PONG (Peoples Organization of Network Gaming)’s first LAN event of the year kicked off on Friday, Sep. 20, and lasted till Sunday, Sep. 22. The theme was Retro, so many of the event’s tournaments included nostalgic games like “Mario Kart,” “Battleship,” and the oldest game known to man “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The attendees who were not participating in the tournaments were in the Great Hall at the MSC with their gaming setups. From PlayStation 5 to the classic Wii, the students had it all. The students did not just bring their gaming systems, they also brought their rooms. Because the event lasted 48 hours (2 days), attendees were given the choice to either go back to their living communities or stay at the MSC for the night. The students who chose the latter brought their mini fridges, blankets, and pillows to make themselves comfortable.

The students who entered the tournaments or participated in community games were given raffle tickets. The raffle tickets were used to enter to win prizes. For example, there were gift cards to “Erberts and Gerbert’s” equaling $175, free tickets to the Minneapolis LAN in January, and Digimon cards. There was also a bigger raffle going on as well, every attendee was given a separate ticket to have the chance to win a bigger prize.

The critical response to the event was positive. “I like the schedule of events,” said a student, “When they did Bingo at midnight, it was enjoyable. It was convenient because everyone was already inside for the night, so everyone was able to get to play.” However, there was some disdain about how the seating worked. “[I] couldn’t get a chair, because people checked out multiple seats and left them vacant the entire event,” said another student, “They should probably make some kind of unlock condition so people who are there can have fun.”

PONG’s next LAN event will be held from Nov. 22-24. So, save the date, and get your fuzzy blankets ready, because the next theme is Cozy-LAN.