LAN Party

Before cheap high-speed Internet made online gaming easy, players gathered in person for LAN (local area network) parties – bringing their computers or consoles together to play side-by-side over physical cables and local networks. These events sparked social connection, friendly competition and teamwork in the same room, turning early gaming into a shared, lively experience.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, internet speeds were too slow for many multiplayer games, especially those with complex graphics. Instead, players across the world hauled their bulky monitors and towers to a friend’s place, convention centre or basement for a LAN (local area network) party.

Many people at LAN parties were early adopters of new tech, so digital cameras were common at these events. The photos, often low-quality and poorly lit, capture a moment in time: beige computers, tangled network cables across the floors, burned game CDs labelled with marker ink, and tables covered in fast food and caffeinated drinks. The images capture the messy, do-it-yourself style of LAN parties, and the raw excitement of a time when desktop computers were becoming part of social life.

Images were originally published in LAN Party: Inside the Multiplayer Revolution by merritt k, alongside submissions from our audience.

In Game Worlds, you may have played Team Fortress, which is a modified version of Quake (1996), created by Australian game designer Robin Walker, alongside John Cook and Ian Caughley. Built using the engine behind landmark first-person shooter Quake, Team Fortress shifted the game’s focus to teamwork. It became hugely popular, leading to a standalone sequel. Robin went on to design many major games including Half Life 2 (2004), Portal (2007) and Portal 2 (2011).