It was Friday night, and like any self-respecting college student, Michael Duarte had his mind on partying.
Instead of kegs and coeds, however, the 19-year-old San Jose, Calif., sophomore's plans revolved around a couple of midrange servers, a bounty of caffeine-loaded drinks and a half a mile or so of Category 5 cable.
Duarte was hosting a LAN party, a growing phenomenon among devoted PC game players who take over private garages or rented hotel ballrooms for no-sleep weekend marathons playing games such as "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" and "Warcraft III."
Although they're still largely grassroots affairs, LAN parties are attracting larger numbers of attendees and even large corporate sponsors, who've learned that success in the $6.35 billion gaming business often revolves around word-of-mouth recommendations from intense hobbyists and select Web sites.
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