The notion of multiplayer deathmatch—in which individuals pit their skills in first-person shooters against other live opponents—is nothing new. A decade ago, I used to gather with three other compatriots in a local college's computer lab after it closed for the afternoon each Saturday. The game of choice was DOOM, a DOS-based title that was painfully hard to set up for deathmatch events because it relied on old-fashioned networking technology (Novell Netware, which the lab used) and some mind-numbingly silly pregame calisthenics—that is, everyone had to log on to each game session simultaneously or they couldn't play.

I've played many games online over the years, and as each game generation comes and goes, and as Internet access and networking speeds improve, the process gets easier and easier. Today, multiplayer game servers are available all around the globe for both PC and some console-based titles. But playing against people virtually is one thing. Playing against your friends while in the same room is another experience altogether. There's screaming, of course, and the inevitable taunting. Players name their game personae after the host's ex-girlfriends ("Crazy Julie," "Kate") just to get under his skin. When someone scores a "Killtacular" (four enemies vanquished simultaneously), the cheers and groans can be heard out in the street. And when each match ends, we compare medals and other statistics in the same way that baseball fans can quote team records and individuals stats.

What's amazing is that none of these guys—with the exception of a graphical designer and me—are particularly into computers. They're not geeks at all. But we can handle the networked gaming scene solely because the Xbox, unlike the PC, makes it incredibly simple to set up these kinds of matches. And if you have a modern game—such as Halo 2—that can take advantage of virtually unlimited numbers of players, all the better. The more the merrier.

With the Xbox, Microsoft should be credited with making the arcane process of setting up multiplayer games virtually foolproof. Before Halo and Halo 2 on the Xbox, you almost needed an advanced degree in networking technologies to figure out how to get the best experience. With the Xbox, it's just plug and play. We use an 8-port switch and a bunch of Ethernet cables, and each month the guys just show up with their Xbox consoles and, in some cases, their TVs. I bring two Xbox units to each event, as well as the small 13" TV that's part of my home office's media center setup. Some people share TVs (and Xbox consoles) in split-screen arrangements. At the most recent event, for example, we had 10 people on seven screens. Getting everything going required no configuration. We just plugged in our machines and dove into the mayhem. Pizza and beer are optional.

While I'm on the subject, I'll get you next month, "El Jeffe." Who the heck fires off 2098 rounds of ammunition in one game, anyway?

