Less than three years ago, Louisville was named the site for the first WSVG (World Series of Video Games). It’s also been the site of many large gatherings including LanWars and MillionManLan events over the past ten years. Numbers started small at first, then swelled to several thousand per event. LAN Parties were all the rage, large halls filled with row upon row of computers all connected together in a single network. Most events were BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer). Players gathered to battle each other for superiority on the virtual battleground.
Everything peaked in 2006, including a TV deal signed between WSVG and CBS in December. But in September of 2007, WSVG owner, Games Media Properties announced that the year's remaining events were cancelled. Citing the difficulties of making any money while holding such large events, the WSVG became defunct. Games Media Properties had seen the writing on the wall. They decided to focus solely on their online gaming portal, GameRiot. By the begining of 2008, event numbers had dwindled down to a few hundred per event.
This roughly coincided with the broadband explosion across America. Not only did the subscriber base increase dramatically, but ISPs began offering faster speeds. Gamers hungry for human competition no longer needed to congregate in a single location. Instead, they could sit comfortably at home and blast each other. Software companies took advantage by upgrading their servers to maximize user connections caused by the broadband explosion. At the same time, MMORPG subscriptions went through the roof, fueled by the massive popularity of World of Warcraft. Creating another reason to stay home, LAN Parties began a quiet spiral downward. Once the best way to interact with fellow gamers, LAN Parties have all but lost their significance in the PC industry.
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