QuakeCon 2011: Day FOUR (Kind Of)

The final day at QuakeCon really wasn't much of day. The slot was basically reserved for gamers to dissemble and extract their CPU's from the BYOC.

In the morning, we checked out from the hotel and arrived to the BYOC for our final farewell. Upon entering QuakeCon, we watched as countless dejected players dismantled and unplugged their precious rigs. The atmosphere was quite gloomy, yet the place was also a wiring mess! Wires from keyboards, mouses, monitors, routers, and more keyboards littered the entire BYOC floor.

After hooping through a sea of electronic gear (praying dearly not to get electrocuted) we finally arrived back to our PC.

I will admit the dissembling process was certainly melancholic, as it was sad to see the great weekend come to its inevitable close.

We gazed around and saw a few scattered players cramming in last minute sessions with their CPUs:

As well as others catching up on some much needed sleep:

Alas, soon everything was locked, stocked, and loaded for the trip back home.

Reflecting back on our weekend at QuakeCon 2011, there are quite a few things to take away. Firstly, it was endlessly fascinating to see like-minded individuals show the same amount, if not more, passion for a hobby that can sometimes be quite isolating. The BYOC wasn't filled with rude introverts, petrified of human contact. It was full of enthusiastic gamers, simply excited to share their beloved passion and technology with others.

It was a gathering of positiveness, not weirdness. Sometimes the media can dissuade our perception on these types of fans, believing them to be nerds without any sense of rationale, communication, or thought. Spending quality time at QuakeCon instantly erases such stereotypes, and casts a bright light of respect and admiration for the people that indulge in the art of gaming.

Couple this with an amazing array of game presentations, developer encounters, and E-Sports tournaments, and you have yourself a wondrous weekend.

I admit that gaming can be sometimes alienating and difficult to get into, but if given the time, there are marvelous treasures to be found within. I implore anyone untainted in gaming to give this hobby a slight chance; I suspect you'll be quite shocked with the results.

QuakeCon 2011: Day THREE

Our third day at QuakeCon was far quieter than the previous days, primarily because many of the major panels and events had already occurred. Regardless, there was still much fun to be had, all without having to get stressed out over mad scheduling. 
                                                         
Two quite interesting panels took place during the afternoon titled, Ultimate Origins: The Games That Influence Us and First-Person Perspectives. The panelists included key members from Repsawn, Arkhane, Insomniac, and Id Software, discussing various topics concerning the gaming industry. Many of the comments spoken by the panelists illuminated internal perspectives on how they perceive the media, competing games, as well as the potential future of the video industry. It was all surprisingly fun and insightful! Upon conclusion of the Ultimate Origins panel, I was given the opportunity to meet Marcus Smith, game director of RESISTANCE 3, and Matt Hooper from Id Software. They were both fantastic to speak with and when I asked Hooper if he could tell me anything new concerning Id's most evocative franchise, Wolfenstein, he replied with a very mouthwatering response.

"Actually, those two guys I was just speaking are working with us closely on a new Wolfenstein. We weren't happy with the way the last one turned out, and we definitely want to change that."

For me, the Wolfenstein setting is the most fascinating of Id's entire canon. Wolfenstein's world twists the bleak reality of Nazi Europe into a icy horror game, a combination so unorthodox to gaming, yet it works so well in creating a horrifically solitary atmosphere. Consider me excited!

He also discussed how influences are utilized at Id. Many people seem to think that influences on projects are intentional, but in reality, they're not. You don't set out on a project to jam all these great works into one beast. It actually works like this: by formulating an original concept, you're only mentally inspired by other works to create something equally compelling. Whether or not your project comes off as a cheap rip-off is another thing entirely, but the core essence of influences is not to be intentional, but to serve as unconscious inspiration to achieve greatness.

After First-Person Perspectives, we had a great little discussion with the game director of RAGE, Tim Willits. 

As tradition we asked him what his favorite movie was. He told a small anecdote concerning the time spent in Steven Spielberg's office. He said Spielberg has only one poster in his office and that is of THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Incidentally, it's Wilits favorite film of all time. I also asked if had played WITCHER 2 yet. He said while promoting RAGE in Europe, he saw the CD Projekt guys showcasing WITCHER 2 to the international press. And while he hasn't played it yet, he definitely wants to.
 

 
Wilits was tremendously down to earth, emphasizing the previous perceptions that these game developers are wholeheartedly interested in embracing their fanbase.

The QuakeCon evening was devoted to a packed out QuakeLive Tournament, featuring players from all over the world. The enthusiasm from the screaming audience was electrifying as the players continuously battled it out in the ballroom.
 

 
The skillful precision and reflexives of the tournament players was absolutely breathtaking. Head-shots, triple-kills were all customary in this showcase of brilliant E-Sports gaming. It was reminiscent of something out of the Olympics; that cutthroat and glorious!

We then as usual spent the rest of the night back at the BYOC doing what we knew best, GAMING! 
 

 
Here are a few humorous moments we encountered while in the BYOC:

Although I understand that recognizing the core adrenaline of gaming in the written form can be quite challenging for a reader, I once again must reiterate that it is something that must be personally experienced to fully grasp.