ABSTRACT
A form of networked gaming, Lanning is the practice where gamers play multiplayer games with and against each other, over a Local Area Network (LAN). A Lan ensures that players experience fast gameplay and low ping times. Lan gaming is conducted on both a small scale, such as in peoples’ homes or after-hours in an offi ce, and a larger scale, such as at festivaltype events-often known as Lan parties-devoted to getting many players onto a Lan. Examples of large Lan events include: QuakeCon, an annual event held in Dallas, Texas and sponsored by id software; xLAN, an annual Auckland event which also serves as the New Zealand qualifying tournaments for the World Cyber Games; and the large Dutch Lan Event, Campzone, studied by Jansz and Martens.2 Internationally, there is signifi cant diversity between Lans. At a standing Lan such as that found in an Internet or Lan café, computers and networking equipment will be supplied. By contrast, at many smaller or temporary Lans, the network lasts only for the duration of the Lan, and players must bring their own computers along to play on. In this chapter, my interest is in Lan groups, that is, groups of people who meet regularly, perhaps every month or two, to Lan.
