In-person gaming has not been lost in the days of COVID.

by Rachel Olsen-Cooper

The world of esports as it’s known today began thanks to gamers wanting to get together to see who the best at their craft was. According to esports.net, the 1990s is when esports and gaming took a turn, thanks to graphic improvements, console upgrades, and computers that could handle games like Doom and StarCraft, some of the first truly competitive games. The internet was in its infancy at the time, so in order to compete in these games, players had to gather together to link their computers, creating a local area network (LAN) to allow players to game at the same time.

To this day, events like LAN parties are still popular. Normally taking place over one to two nights, gamers can bring their PC’s and gaming consoles to a pre-disclosed area to game together all day and night. In June, at the Dreamhack convention in Dallas, Texas, hundreds of gamers packed two large areas of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center with their computers and sleeping bags in tow. Gamers could either play casually with their friends, or compete in tournaments for thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes.

But in-person gaming doesn’t stop with tournaments and LAN parties. The emergence of gaming centers and gaming cafés have allowed the spirit of in-person gaming to continue in smaller settings. Gamers can pay by the hour or by the day to be with their friends, rather than having to rely on network connections that may not always be stable.

Rank 1 Gaming in Carrollton, Texas is one of many in the Dallas area that are bringing in-person gaming to gamers who are looking for more than just their home computer screen. Patrons have access to multiple rows of gaming computers with many of the most popular games that they can rent by the hour. They have a yearly membership that can reduce that hourly cost, and their prices are reasonable, allowing gamers to not have to break the bank to have a great time. There’s also an area for console gaming, and gamers can even bring their own equipment, which allows them to play for free. All the center asks is to buy something as simple as a drink.

Breennen Koals, a front of the house employee of Rank 1, says that community is one of the biggest reasons they come to Rank 1 Gaming. “Our regulars want to come and hang out, and they can meet new people because everyone is playing the same games they’re playing.”

Koals says that on a good weekend, the café can see upwards of 700 people.

One of the café’s regulars, Harmony Williams, says she likes to play Valorant at the café with her friends because it helps with communication. “Gaming online, you can sometimes have lag issues and communication doesn’t always get through. But when we’re here, you can hear me yelling in your ear. If I tell you to go B but you didn’t go B, I can look at you and say, ‘why didn’t you go B!’”

Williams also says that playing with a friend in-person can help with cooperation. “It takes longer to get to know someone on the computer than in-person.”

Another gaming café, GG EZ Gaming Café in Plano, Texas, even has private rooms that can be rented out to allow for a more personal gaming experience. It’s a great place for groups of friends to practice together in an enclosed space with the equipment already provided, instead of having to lug their computers and consoles to their friends’ houses.

While online gaming is still leading the way, the need for social interaction rose due to COVID. Having access to gaming centers and gaming café’s is giving gamers a chance to play the games they love, as well as giving them the chance to hang out with their friends.