LAN of the Dead invades Windsor
WINDSOR, Ont, (11/16/13) — University of Windsor students compete in tournaments of some of the hottest games on the market, including: Starcraft 2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Call of Duty, Nov. 16. (Photo by Alissa Murphy)
By Alissa Murphy
Online users and video game consumers enjoyed a 32-hour weekend of constant gaming at the University of Windsor’s CAW student centre Nov. 16.
The Local Area Network party was hosted by eSports Gaming Events, a local company that specializes in hosting private parties throughout southeastern Ontario. EGE was created in 2011 and has been growing in popularity since.
The CEO of EGE, Shaun Byrne, created this event that favours the online community. Byrne said it gets users who enjoy playing online with other people they wouldn’t meet in person. Byrne gives people the opportunity to take advantage of the weekend event.
“All of these players get to meet each other in person as well as put a face to a name that they don’t see all the time,” Byrne said.
Games showcased during the 32-hour event included: League of Legends, Dota 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Starcraft 2 and Super Smash Bros.
Engineering student at the University of Windsor Jared Griffin, volunteered for the event because he believes playing in the virtual gaming world is a great way to connect with friends on and offline. Griffin said his favourite game in the tournament was the online role playing game, League of Legends.
“It’s one of the most common ones you’ll see around here, it’s the biggest tournament there is,” Griffin said. “All around, it’s a fun and cooperative game and at the same time, it’s competitive. It’s pretty interesting.”
With over 150 people in attendance, Byrne underestimated the crowd. However, it wasn’t a surprise because player-versus-player gaming has become common to those who are technologically-inclined to multi-massive role playing games like World of Warcraft, Starcraft and League of Legends, to name a few.
“Gamers from as far as Toronto come to compete in the tournaments,” Byrne said.
Lawrence Zhu, a U of W student who is working on his Master’s of Management degree, was one of the many people who attended the event and enjoyed the welcoming environment.
“This is wonderful,” Zhu said. “It is the most amazing event I have ever attended.”
The winner received a $500 cash prize for winning the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 tournament.
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