Computer Parties

What are Computer Parties and who visits them? What happens there?
These questions will be answered here. Consider being a computer freak. You are playing computer games with all your heart. But you are lonesome at home and no one communicates with you. So you make up your mind and plan to visit a computer party.

What awaits you there? A full weekend of fun with friends. Many of them brought their own computers. Some also brought an old classic, the Commodore C64. It was the first computer affordable for everyone, offering the best colour graphics and sound.

Ein übliches Party-Setup (c)Thunder.Bird
A typical Party-Setup (c)Thunder.Bird

So whats happening on a computer party? It is organized very well. There is an opening ceremony, to let the visitors feel welcome to the party.

At Friday evening some actual or classical Demos (audio-visual demonstrations) are shown, the last pieces of code are programmed and everybody attaches their computers and talking about the latest rumours. Over the night, the boozing begins and gaming competitions start. Sleeping is allowed but what for? If someone attends a computer party, he doesn’t think about getting sleep at all, but to have as much fun together with his friends.

Saturday night is usually the most important time. After hours wasted playing games and coding the last bits for the new game or demo, live-acts will be held. Well-known composers of the old games do live music on real instruments but with the old melodies of games. Even real-time events like Floppy disc throwing or dance-mat action with 8bit music is usual.

Eingang zum Di-Treff Bunker (c)Thunder.Bird
Entrance to Di-Treff Bunker (c)Thunder.Bird

At some locations the location itself is interesting to be shown. In Bochum it is the “Bunker”, an air raid shelter from World War II. The party location is at the attic of the four floors, but the basement offers a spooky athmosphere, especially with no lights and screaming ghosts! Saturday night is the big demo competition, where the newest productions for the computer is shown to the party people at a bigscreen and with a really good hifi-set.

On Sunday, breakfast is often offered for free or included in the entrance fee. After the competition prices have been given to the demo competitors and even the sleepiest party people are awake, the party slowly gets to its end. The computers will be packed and one after another leaves the party with a real good feeling, because it was a great party with lots of booze, bytes and beloved pixels and 8bit-sounds.
Never to be forgotten.