Ok, I help run the Gamers of Oklahoma State University, and one of the main things we do is host LAN parties (mainly PC stuff, usually a TV with some random system set up in a corner).
Anyway, we've been having problems with attendance at the last few LANs we've hosted. They were never huge to begin with, averaging around 25 people, but lately they've been dropping off into the 8-10 range. I don't think it's the cost because we only charge $5 per LAN (or $10 for semester dues, which covers all 3 or 4 we'll host in that period).
So for those of you in the PC gaming community, what things or advertising would get you to show up to a LAN party?
Also, on an unrelated subject, I guess if you don't post for a while the last comment thing goes back to the "start a blog- GOD" thing. Weird.
Get a team or 3 or 4 people, get a website, a facebook, mailing list, then advertise! i.e. posters etc, have a regular drinking group and grow from there.
Not sure if you are or not, but become an official society at your University. From my experience you can then use uni stuff (projectors, rooms, lan equipment, money) etc.
This advice comes from the Captain of the largest Pirate Society in the UK... yarr :-)
Guerilla advertising is the way to go, where do you guys host it at, is there any way to have it at like a bar or food serving place, something where more people would want to go. Most people don't want to sit around for 5-7 hours to just play games. Plus what is the feedback from people that have already been? do they like it? Is there something missing? Have you gotten any feedback?
@wardrox: We already do just about everything you said. Posters haven't helped much in the past and we really don't have to budget for anything bigger.
@l0cke: We've tried sponsors, but the only one that would ever give us anything was Bawls, and they're questionable from LAN to LAN if we'll get anything.
Try to let people know that they'll be welcome. A lot of people get intimidated about showing up to a place and playing games against people who have already been associating with each other for a period of time.
Most people don't want to meet face to face and be the "new guy" who might not be very good at the games, when he can sit at home and not worry about being socially rejected by a bunch of nerds.
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about me
... for a double dose. (Yes, I stole it from Idiocracy. Go watch it if you haven't.)
Anyway, I'm currently a student at Oklahoma State University (News Editorial Journalism). I'm a Copy Editor for the Daily O'Collegian (the student newspaper). http://www.ocolly.com
We're an official student organization dedicated to video games.
Other than sit around and bullshit about games, we (try to) host a LAN party each month. If you're in Oklahoma feel free to check us out. We host weekly meetings at 7:00 p.m. on Monday in Business building room 109 (OSU campus). Or stop by our forums in the link above. Our registration is a bit boned right now, so if your account doesn't automatically activate email me.
hans_wuerflein@hotmail.com
Just shoot me a line and I'll fix it. Or if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press living the dream since March 16, 2006
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invite to meetup+play
Try different games, or let other people suggest the games. Try something new and different
Your foe is XBox Live. Have LAN parties with games that aren't available on a console version.
You suck. Start a -- oh, wait, my bad.
Get a team or 3 or 4 people, get a website, a facebook, mailing list, then advertise! i.e. posters etc, have a regular drinking group and grow from there.
Not sure if you are or not, but become an official society at your University. From my experience you can then use uni stuff (projectors, rooms, lan equipment, money) etc.
This advice comes from the Captain of the largest Pirate Society in the UK... yarr :-)
Guerilla advertising is the way to go, where do you guys host it at, is there any way to have it at like a bar or food serving place, something where more people would want to go. Most people don't want to sit around for 5-7 hours to just play games. Plus what is the feedback from people that have already been? do they like it? Is there something missing? Have you gotten any feedback?
Tell them there will be punch and pie. More people will come if they think there will be punch and pie.
Go back in time and kill the Internet before it's born.
Go back in time and kill Al Gore before he invents the Internet.
*Note: if you do this, you're volunteering be in charge of fixing global warming.
Blackmail is a great tool in order to make someone do something they don't want to.
Get sponsors to have contests. It is A LOT easier then you might think. I have seen the magic of stuff bring LAN's from the dead to overpopulated.
Promise cake =)!
Mention which games are the intended to be played. Maybe some people don't go because they think their PC is not up for it anymore.
@king3vbo: That's what we do.
@wardrox: We already do just about everything you said. Posters haven't helped much in the past and we really don't have to budget for anything bigger.
@l0cke: We've tried sponsors, but the only one that would ever give us anything was Bawls, and they're questionable from LAN to LAN if we'll get anything.
Any other advice?
Try to let people know that they'll be welcome. A lot of people get intimidated about showing up to a place and playing games against people who have already been associating with each other for a period of time.
Most people don't want to meet face to face and be the "new guy" who might not be very good at the games, when he can sit at home and not worry about being socially rejected by a bunch of nerds.