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People with too much time on their hands... Fred -March 2, 2005 That's Graphic Designer and I'm him!!!! Garry Sherman -March 2, 2005 Don't be so hard on PC games. Nowadays, all you have to do is plug you PC's network cable into a router if you have your friends in the room (this is great if everyone has laptops), or just connect to the internet and you can find games (or your friends) all over the world. Maybe I am just used to it, but the PC games that support multiplayer are just as easy to set up as you describe setting up a network of Xbox gamers. Everett -March 3, 2005 The technical evolution will make normal people become in touch with their geek inside! ;) I don't agree that setting up PC multiplayer games is as easy as with Xbox. For me it is, but not for my non-nerd friends. Of course it's a lot easier today than ten years ago, but there's still room for more usability. We have about 12 PCs in our home (up and running), of which 50% are old PII's. Of course these can't run the latest games, but there's a lot of joy in playing retro games if it means 12 players can do deathmatch in the same apparment! :P The current retro-favourite is QuakeII (DM and CTF). I've even started creating a service listing MPdemos incl. system req's to find out what more games we can play on all PCs: http://mpdemos.hacke.nu As for Xbox DM, I'm thinking of buying VGA adapters making it possible to connect Xbox to my PC screens, since I already have a load of these + 3 TVs. That would mean, when I invite friends over for an "Xbox party" (gee, that sounds geeky ;)) they don't have to bring any TVs. Thanks for a GREAT news letter! Richard Hacke Nilsson Lund, Sweden hacke -March 4, 2005 yup xbox is awesome easier to use than ps2 and more fun than ps2 and gamecube combined. seitz -March 10, 2005 i play on xbox live all the time and it is incredibly easy to connect and start everthing. its just sometimes my network router gets screwed up and it wants to disconnect everthing. if u wanna have more fun than a system link party u should get xbox live for 50 bucks a month its a good deal. but be ready. people online are alot better than u think and hell i could probably kick all of your *****. my account is slade117. ask me to be ur friend and tell me u read this article. ill kick everyone's ***! seitz -March 10, 2005 It is actually $50 a YEAR not a month. That makes it only like $4 a month. And yeah the people online are people who do nothing in life except play Halo - most are extremely good. Devin -April 27, 2005 It is actually $50 a YEAR not a month. That makes it only like $4 a month. And yeah the people online are people who do nothing in life except play Halo - most are extremely good. Devin -April 27, 2005 Yeah, Xbox Live rules, but I want to have a LAN party in my apartment soon anyway. Just to have everyone in the same place. If you wanna friend me, my gamertag is Welt18. Since the stats were reconfigured I think I got back up to a 13 in 3 or 4 days. I don't suck, but I'm not the best either, yet... Ryan -May 9, 2005 hi ive bn playn games 4 both xbox and pc and I was wantn to know if there are smart people out there can u get a lan match with the pc and xbox. I have an xbox and can connect it to my pc thats easy can use my pc as a server but cant get a lan match. I want to play halo2 with my mates but i have it 4 the pc and xbox but would like to have the pc as my controls as im better on it and let my mates play on the xbox plus i can get one more mate to come and play. replay to me on aaronpf@tesco.net with any help thank u aaron -July 3, 2005 aaron - you cannt play xbox vs PC for any game. Plus I suspect you meant Halo for the PC and xbox, as Halo 2 is currently ONLY an xbox title. You cannot play network Halo PC with Halo xbox, multiplayer only works across the same platform. TEC -July 8, 2005 De bes ting to do my frens, is buy..some weed/skunk/hydro and beer, and then go on xbox live, or get your frens to come over, tell em bring dere xbox's and let it rip.... A whole Evening of outstanding FUN FUN FUN. AND GET HIIIIIIIIGHHH Great article by the way. Top notch. Damian Marly -July 29, 2005 my gamertag is halo007finatic. hope to see you all on live! btw: xbox rules everything out there. Alex Caulfield -August 13, 2005 great newsletter, i don't play xbox live games cause all the best multiplayer games are on the pc and i've got a 4 pc setup on my home lan and cause it's a 16 port hub my friends can bring over their pc's and just hookup with eiter enet or wireless (which u can't do with xbox cause no wifi card) maybe bungie will release a ver of halo in the future so we can chalange all the xbox players and show u all how better a keyboard/mouse combo is. Alan McDonald -August 20, 2005 while i remember u can use the xbox as a game server for pc based games but not actualy play them on the xbox but u need a modded xbox to do this. Alan McDonald -August 20, 2005 Per Alan's remark on no wifi card: there is a wireless dongle adapter for the ethernet port on the xbox, so it may not have a wifi card it does have wireless capability with the dongle (same thing in my opinion). Knox -August 25, 2005 Wow, another enjoyer of LAN parties! I may be 14, but I remember painstakingly setting up Doom tourneys. Now, I just have some buddies come over and play Halo and H2. What's funny is that it illicits more cheers and friendships than playing football with some of my other buddies. Long live the Chief! -Satanator P.S. If you guys have XBL, looks up Satanator. I can't be on till Thursday, and I may have to clear a list spot, but give it a shot! Jordan -September 7, 2005 we have 10-12 people every lan we have. and we usually have one once or twice a month. booya. Graywizzle -September 19, 2005 yeah, what he said... lalala -September 19, 2005 lalala goes to the lan partys to. hes ok, gets 3ed or 4th alot. his twin is way better.but we the chosen few are better. my live sn is (senorsmileyyyyy) hit me up toda party people. Graywizzle -September 19, 2005 yeah graywitty has good lan parties, i have been to several of them googoo -September 19, 2005 he means graywizzle not graywitty fo get it right foo.next lan is oct 8th 2005 Graywizzle -September 20, 2005 new lan party at trevors theres ganna be at least 19 people there. this goes for jules julian and others like the azn(greg) bring me the azn i want his pelt.^_^ Graywizzle -September 23, 2005 new date its being changed from the 8th to the 9th.^_^ Graywizzle -September 26, 2005 if any of you people here are elit players, then give us a shout, i am one of the admins in the -X1- clan, will try you out on a PC based server b4 you can play. http://teamx1.11.forumer.com Karl -October 6, 2005 add me as ur friend cuz i dom,Lil John Killer.on halo 2 although my live is not hooked up right now im still dominating at h2 Zac -November 11, 2005 You wanna get xbox connect www.xbconnect.com so much better than live all you need is a ethernet, its free and the games are better cos you can host them and decide what to play, plus mixed abilitys in everyroom Ryan -December 9, 2005 all right i really need to have a halo 2 lan party soon bc i have dial-up and xbox live is out of my reach, alltough whenever i buy cables they never work between my friend and i's xbox, so wtf do i do, e-mail me with more info, i would love u, biohazerd08@aol.com halo 2 masta -December 9, 2005 I wish you all lived near me, Im never able to fidn good xbox lan parties in my area. it sux!!!! William -January 16, 2006 come play me sheldon121 online sheldon -March 4, 2006 online is better man, like all my friends have xbox live now anyway, so why waste time doing system link, when i can just go onto live with them?? lol Matt -March 22, 2006 how do i connect up to xbox live with my 360 through a computer on a wired connection. the DNS keeps on failing??? please help!!!! sunnuld -May 8, 2006 i want me and my mates to organise a 8 player game of halo2 but we dont have a clue what stuff we need to do so, i have a system link cable but does that on its own work with 2 xboxs?? i really wouldnt mind some help thnx chris -May 18, 2006 email me at dishpa@hotmail.com or add me on msn <br> chris -May 18, 2006 how many xbox 360's can connect wirelessly at a time Paul -May 22, 2006 You may want to keep an eye on what I have coming out in the next couple of weeks. The website doesn't show what's up my sleeve, but let's just say, it would rock in your living room. We took the box on the site around for portable parties. I have a new one coming out more like an arcade machine, to fit in a student union, arcade, Airport, etc. Just found you site and it was pretty cool. Portable XBox Lan -June 12, 2006 Is it possible to set up a wireless LAN party if you were to use a wireless router. I've been trying to figure out how to do it and what cables i would need. Karl -August 29, 2006 FORGET SYSTEM LINKS JUST GET INTERNET AND TRY XBOX LIVE ITS THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD IF YOU THINK YOUR GOOD JUST WAIT TILL YOU HAVE XBOX LIVE MY GAMER TAG SOME DRUGS WITH A ZERO FOR THE O (TRY TO OUT BR ME IF YOUR NOT SCARED) SOME DRUGS -September 5, 2006 =D EGD xJBx -December 7, 2006 I want to do it with more people cos it gets boring with only two xboxs where do you ghet the right equipment to set it all up Chaz -December 11, 2006 Lan parties rock. It's lame that less games are incorporating this and rather adding xbox live support only. Good to see you guys enjoy it too. IMD1 PK -September 13, 2008 READER COMMENTS: We want to hear what you have to say about this article!     Acceptable Use Policy Your Comments (required): Your email is only used if our editors need to contact you. It is not used or stored for any other purpose, nor posted with your comments. Enter the text from the image below Please refresh the page if you have trouble reading this text.