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How to Throw an Xbox LAN Party

Posted on March 30th, 2009 by monsterguide
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Video games are best done with friends, so if you and the gang want to have a fun gathering to show off your gaming skills, here’s a fun idea: throw an Xbox LAN Party! It’s exciting, as long as you know what needs to be taken care of. Here’s how to do it.

What You’ll Need:

Preparing The Party

Just like any party, an Xbox LAN party also needs ample preparation, otherwise it may not turn out to be very successful. Here are some helpful tips.

  • Decide on a location. Xbox parties are often held at home, but the question is which house can hold everyone. Contact your buddies see who is willing to let their place be the venue. Choose the biggest possible home. Check the power outlets, too and make sure they’re sufficient.
  • Set the date. Fridays and weekends are great, since everyone can stay as long as they want. Have the party two weeks away, so you’ll still have ample preparation time.
  • Invite your friends. Xbox parties are usually small gatherings, with as much as 20 people. Invite friends, classmates or colleagues who are interested and who also have Xbox consoles. As the date approaches, keep reminding them about the event.
  • Estimate how many televisions you can have during the party. Call up your guests and see who can bring TVs, too. The bigger TVs, the better, so you can have split screens.
  • Buy a network hub that has enough ports, so you can connect all the Xbox consoles at the party. Link cables are also important, to connect all the consoles to your hub.

Linking The Xbox Consoles

System Link is a great option when you’re having an Xbox party, allowing you to link one Xbox to another unit. If you want, you can even link as much as 16 Xbox consoles to each other. Here’s how to do it.

Linking Two Xbox Consoles

  1. Connect all the Xbox to a TV.
  2. Get the System Link cable, then stick one end in the first console’s Ethernet port, at the back.
  3. Stick the other cable end in the next Xbox’s Ethernet port.
  4. Follow the multiplayer instructions and get ready to play!

Linking More Than Two X-Box Consoles

  1. Connect all the consoles to separate televisions.
  2. Stick an Ethernet cable in its port, at the back of the console.
  3. Stick its other end into another Ethernet port, in the Ethernet switch or hub.
  4. Repeat for all the Xbox consoles you want to link.
  5. Follow the multiplayer setup, and start playing!

Games You Can Play

Your LAN party is only enjoyable if you dish out the best Xbox games. Here are some you can try.

  • HALO - According to many reviews, this is the best Xbox LAN game. You can have as many as 16 players with four consoles.
  • Brute Force - It allows four-player co-op, and eight-player deathmatch.
  • Mech Assault - A cult fave. You can have two to eight players, 2 for every Xbox console.
  • Project Gotham Racing 2 - Racing game, ala-Gran Turismo. You can have eight players on four Xboxes.
  • Unreal Championship - You can have eight players on two X-box units, with multiple game modes and bots.

One tip: Don’t play RPG games in Xbox LAN party, because they take forever. Chances are everyone will be bored with these games.

Give Out Party Food

Your guests are there for the fun, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp out on good food! Order pizza, or put out plates of nachos and dip. You can also have hamburgers and hot dog sandwiches. Serve soda and energy drinks, but make sure they’re in spill-proof containers. You don’t want to ruin your console, or worse, cause a fire by dripping soda all over the wiring.

Having some friendly and fun competition during a party isn’t bad. With these tips, you can throw an Xbox LAN party that everyone will surely enjoy!

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