The mission for QuakeCon continues to be all these things and more.

With the help of id Software, 1996 marked the beginning of QuakeCon. The inaugural venue was the La Quinta Inn in Garland, TX (a short drive to id Software's headquarters in Mesquite, TX). This event was organized independently by members of the online gaming community. As news of the event spread, the anticipated attendance of 50 soon tripled. Over the next year as the Quake community grew, so did interest in QuakeCon. 1997 saw a larger conference room booked at the Holiday Inn in Plano, TX and attendance topped 650. Local television stations, Gamespot, PC Games, Blue's News, Shugashack, Stomped, and many other online gaming sites covered the event. With the support and assistance of id Software and Activision the event was a huge success.

In 1999 the online gaming community descended on Mesquite, TX. The Mesquite Convention Center and Hampton Inn & Suites played host to a BYOC LAN of over 500 computers with total attendance exceeding 1100 people. For QuakeCon 99 id Software became more than just a sponsor by joining gaming community organizers in planning for the event and coming to play with their fans! QuakeCon 99 raised the bar for years to come in terms of LAN setup and performance, providing a superior playing experience for novice and experienced players alike. With the help of our sponsors - id Software, Activision, AMD, Apple Computer, ATI Technologies, Logitech, Linksys, and Lucent Technologies - QuakeCon 99 was the best yet!

The 2000 edition of QuakeCon was held again at the Mesquite Convention Center and Hampton Inn & Suites. id Software's sponserhip allowed QuakeCon to double in size over 1999. More than 3000 attendees enjoyed the huge exhibit area featuring E3 quality displays from the likes of Activision, Apple, Sega, and many other. The BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) area, powered by LinkSys, also grew larger to a 1300 seat LAN party, the largest of its kind in North America. QuakCon expanded in conferences and seminars, and also featured several contests and giveaways for attendees.

QuakeCon 2001 was the best QuakeCon so far! This edition hosted The $50,000 NVIDIA® Championship Quake III Arena 512 person tournament, more conferences, and a WILD Party Saturday Night. More giveways and contests on the huge BYOC floor, including the now famous case-mod contest, judged by the members of HardOCP.com.

QuakeCon 2002 was, yet again, even bigger and more exciting than ever. There were two separate tournaments held. One for Quake III Arena and another for teams playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Both drew some of the best national and international contenders, and players walked away with a total of $100,000 in cash prizes. In addition, there were more non-gaming related entertainment including a rock band and comedy performances.

Could QuakeCon 2002 possibly be topped in size and excitement? Yes, it was! QuakeCon 2003 brought QuakeCon to a new location in the heart of downtown Dallas. Four headlining tournaments a gigantic BYOC were the focus of the event, attracting more eager gamers than ever before.

What does the future hold for the QuakeCon organization? Stay tuned to find out!

See pictures and read coverage of previous QuakeCon's in our Gallery section.