Best thing I've read this Christmas!

Thanks for the read, especially this:

"The camaraderie built within video gaming communities is no different than that of more traditional sports. Your writers met at a LAN party - several in sequence, over the years - and forged a lasting friendship as a result."

I went to some of the Mutliplay i-Series events at the turn of the millennium but kids / work got in the way. 3 years ago a friend asked if I'd like to attend an Epic.LAN event. I was highly dubious, thought I'd be bored and didn't think I'd do it more than once. Yet I sit here as a 45yr old married father of 3 with 7 LAN event wristbands on and looking forward to the next one in February. The quote above from article struck a chord as I have made friends from LAN and I have more of an affinity with them than I do with the people I work with every day.

Going to one of these LAN events is a pure release from the pressures of work and family life; it's three days of enjoyment with good, not, great people where we can drink, talk, eat junk and oh yeah, play the occasional game. A LAN event is my pressure release, my therapy and if I didn't have one to look forward to I'd be a lot grumpier than I usually am!