<!–#set var="article_header" value="Quakecon 2002:
Wrap Up – What A Great Event It Was!” –>
The article first appeared in Tom’s Hard News Email Newsletter
Quakecon 2002: Wrap Up – What A Great Event It Was!
As the lights go down on a little town in Texas, we are already on our way home. By the time you read this, Quakecon will be over. We wanted to wrap up the event and share with you some thoughts and additional information, as well as some pictures that we took at the event. By the time it was all said and done, we shot more than 300 pictures, and we wanted you to see what we consider really unique images; you won’t see them anywhere else on the Internet.
Quakecon 2002 was an event that was a lot of fun, and it also offered some surprises. From the matches to the party on Saturday night, we had an incredibly good time. I would even say that this is now one of my favorite events to cover. It is also one of the fastest growing events, in terms of both attendance and popularity.
From dusk til dawn, the people in the BYOC area play and play. This was their first year at Quakecon, and they filled every spot in the BYOC area, and then some. In fact, they had to put signs on the door advising that they had no more room for any additional systems. Quakecon was so successful that they had to turn people away. We were told that they could have filled another 1,000 spaces in the BYOC if there was more room.
It would not be right if we didn’t give credit to all the volunteer staff at Quakecon. It is hard to believe how hard these folks work to put on this event. With an event like this that runs 24 hours a day for four days, it requires the resources of almost 1,000 people to get it done. Volunteers do everything from bag and equipment checks, LAN administration, attendee registration, and, of course, provide security. These people give 150% effort from the time that they arrive in Texas for Quakecon right up until the time they leave. It is not an easy job, but, as many of the volunteers told me, it is their pleasure to help with this event, and they enjoy being able to be part of the team that makes this event a success.
THG says a big “thanks” to Evil John and Tapper for putting up with our numerous requests over the four days of Quakecon. No matter what we needed, whether it was access to someone, or a network connection outside the firewall to FTP our finished story to our servers at 4 A.M., these two guys stepped up and made it happen. They also made sure that THG felt at home at Quakecon, taking good care of us the whole time. Getting the stories sent to THG for posting can be very challenging when covering stories on the road, and they helped make it a little easier.
Linksys At Quakecon 2002
The Linksys display table at Quakecon 2002.
Besides being the networking sponsor at Quakecon, Linksys provided all of the switches at Quakecon. Linksys had a table set up showing all of their latest product offerings, and also had a variety of products in nearly every networking category. This gave the attendees a chance to get a first-hand look at the Linksys product line in its entirety.
Linksys did not have many new products to talk about, but instead focused on the great promotion that they are running. The Linksys ‘Back-To-School Summer Savings’ promotion allows consumers to earn rebates when they purchase Linksys products. These rebates range from $5 to $15, depending on which products are purchased. The current rebate is limited to two products with a total of $25, and considering Linksys’s low prices, this is a great deal. Using this promotion, you can build a wired network with a router to share your cable modem or DSL for under $100. The offer runs from now till October 7, 2002. You can click on the following link to get more information on this promotion (http://www.linksys.com/promo/bts02/).
Some of the many products that are eligible for the Linksys Back-To-School Summer Savings promotion.
Linksys At Quakecon 2002, Continued
Linksys continues to focus on wireless products, which continue to be a cornerstone in the Linksys marketing strategy. Linksys offers both 802.11b and the newer 802.11a solutions. Linksys has also introduced the new 802.11b/802.11a combination access point, the WAP51AB.
Here are two wireless solutions from Linksys – just two examples of the many wireless solutions that Linksys offers.
Linksys is also expanding its device variety in the ever-expanding router/ firewall market. Linksys continues to add new features and performance to their already well-known cable/ DSL product line. Linksys told us that they are still growing significantly in this area, and that they expect this to continue as prices tumble.
These are two of the many Cable/ DSL NAT/ Router/ Firewall boxes that are available from Linksys. As prices continue to spiral downward, you can expect these devices to remain popular.
Aspyr Media Shows That MAC Users Can Play Too!
