Rows of computers, game consoles and eager players filled the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom Saturday as Gator Gaming hosted GatorLAN.
The event, which was held from 4 p.m. to midnight, was a computer and console gaming tournament open to the public.
Registration for the free event was capped at 280 players, but those who didn't register were welcome to come and play in the tournament.
Randy Bush, a mechanical engineering junior at UF, said the purpose of the event was to promote Gator Gaming and unify UF and Gainesville gaming communities. He brought together companies like Electronic Arts and Best Buy to sponsor and host the tournaments at GatorLAN.
"It's basically when a bunch of geeks get together and play computer games," Bush said.
Eric Pena, a freshman history major, came out to the event and decided he wanted to join the club. Pena said he has been playing video games since he got his first Nintendo 64 when he was 6 years old.
"I've been gaming like this in lieu of having a social life," he said.
Some of the games participants competed in included "Halo 3," "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and "Madden ‘11," among others. For PC players, titles included "Starcraft II," "League of Legends" and "Counter-Strike: Source."
Gator Gaming President Kyle Kirwan said the idea for the club sprouted before he was a student at UF.
Kirwan, an industrial and systems engineering junior, said he and his friends wanted to create an organization that would bring together individuals who are interested in playing or competing in video game tournaments.
