LAN Gaming Centers

Recently I encountered an issue with my current laptop where I was unable to run my Steam games. The CPU and GPU were running so slow the fps looked as if I were staring at a picture every few seconds. Needless to say no gaming was going on with that laptop. I really contemplated my options and settled on the fact that I didn't have the money to upgrade at this time. I did a quick Google search online to see if there was a local place to game. Turns out there are a few places close by.

The first place I checked out was Red Branch Gaming located in Columbia, MD. Immediately walking in, the owner greeted me, very cool and laid back guy. He set me up with an account. Apparently they are using SmartLaunch. This brand has one of the best ideas in the industry. Have a system that will monitor the time and content on your PCs and gaming systems. Also provided POS functionality to your sales. The look and feel of the place is similar to a very awesome computer lab. It has a dark interior. About 30 separate stations. I went during one of the slower times of the day so not many people was there. After picking a spot I logged into the account with the username and password, selected my game of choice ( They have a large selection of games by the way) and played. I spent about an hour or so playing with out interruption.

The music playing in the background was current as well as loud. Not to loud that you couldn't hear yourself or others but loud enough so you aren't focusing on the other people there. The owner was kind enough to give me a freebie gaming hour since it was my first time there. This spot was worth the time and the pricing wasn't bad either. 

This got me thinking, were there any other LAN centers still open that many people frequent? I think I was a bit delusional to think that they weren't still in existence based off the fact that many people have consoles readily available in there homes. Being as though I am a bit of an introvert the environment is awesome, some socializing and gaming 2 for 1 deal here. 

During the next couple of months I will be seeing what other LAN gaming centers have to offer and hopefully get an awesome experience out of it.