rAge LAN 2009 sets record
The rAge LAN for 2009 set an unofficial record for being the largest event of its kind held in South Africa. 2,162 individuals moved into the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg, to take part in 54 hours of gaming goodness. Erich Blaschczok, the man in charge of the Vaalhooligan Crew that made the event possible, he shares some facts with MyBroadband.
The network equipment took five days to set up and around 30km’s of cabling was used. 4,400 plug points were provided. There was an 8Gb/s symmetrical link between the 1,822 person NAG LAN and the 340 person Do Gaming LAN. 28 VC admins were on rotation throughout the weekend to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
The gamers were eager this year; within two and a half days, all LAN tickets had sold out. When they finally arrived, they weren’t kept waiting either. Within 10 hours, all 2,162 gamers had been checked into the event. The largest monitor brought to the event measured in at 32″.
Security was understandably tight – assuming an average value of R10 000 for each gamer’s equipment load, there was over R21 million worth of hardware moved through the rAge LAN gates. Equipment curfews were in place to ensure nothing went wandering out of the building while gamers stole a few moments of rest.
According to Blaschczok , the majority of attendees were enjoying their first time at a rAge LAN. The youngest participant was just 8 years old – he received a free game for his dedication. People journeyed from all corners of South Africa to take part, and there were even visitors from Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.
Blaschczok discussed the possibility of increasing the size of the event in future, but he considers 2,500 people to be the limit that the Dome can accommodate. Despite a yearly gaming community outcry, it’s unlikely that the LAN will be touring the country any time soon. Currently, only one event on this scale is viable each year.
rAge 2009 LAN – comments and views
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