An event to which several users (cool people) bring their computers and hook them up to a common LAN (Local Area Network), for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games, especially action games such as Quake or Unreal Tournament. Also, organized tournaments are usually held and prizes for the winning teams are awarded.

This is also a good venue for people to show-off their fancy new hardware. Such events can get pretty large, several thousand people attend the annual QuakeCon in Texas. The rationale behind LAN parties is that playing over the Internet often introduces too much lag in the playing experience - but just as important is the special quality of trash-talking each other across the room while playing, and the instinctive social ritual of consuming vast amounts of food and drink together. Door prizes for just participating are always a crowd pleaser.

Why would anyone go to a LAN party?

Let's assume that you're a computer gamer and you're playing against somebody in a vicious game of deathmatch. You just lept out of a shadow, jumped down behind him, ducked an incoming rocket, and removed his head with a double-barreled shotgun.

To celebrate your victory at a LANParty, you'd:

* savor the expression of anguish on his face
* leap up and scream, "Suck it down, monkeyboy!"
* high-five your teammates
* sing a rousing chorus of, "Who's yo daddy?"
* announce that he couldn't kill you if you were on life support
* begin the smack talk for the inevitable rematch

Now let's assume you were at home alone playing on the Internet. You'd celebrate your amazing victory in the following ways:

* checking your email
* text messaging a friend
* tearing your rotator cuff patting yourself on the back

It's like the difference between going to a hockey game or watching one on TV. Sure, you can see it all happen on the screen -- but there's nothing like being there in person and hoping to catch a tooth.

LAN: The Ultimate Defense Against LAG
Another advantage of playing games at a LANParty is the LAN itself, which stands for "Local Area Network." As opposed to the Internet, which stands for "Really really big area network slowed down by people actually trying to do productive things like research."

When you play games on a LAN, you're only a few feet from the server. When you and your friends shoot a really big gun, it fires instantly, preferably while it's still pointed at the stunned face of someone who deserves it. It's intense! Whereas when you play games over the Internet, you will often have time to catch a rerun of Seinfeld between the time when you fire your weapon and the time it eventually makes its way to the intended target, who by this time has had kids and moved to Jersey.

Anyone who can compare the two will agree that playing over the net can never compete with the adrenaline of playing on a local network.