Who are the Rockford Geeks? Check out these ugly mugs!
Spanky_b I first became interested in PC gaming in 1996. Andrix, a fellow Geek, introduced me to Diablo. We would string a thinnet (coaxial) cable across his house in order to play in co-op mode. From there we moved onto Jedi Knight DF2 multiplayer. This was my first experience with LAN based gaming. My passion for LAN gaming was further fueled by a local gaming store called Mission Control Alpha. It was a small mom and pop shop with a counter and some homemade “PODS” behind a wall, 12 total. They offered a half hour of game play for $6. They had titles such as Blood and Duke Nukem (Duke it out in DC) . It was Quake that kept us coming back. I would bet I spent at least a quarter of my yearly income that year on gaming in those PODS.
Quake Deathmatch was so popular there the owners started a Quake League. Every Sunday we would plunk down cash and climb into the PODS and see which team (4 players each) got the most kills. There was even a TV in the lobby connected to a POD so teams and spectators could see the action. Our team, Shadow Stalkers, took first place that year. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had gaming.
Fast forward 14 years and I still love LAN gaming. There is nothing better than being in same room as your opponents talking trash and yelling at each other.