Hi There.

Before you read this blog I'd like you to read an article written by P|Pooks on the Pantheon website, you can find it here if you haven't read it already.

Assuming you've now read that article, I'm writing a blog to discuss what I believe to be a serious issue. I'm using the blog function on this site because it allows me to write what I want without having to worry about offending anyone or being impartial.

Next weekend is the eXtreme Gaming LAN. Arena 77 is hosting a big competition for CoD4 and at the same time RISEUP is hosting a CS competition. When I say big I mean a total prize pool for CoD4 to the value of R30 000 provided by their sponsors, Sapphire (prizes are even down to fourth place). The CS tourney also has really nice prizes, but that's not the point. As it stands now, there are only four or five teams entering into the tournament - let's say we get five teams. Five teams out of around fifty who play online in the biggest online leagues in the country. It's really just embarrassing that the CoD4 community can only get five teams, when the CS 1.6 community can get about 10 when they are a third of our size online.

If we can only get five teams for this LAN I don't think anyone would blame the hosts for wanting to support other games and other communities. I was thinking about raging in this blog because that's what I feel like doing but I'm not going to because it isn't constructive. What I am going to do, is plead to all the cod4 players in online clans reading this. I am asking everyone in our community now to please try support this tournament.

It's pretty obvious how supporting LANs is good for the community, but I'll explain it nonetheless. More tournaments with good prizes further down = greater incentive for ALL teams to actually go to LANs = greater incentive for the "lower" teams to improve = more of a challenge for the top teams = a more healthy and balanced competitive scene. We currently only have one huge LAN every year (rAge) which nearly all the teams go to. Anyone who has been to rAge and played in the tournament will most likely tell you that it's great fun and an awesome experience - both socially and competitively.

The question is then why can't and why don't we have more LANs like rAge? I'm not saying we have to have one every month, but at least two or three times a year instead of only once? The answer to me seems to be that people simply can't be bothered with the hassle of getting a team to the event. Having just finished organizing my own mix team for the event, I realise what an effort it is. Just because it takes a lot of effort doesn't mean it should be abandoned though.

Look, obviously no-one can force anyone to go but if you do go I for one would be grateful and you would be contributing to this community. In addition to that you could win yourself prizes (maybe even a spot prize) and learn something about competitive cod4. You might also just end up having some fun as well LAN's are actually very social - certainly more social than sitting at home in front of your PC. I can't get over what an awesome experience going to a LAN is and it really saddens and puzzles me why more of our community isn't interested.

To put it simply LANs are just freaking awesome and you should get yourself and your team there. Stop being a fail panda and make the effort, I can promise you now it's worth it. The organizers are putting a ton of work into support gaming and if we, the competitive gamers in this country, do not support them due to trivial reasons then we are shooting ourselves in the foot.