Aug. 13 to Aug. 16 of this year marked 40 years since the Woodstock music festival. Woodstock defined a generation whose music and philosophy perpetually continue to create new fans. QuakeCon and Woodstock are part of a parallel universe. The fanaticism behind both events is something that can only be generated by die-hard fans. An outsider may think that the driving force is pure commercialism. On the contrary, the core of both events is the human desire for friendship, entertainment, exchange of knowledge and fun.

QuakeCon 2009 was the largest to date. Global recession could not prevent about 7,000 videogame enthusiasts to gather in the tourist town of Grapevine, Texas, (northwest of Dallas) at The Gaylord Texan Hotel. This enormous hotel is an ideal spot for hosting large events. Its “Texas size” convention center hosted both the BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) and the sponsor/vendor exhibit areas, both of which are massive. The BYOC local area network was 2,000 computers strong and allowed for 24-hour uninterrupted gaming for the duration of QuakeCon.

In the ocean of people attending this year’s QuakeCon, one could easily spot the leaders from id Software. These guys are the creators of Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake series, as well as the 3-D rendering technologies (aka 3-D engines) behind the above-mentioned videogames.

John Carmack, one of the founders of id Software and the key architect behind its game code, kicked off the event with his traditional keynote address. In his speech, Carmack gave his analysis of the current state of videogames. He also touched upon his future visions pertaining to the direction the industry will be taking in years to come. This was also an opportunity to explain the recent sale of id Software to ZeniMax Media Inc., a leading videogame publisher that owns Bethesda Softworks (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3).

Carmack said that id Software had many opportunities to be purchased during its almost 20-year existence, but one of the key reasons behind the sale was the rampant development cost behind id Tech 5 (the latest 3-D engine) and Rage (id’s forthcoming game). Historically, id Software licenses each version of its 3-D technology, which ensures its commercial success and longevity. ZeniMax Media plans to give id Software pure autonomy, and according to Carmack, operations at id Software will not change.

Rage

This year’s QuakeCon was chosen for the premiere of the latest video trailer for id’s upcoming AAA title: Rage. During the demo, the audience was blown away by the sheer gameplay and technology potential of id Tech 5. This photo-realistic game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world (very similar to Fallout), and for id Software, it represents a new direction in both the story and design.

Rage will have a strong role-playing component and should be available around the middle of next year. With the new owner on the horizon, it is difficult to predict if id Software will be able to retain its traditional game development mantra: “It will be released when it’s done.” There is also the bizarre coincidence that Rage‘s three-year development cycles parallels the release of Fallout 3. However, Rage will differ in many ways mainly along the lines of introducing drivable vehicles and sporting a strong multiplayer functionality.

Mobile gaming

Apart from talking about Rage, Carmack spent significant attention on the iPhone game development platform and promised that the majority of older id Software games will be available through Apple’s AppStore in the near future. As far as Quake Live goes (free Quake 3 death matches via a Web browser), Carmack has promised that even though the project is not making money at the moment, it will continue to be available.

It is possible that a premium paying membership may be introduced in the near future to offset the costs of running the project. The premium membership will offer players additional maps and detailed statistics. In the spirit of open source software, Carmack plans on releasing id Tech 4 code (Doom 3, Quake 4) once Rage is released (but this promise is pending the final approval of the company’s new owner). This will allow all interested game programmers to be able to freely examine id’s Tech 4 engine code and play with it to create mods or entire games.

QuakeCon

QuakeCon is in part made possible thanks to generous financial donations from many computer hardware and software industry leaders — Intel, nVidia, AMD, ATI, Dell, Alienware, Ventrilo, Patriot Memory, etc. The sponsors and vendors organized a number of competitions during QuakeCon for visitors to win both schwag and money. From overclocking tournaments using liquid nitrogen to Quake Live deathmatches, participants had ample opportunities to win fantastic prizes (first place prize in Quake Live was $14,000). The top prize was a 540 horsepower beast: 2010 Ford Mustang GT 500 - Shelby. This custom tweaked car (valued at $55,000) was donated by Ventrilo, a company that specializes in making game communication software. The car giveaway was based on 200 lottery tickets, which were given to various contest winners as well as by random selection. The winner of the car was a QuakeCon volunteer. This was his seventh year in contributing his free time in the event’s setup and logistics.

Games

There were also a few very interesting new games shown at QuakeCon. Global Agenda, a massive multiplayer online game that takes place in the 22nd century, was one of those games. It offers a specialized MMO experience with a strong resemblance to a team-based, goal-oriented first-person shooter. Every promotion in Global Agenda offers plenty of options in weapons and available tactics of waging war. For example, someone who is specialized as a sniper will be able to improve his sniper rifle and unlock special abilities, such as camouflage, which results in the development of specialized tactics in team clashes. The game will be based on a monthly subscription and will be available at the end of this year.

Bethesda Softworks featured two upcoming titles: Brink and Dry. Brink, which is being developed by Splash Damage (Enemy Territory: Quake Wars) is an FPS that takes place in the future world of Ark. Brink will offer both a single-player campaign and a strong multiplayer element based on team deathmatches. The emphasis in multiplayer is placed on close teammate cooperation in completing various map objectives.

The other featured title from Bethesda is a single-player game. Dry features Rubi, a female warrior bent on crossing her path with the Mafia. The game is very reminiscent of the film Kill Bill and even goes as far as throwing in a katana as one of the available weapons.

The new installment of Wolfenstein was on demo across the exhibit area. The new adventures of BJ Blaskowitz are guaranteed to attract a small army of fans who are anxiously awaiting the game that features amazing graphics and above all, addicting gameplay.

New gadgets

This year’s QuakeCon gaming hardware featured a very unique product. It is called a Game Skull GS-1 Tactical Helmet, which is basically a plastic helmet with a premium headset/microphone combo integrated in it. The manufacturer claims that the use of 50 millimeter headphone drivers results in superior sound. The microphone is located on the left side only. The helmets are made to accommodate all head sizes with adjustable straps. Game Skulls retail for $89.95 per unit.

Microsoft’s marketing team also was visible at QuakeCon while distributing pamphlets about the upcoming new iTouch competitor: Zune HD. The new Zune will be able to render video in 720p (16:9 ratio) and will have video out capability so that Zune HD can be connected directly to an HDTV. Zune HD will also feature the ability to surf the Web via its built-in browser (WiFi). It will also allow for MP3 playback and even offer FM radio. According to Microsoft, the new Zune will feature a much longer battery life when compared to Apple iPhone and iTouch. nVIDIA’s video chip will be used in powering the display capabilities of Zune HD.

QuakeCon 2009 lasted three days, and according to all final reports, it was bigger in both scope and attendance than last year’s event. QuakeCon is free for all visitors and is held every year in early or mid-August near Dallas. For more information, visit www.quakecon.org.