A Sunday of LAN wars

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Some years ago, before the world went mad, computer games were a huge part of daily life — for some. Now in the year 2012, former hardcore gamers roam the planet disguised as techies, lawyers or dentists. A small group, however, has planned a resistance, of sorts.

It all started when Chennai-resident Vivek Raju called friends over for a Sunday LAN battle. Those of you still in T-shirts will remember LAN as, a local area network. A LAN battle then, is basically a group of gamers armed with laptops, fighting each other, while wifey downstairs keeps telling herself “It’s just for a few hours, there’s no need for violence”.
“Oh, she doesn’t mind,” says a smiling Vivek. “Our first step was to convince the three wives in the group. Because, if the fish are not in from the market early morning, no gaming for me. Our sessions can even hit four hours. So, I try to balance it out.”
There are also a few restrictions. “It mustn’t get too loud and there should be nobody calling each other names.
As long as we’re under control, it’s a perfect Sunday remedy for those itching for some good ol’ action,” adds Vivek.
So, what does it mean for his friends, the lost generation who seem to have found reprieve on a Sunday? “It has been many years since we retired. Our skills are rusty and so our are guns. It was the Golden Age of gaming for India back then, with the advent of the Internet and cheaper hardware. Does anyone even go to gaming cafes anymore? Everyone plays on their Playstations and Xboxes nowadays. Kids!” says a very relieved Shivankar Jay.
“We team up every week to play the old games in the old way. Counter-Strike. Quake 3. Over LAN. With people we know, not someone anonymous on the Internet.”
Who knew a few feet of wires, fat laptops, and some patience will pave way to a trend fast catching up in many cities. Studies show 80 per cent of gamers in the country come from our eight big cities. And after the drastic drop in cyber cafes, or smoke-filled dungeons of doom, (from 53 per cent to just 35 per cent in 2011), closed network-based gaming is simply, coming home.
Therefore, if you’re planning to dust out the old classics, ring the gang, and already have fish ready, a Sunday LAN battle IS the perfect thing for the neighborhood Expendables. Just keep the volume down.