Aspyr Media was founded in the Silicon Hills of Austin, Texas by a group of creative thinkers with the dream of porting the most popular PC games over to the MAC platform. The MAC platform has always been in serious need of games, we were told. Aspyr has worked with id Software on the conversion of many products to the MAC platform. While some may not consider the MAC to be a serious gaming platform, this notion is almost single-handedly being challenged by Aspyr.
Aspyr, with help from Apple Computer, had an all MAC display. It was strange to see Apple Servers serving up the latest games, and all of the players playing on MACs, rather than PCs. One thing is certain: I do like the flat panel Apple Cinema display.
Aspyr, with Apple Computer’s assistance, was showing off all of the latest id titles and id engine-based titles for the MAC platform. They had a great quantity of MACs with the cinema display playing RTCW, as well as other games. We took the opportunity to play RTCW on the MAC, and it didn’t play badly at all. It looks like the MAC will continue to offer some great products by way of conversions from Aspyr.
An Interview With Marty Stratton Of id Software
Marty Stratton of id Software was the “energizer bunny” at Quakecon. Marty and Evil John run this event. Marty was in attendance all three days, and spent the majority of the time running from place to place, making sure that all was going smoothly. Whether Marty was pressed into service by id CEO, Todd Hollenshead, to shave Quake logos into attendees’ heads, or to make sure that people were standing in the right places for pictures, Marty did whatever needed to be done to make Quakecon a success. As you can imagine, he was a very busy guy during Quakecon, but he still made the time to answer a few questions for us that we thought you might find of interest.
THG – What is your title and what job do you perform at id Software?
MS – I came from Activision, and have been with id Software for 2-1/2 years. My title is Director Of Business Development. Quakecon falls within the scope of my responsibilities. I work with John and his team of volunteers to put on this event. I also handle working with some of the sponsorships, and just about any other logistics that you can imagine.
THG – What is the true purpose of Quakecon and what do the sponsors get out of Quakecon?
MS – Quakecon is a grassroots effort event that engages the low-level promotion to hardcore fans of our products. Id is very supportive of Quakecon because it is a way to give back and say thank you to our fans. The id staff really likes the opportunity to open the lines of communication between the hardcore fans and the company. As you have seen, all of the members of id Software were here throughout the weekend, and were very accessible to our fans. Sponsors of Quakecon have a unique chance to reach the fans that are not typically easy to reach through other forms of traditional media. We have a good time at this event and every year we learn from the last event and try to make it bigger and better. If you are a fan of LAN gaming and you have never been to Quakecon, you are missing out on what I consider the “Masters” LAN gaming event.
THG – What are the keys to Quakecon?
MS – The keys to Quakecon are to provide fun, a party atmosphere, and a LAN gaming experience that will allow all the attendees to have a unique and fun experience. The logistics and volunteerism are important factors in making this possible.
THG – Considering the attendance at this year’s Quakecon, you are bursting at the seams. Although it may be a little premature, have you given any thought to next year’s event?
MS – Id is considering options for next year’s Quakecon. Sure, we would like to grow, but we would still like to be a part of the Mesquite, Texas community. This year was the first year that attendance exceeded even our own expectations. Every spot in our BYOC area was filled and then some. We don’t like to turn people away; in fact, if we would have had more BYOC spots, I’m sure attendance would have been even larger. You are correct in the fact that we have pushed this site to the maximum that it can hold. We will take everything into consideration when we decide what we are going to do for Quakecon 2003.
THG – Tell us about the id staff. How many of you are there, and what are their feelings about this event?
MS – Id Software has a staff of about 20, and each and every one of them is extremely excited about the response to Quakecon. Even before the event starts, every one of them wants to be present at Quakecon to communicate with the fans and to just hang out in this party atmosphere. You have seen guys like Todd, Fred, and Tim, who have been here morning, noon and night just hanging out, having a good time and looking at what has been done with their products. Id Software takes pride in the fact that they can put on an event like this and so many people want to come. It’s saying a lot for a company of only 20 people. Further, it is amazing that our games touch the lives of this many people.
