5 Things We Miss About LAN Shops

*cue nostalgic Maplestory music*

Images via Steam, DiscoverSG, Tech Talk, and Maple Secrets. Meme by Singaplex

Visiting LAN shops was a big part of my childhood and teenage years, as I love gaming but back then I had a really shitty computer with terrible internet connection. This led to DC-ing (disconnecting) during important quests or endless buffering when I tried to watch the latest episode of Naruto. So nothing beats treating myself to a few hours at a LAN shop where I hung out with my friends during the June holidays. As most of us have decent computers at home and probably much lesser time to game in our current era, here are 5 things we miss most about visiting LAN shops.

1. Bringing a jacket or extra shirt to change to after school to enter

Most LAN shops did not allow students in school uniforms to enter, with the occasional exceptions for regulars. I remember having to bring a jacket or an extra shirt to change after school to be able to visit a LAN shop and play our beloved games.

Images via Pinterest, NTUC and The Smart Local.

LAN shops also charged an hourly rate which was affordable, but as a schooling student sometimes we had to save up our lunch money to be able to play a few hours. Cup noodles after a long session were your best friends back then, I can almost smell my go to Super brand tom yum flavored noodles.

2. Thrill of meeting online friends there

Thinking back, meeting random strangers was not the safest practice but I have met some great online friends on games that I used to play like AuditionSEA. Furthermore, as with the stereotype that delinquents skip school and frequent these sort of places, there were also ah bengs playing DOTA or Counter-Strike, some who have not been home in a day or two. If my parents knew about this back then, they would have definitely flipped out.

The Bugis LAN shop used to be beside this arcade at the basement of Bugis Village/Junction. Image via The Straits Times.

My online friends would usually organize meet-ups at Bugis which is not only central but also had a huge LAN shop at the basement back then. After having McDonalds and chatting for a bit, we would head to the LAN shop and go back to interacting online with our characters. It was really amusing matching their real-life faces to their online characters and calling them by their real names instead of their IGN (in-game nicknames).

3. L4D was the GOAT

For some reason, whenever I visited LAN shops with my friends we always ended up playing Left 4 Dead (L4D). For the uninitiated, it is a first-person shooter zombie game where players have to survive hoards of zombies and even special types like the witch which would scream and maul you if you startled it. It was really one of my favorite things about visiting LAN shops, as we could all play together even if some of us did not purchase the game.

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4. Comparing the gaming experience to home

I remember I had a friend who always obsesses over how “soft” the keyboards are at LAN shops compared to the clunky ones we had at home. She believed it made her game better being able to pull off smoother movements. The hardware and comfy chairs certainly made a difference, and being envious of the hardware and better internet at LAN shops also made our times there even more precious and special.

The entire atmosphere and vibe of being at a LAN shop also added to the experience. The shops are usually dark except for the glowing LCD screens. Furious clicking and pressing of keys can be heard, with players trying to shout at one another over their huge headphone sets.

5. Panicking when the timer countdown appears

Here’s how the back end of the timer looks like apparently. Image via Astrum Soft.

Users are usually given their computer number and sometimes a log-in code, and once they log in the timer countdown starts. A few minutes before your time is up, a timer countdown will usually appear on the top of your screen, which caused much panic back then especially if you were in the middle of a quest or the peak of a game. This usually leads to trying to finish up quickly before your time runs out and the computer shuts off, warning your friends frantically you are going to DC in 3 minutes or finding a bit of time to run over to the counter and top up another hour.

I have had a lot of fond and special memories tied to visiting LAN shops. Whether it was celebrating the end of examinations or venting my anger after a bad day at school, it was a special treat to myself. It is also reminiscent of much simpler times compared to how we are stuck on our devices way more nowadays for work and entertainment. Revisiting a LAN shop now (they are pretty rare in Singapore nowadays compared to back then) might bring back some sense of nostalgia, but it is definitely not the same feeling as before.

JOLENE TEO | (Not) An Art Hoe

Jolene Teo is a contemporary and modern art enthusiast, writer, curator, and cultural researcher. She enjoys exploring the areas inbetween art, design, critical narratives, pop culture, and the cult of collecting. She is socially awkward but will talk to you about plants, art, anime, and life. Some part of her still wishes she can become an artist one day. Send her memes @joteo_