MSU Gaming Group Looks Towards Future

Eric Chiu

Big things usually start small, and for MSU graduates Ehren Benson and Steve DeKarske, founders of MSU’s first student gaming group spartyLANparty, it was no different.

“Steve and I were talking about how much we would love to be able to play with a bunch of people in the same room.” said Benson and DeKarske. “We thought we could provide MSU students something we never had.”

Those modest beginnings made spartyLANparty’s most recent gaming event, held at the Biomedical and Physical Sciences building in early September, especially notable, as the group has grown from 10 to 97 members since becoming an official student organization in January 2007.

It also picked up corporate sponsorships from energy drink companies Bawls Guarana and Kronik, along with computer manufacturer Mythlogic and hardware manufacturer ATI, who will feature the group on their website. The event featured popular PC games F.E.A.R., Counter-Strike: Source, and Call of Duty 2, with around 50 students bringing their own computers into the Biomedical and Physical Sciences building.

Much of the group’s growth can be attributed to word of mouth; after DeKarske and Benson spread flyers around campus and set up a forum last spring, the group’s numbers flourished after early events at Starbucks and FRAG Center.

“Prior to this past event, every time we have held an event the participation has just about doubled.” said Benson.

Even with massive growth that spartyLANparty has undergone, Benson and DeKarske pride themselves on the group’s strong community, and members like sophomore Raymond Bartos agree.

“It was the most positive and fun gaming experience I've ever been
to. For example, [DeKarse was] saying "nice shot" to people. That kind of gameplay is rare to get out there on the internet nowadays.”