Minho Campus Party

Minho Campus Party (also known as MCP) was Portugal's first and largest recurring LAN party. It took place in the Minho Province region.

History
LAN parties, which are local area network gaming events where participants bring their computers together to play multiplayer games, did indeed originate in Northern Europe. The concept gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, primarily in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. It provided a unique platform for young people to connect and engage in social gaming experiences.

LAN parties have since expanded globally, attracting young people from different parts of the world who share a common interest in computers and computing. These events have become a manifestation of the new opportunities and avenues for youth culture in the digital age. By fostering communities centered around gaming and technology, LAN parties have created spaces for like-minded individuals to connect, collaborate, and celebrate their shared passion.

MCP 2005 Cancelled
Despite its increasing popularity over the previous 4 editions, the 2005 event (expected to be held between 27 and 31 July), was cancelled due to a lack of sponsors.

Professor Altamiro Machado
The idea of introducing an event of this nature to Portugal, specifically in the Minho area, originated from Professor Altamiro Machado. Professor Machado, known for his pioneering work in computer science education during the 1970s, served as a professor and director of the Department of Information Systems (DSI - Departamento de Sistemas e Informação) at Minho University.

In his pursuit of realizing this concept, Professor Machado actively sought support and established contact with the team led by Charles Pinto, who was responsible for organizing a similar event in Spain. Thanks to Professor Machado's initiative, a group of approximately forty DSI students had the opportunity to participate in the Campus Party 2000 held in Valencia. Their participation aimed to gather experience and contribute to the future implementation of a similar event in Portugal.

Tragically, Professor Machado passed away at the end of March 2001. During the subsequent 2001 event, a dedicated session was organized to pay homage to the professor's invaluable contributions.

Network
Cisco Systems has been a steadfast supporter of the MCP (Minho Campus Party) since its inaugural edition and continued its partnership for the subsequent four years. Cisco Systems played a crucial role in building the network infrastructure and providing the necessary equipment, representing an investment of over two million dollars. Their support has been instrumental in ensuring the success of the event.

Following Cisco Systems' involvement, ProCurve Networking, a division of HP, took over the responsibility of supplying the network infrastructure and equipment for MCP. Additionally, Portugal Telecom has provided support in establishing the connection for the event, further contributing to its smooth operation.

MCP 2004

 * 3 (three) ATM, STM-1 (155 Mbit each), connected to the data centre of the Telepac (Portugal Telecom Group) in Porto.
 * 15,000 meters of optical-fiber
 * 30,000 of network cables

Areas

 * Computer games
 * Counter-Strike
 * FIFA Football 2004
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
 * Need for Speed: Underground
 * Quake III Arena
 * Rise of Nations
 * Unreal Tournament 2004
 * Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
 * Age of Mythology
 * Age of Empires II: The Conquerors
 * Multimedia
 * Linux and Security
 * Mobility and Telecommunications

When official competitions didn't exist, participants frequently organized competitions between themselves, of which many became officially recognized by the organization.

Articles and news

 * SIC Online, online videos (in Portuguese)
 * Ciberia, photos
 * Minho Campus Party, 2002 (format WMV) RTP2 - Magazine 2010
 * NTV, 2002 (format WMV)
 * RTP1 morning edition, 2002 (format WMV)
 * RTP2 night edition, 2002 (format WMV)

Press releases

 * Cisco Systems Portugal