, some may think we are high class, but we aren't. We still have a budget of
5 chumps (only 3 who have real jobs) and we still have hiccups at our lanparties. We are by no means perfect, but we still believe we have the most
excitement available at a lanparty.
What are the ages of the attendees at Ghetto Lanparty?
I get this question asked frequently because I think people feel they might not fit in if they come. We have ALL AGES OF PEOPLE at our parties. From
15 years old with their parents dropping them off at the door, to 50 year old guys who are still gamers at heart. Everyone is family here, everyone fits in, heck we are all nerds, nerds unite! It's not uncommon to see people walking away shaking hands and patting
each other on the back for kicking another teams arse, when they still only know
each other by their handles. Don't worry about coming by yourself either! If you don't have a friend to bring along, it's no biggie, you'll feel at home once you walk in the door!
What equipment powers Ghetto Lanparty?
Long story short, the network and hardware RULES! However, for specifics you should hit the network page.