THG – So, will there be a Quakecon 2003?
MS – Yes, all indications seem to be that we will have a Quakecon 2003, but right now it is a flowing process and it isn’t really planned yet. We will be taking a few weeks after this year’s event to decide what we are doing next year. We’ll make an announcement soon.
THG – I heard today that there will, in fact, be a Quake 4.
MS – Yes, that is correct, there will be a fourth installment of Quake. It will, however, be developed by our friends at Raven, and Tim Willits will executive produce and manage the project. That is all I can really say about it at this time.
THG – Tell us about the engine licensing for Doom III.
MS – We will continue to work with talented teams to produce content using the new Doom III engine. In fact, some developers already have access to the Doom III engine. No products using the Doom III engine will ship before our own Doom III. Our new tools certainly make it easier for content developers to develop new products powered by our technology, but I believe Doom III raises the bar for content creation, so those folks will have a tougher job.
THG – Thanks for spending some time talking to us and putting on such a great event. It certainly is one of a kind.
MS – Thanks for coming to Quakecon 2002, and we hope you enjoy your stay in Mesquite, Texas.
AMAS, the first Machinima Film Festival, and NVIDIA was there, sort of…
The 2002 Machinima Film Festival, which was sponsored by guess who? Yep, NVIDIA was there as the title sponsor of the event.
On Saturday, August 17, 2002, at the Trail Dust Restaurant (across a road and at a considerable distance from QuakeCon), the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences (AMAS) hosted the First Machinima Film Festival. AMAS teamed up with NVIDIA for this one-day event that included screenings of Machinima films, workshops hosted by the Machinima makers, and special screenings and talks with award-winning independent film makers. The event culminated in an award ceremony and dinner where some of the best Machinima filmmakers were recognized for their creative artistry in this powerful new entertainment medium.
The AMAS event didn’t appear to be very well attended while we were there. This was a shame, because there were a lot of good things to see and not enough people to see and appreciate them.
While ATI was the title sponsor of this year’s Quakecon, the NVIDIA green machine was nowhere in sight, other than its relatively small presence at the AMAS event. It perplexes me how ATI and NVIDIA can get along well at other trade show events, but at an event such as Quakecon, they choose to remain separated. NVIDIA’s lone presence at Quakecon via the AMAS event was not a very significant presence. It would be unusual for these two rivals to be present in the same room at an event such as Quakecon, but for the benefit of the gaming community, it would be better if these two titans could put their differences on the shelf.
While I found the AMAS event interesting, it was not very well attended, and perhaps Quakecon itself overshadowed it. It is hoped that the Machinima Film Festival in the future will be a more definitive event, where Machinima filmmakers have a platform from which to show off their creations and craft. This Festival event represents a valliant effort at legitimizing 3D graphics as the true art form that they are. The turnout at the AMAS Film Festival was perhaps good for an event just establishing itself; these incredible Machinima film creations weren’t even viewed by the majority of the large Quakecon audience. If the Film Festival had been held in an area that was easily accessible to Quakecon attendees, instead of beyond a large field and across the road from Quakecon, there likely would have been better attendance and it may have been a better promotional opportunity for AMAS.
And The Winners Are…
Todd from and id and Rex from ATI stand with the Q3 and RTCW first, second, and third place winners.
All of the players in the Quake III one-on-one and the RTCW tournament played well. There were many surprises, and many great moves. We saw one move that was great: during an RTCW match, the teamwork allowed one of its team members to work his way to the objective and touch it – then, all of them killed themselves and respawned at the same point. What a move! Those kind of sophisticated moves only come from hours of practice and play time.
First, everyone had to pose for the picture above. Then the awards came out and they let the press get a quick shot of the loot before they started handing it out. We really liked those impressive engraved shells that were given to the RTCW winners. How cool that would be to have one of those sitting in your computer room as a trophy!
First, we have the RTCW winners: the Doctors, who hail from Canada. Naturally, this made ATI, a Canadian company, happy to see their countrymen do so well.
