The Herald goes nerdy for rAge 2015
Herald journalist, Roxy de Villiers being a nerd like the rest of the online-dwellers joined in the fun.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/10/IMG_9407-Medium.jpg)
Sleep deprivation, red eyes, gaming claw and and aching body was what this year’s NAG LAN had to offer at the 2015 rAge Gaming Expo.
The rAge Gaming Expo and NAG LAN is a yearly event where gamers of all ages gather to, well, be nerds together. The gaming expo exhibits all genres of games from MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) to Home Coded (smaller independent South African-made games) platformers.
The NAG LAN which has been dubbed the ultimate gaming experience is Southern Africa’s largest BYOC LAN (Bring Your Own Computer/ Console Local Area Network) event. It boasts over 2000 gamers from all the country travelling to play their favourite games online.
![Roodepoort Record journalist, Mathilde Myburgh, tries her hand at the new Guitar Hero. Photo: Roxy de Villiers.](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/10/IMG_9572_12817-520x390.jpg)
The LAN is a 52 hour event where gamers battle to stay awake and try to compete against each other on the same network in respective games in their sleep-deprived state.
For those who metaphorically live online, it is the weekend where long-time online friends get to meet in person.
The LAN is held in the Ticketpro Dome at Northgate Mall with an extension to handle the overflow of gamers called Area 51. Gamers book in on the Friday morning and leave on the Sunday afternoon and have to survive with nothing but a pillow and their gaming platform of choice.
![Johan and Chantelle Myburgh taking a break from the rAge madness. Photo: Roxy de Villiers.](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/10/IMG_9472_41350-520x390.jpg)
The LAN is in its 13th year and tickets which are usually sold months in advance are sold out within minutes. The NAG LAN will also be expanding its territory to Cape Town in 2016 for the first time ever.
Herald journalist, Roxy de Villiers being a nerd like the rest of the online-dwellers joined in the fun and went to the 2015 NAG LAN. The weekend was filled with dragon-slaying, face-shooting and loot-grabbing.
In terms of the expo, it seems to have shrunk with the rapid expansion of the LAN although all the rAge favourites were there; Xbox, PlayStation 4, T-Shirt Terrorist, Cosmic Comics and Home Coded.
The annual Legionink cosplay competition went off with a bang and everyone’s favourite anime (Japanese cartoons), game and movie characters competed to get the best cosplay 2015 title at rAge.
![Mathilde Myburgh and Roxy de Villiers taking a moment to rest their weary bones on the first day of rAge/ the NAG LAN. Photo: Johan Myburgh.](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/10/IMG_9463_21445-520x390.jpg)
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