LAN parties can be a great if a little nerdy event if done right. If you are reading this article then you know that in order to have a successful LAN party you should do a little bit of preparation work as sometimes things can get a little complicated when people are eager to play videogames but everyone has different equipment. Just keep a few of these tips in mind and your next LAN party will be an epic battle royale.
The first and foremost thing about LAN parties though is that when you game into the wee hours of the night or early morning, people have a tendency to get hungry so always have some good comfort food available like Pizza or hotdogs. If you don't want to do the dishes afterwards you can also pick up some party supplies cheap online and then you can really get back to gaming as soon as possible. Your party may not have all the guests show up some don't go overboard with the supplies because people are there to game anyway.
Lastly, you'll want to make sure that your equipment is going to be able to run and that everybody has the latest patch of the game. Nothing drains more time from a lan party then several people with various different types of equipment all trying to run the same game but nobody can figure out how to because you have several different versions of it. You would be surprised how quick the time flies and after everybody has eaten, they may all end up leaving.
Written by OldSkoolFool (22 pts ) in Console Gaming BlogLast Edited on Feb 15 2011, 04:06 PM
Tags: party supplies cheap
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Hooking up the Xbox 360
9:30 PM
I had recently switched out my beat up old Xbox 360 for one of the brand new Xbox Slims that are out on the market now and I was happy that they all come with HDMI output now. I had been running the Component cables for quite some time. The only problem when I took it out of the box however was that the included cable was way too short to be able to connect comfortably to my TV. This was a major issue because not only does it slow down my gaming since I have to go and buy a new cable, it also puts uneccessary strain on my home entertainment center from the cable pulling up on the Xbox and down on the TV.
Here's a tip if you're in the same situation and are looking for an HDMI cable. Most online sources and tech gurus will agree with me in saying that there is no reason why you should pay more for an expensive premium cable when most cheap cables and connectors will work just as well as the brand named ones. In fact there is no reason why the industry should even exist with the exception that many people are gullible and will be easily sold on paying more for a cable that supposedly gives better performance. I play Xbox quite a bit so I have gotten used to the way certain games look on my TV. When I borrowed a friend's expensive HDMI cable to compare the picture to the cheap one I got online, I noticed that there was no discernible difference between the picture or audio performance with either cables.
Now, the only difference MIGHT be that the premium cable is built from better quality materials which means that it can withstand more pulling and plugging that a cheap cable might not be able to. If you are constantly setting up and breaking down your home entertainment system, then by all means purchase the more expensive ones because they are more durable. Most other cases however, the cheaper cables will usually do because once you set it up it will only sit there anyway. Good luck on your shopping and remember not to fall for the trap of the premium cables. At least not when it comes to performance anyway. I encourage you to check out more sources online but I think you'll find most will agree with me.
Written by OldSkoolFool (22 pts ) in Console Gaming BlogLast Edited on Feb 18 2011, 05:17 PM
Tags: cheap cables, cheap connectors