The Quakecon 2002 RCTW champions, The Doctors, pose for a picture in front of the ATI booth, which only seemed right, since they are both from Canada.
The RTCW matches were tough, with some of the best teams getting pushed out of the tournament early. Each and every match was exciting to watch. Novice RTCW players like me learned a lot by watching these guys go at it. It takes a lot of skill to win and to progress through the brackets. Our congratulations to The Doctors, who played well in a very tough tournament.
Todd and Rex award the loot for winning the Quakecon 2002 RTCW tournament.
And The Winners Are, Continued
The Quake III championship had other surprises, including the presence of Lexer from Russia. From what we were told, it was uncertain whether he would make the trip to the U.S. to play. Many highly favored competitors stood in Lexer’s path on his journey to win $20,000.
Here is Lexer with Rex from ATI, posing for a picture in the ATI booth. As you can tell, Lexer is more than a little excited about winning that 20K. I am sure that this will be a trip to Texas that Lexer will never forget.
Lexer played very well, almost like a man on a mission. He did encounter some tough players, and he mowed them down almost as if they were not there. We wanted to talk with Lexer about his rise to victory at Quakecon 2002, but unfortunately, he does not speak very much English. He did tell us that he was thrilled to be able to come to the U.S. for Quakecon, and he wanted us to thank id Software and ATI for giving him the chance to play for such a valuable prize.
Lexer accepts his reward from Todd of id and Rex of ATI. In this picture, Lexer really looks like he is in a state of disbelief, and who would not be, after winning $20K?
Many of you have written to ask who won the ATI Ultimate Custom Painted Computer System. ATI drew the winning name out in the BYOC area at about 10:30 P.M. Texas time before the Saturday night party got into full swing. For some reason, the person who won the system was not there to claim it, so we have no pictures of the winner picking it up. ATI is shipping the system back to their headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and they are going to contact the winner and arrange for delivery. It makes you wonder why they didn’t require the winner to be present to win, but with all of the legal requirements that exist, perhaps this was the better route.
Martin, from ATI, waits for Lisa, also from ATI, to draw the winning name for the ATI Ultimate Custom Computer System that was custom painted by Steve Horch of Crazypaint.
Conclusion: We can’t wait for Quakecon 2003…
We can’t wait for Quakecon 2003! Quakecon 2002 was THE premier gaming event that I have attended, and it will be the yardstick by which all other gaming events will be measured by me.
Yes, it is crowded, and we didn’t enjoy the kind of access that we get at smaller events, but this was certainly the best of the best. That says a lot. Id Software and the other sponsors are running Quakecon the right way: they don’t charge admission, they don’t ask for anything other than the players to show up, behave, and play their best. The prices are kept low to make this event as affordable as possible. This is refreshingly different from other events that are sponsored by other companies (or people) that see such events as nothing more than a moneymaking endeavor.
Sponsorship and financial support of these gaming events is critical for them to continue. While sponsorship might seem like a lot of out-of-pocket expense up front, the reality is that sponsors gain unbelievable product recognition and good press from exposure at an event like Quakecon, perhaps more so than at many of the other events that companies routinely sponsor. The attendees at QuakeCon are the toughest market to reach, and the recommendations and free “press” that these attendees will provide to other gamers and computer users will sell a participating sponsor’s product many times over.
Computer gaming has a lot of room to grow. But, in order for it to grow, companies need to support it. The next step in the future might be sponsored “clans,” similar to the way auto-racing teams are sponsored. What is unique about QuakeCon and gaming for sponsors is the amount of targeted exposure that companies receive at an event such as this. Many companies don’t comprehend this, but the ATI folks certainly “get it” after sponsoring QuakeCon 2002, and I am certain they now believe that the power of “grassroots” is a very effective and meaningful way to change minds.
A huge thank you to all of the gamers, volunteers, sponsors, and to id Software for making this event such a big success. It is a refreshing change to see a company that really cares about the fans of its products. As long as id Software and other sponsors continue to create interesting and exciting games, I am sure that Quakecon will continue to grow, and will remain an event that gamers and product fans will attend for many years to come.
