It is with sincere sadness that the staff notes the passing of Craig Stephens, better known to Quakecon fans as [T2K]Elvis. Craig was a right guy, and a fixture in the Dallas gaming scene. Elvis was only 48. Speaking on behalf of the entire Quakecon staff and extended family, our prayers and hearts go out to his children, [T2K]Joka, and {KYA}Suga. We're glad that all three were able to attend Quakecon this year, and saddened that we shall not see our friend again.

Rest in Peace Craig.

Staff photographer foto has at last posted the Official Gallery of QuakeCon 2003 Pictures. She has done a monumental job, offering up over 1500 shots in total. Almost every aspect of QuakeCon has been captured for posterity. So enjoy!

We have also continued adding more links to pictures and other media coverage to the Gallery page. If you know of anything we're missing, let me know!

Links to pictures and articles covering QuakeCon 2003 have been pouring in. People are eager to share all the fun they had with the rest of the world. The first batch can now be found on our Gallery page. QuakeCon staff photographer, foto, will have her official gallery online soon, as well. In the meantime, wish her a happy birthday! She turned 21 at QuakeCon, but we were all too busy to celebrate properly.

Be sure to tune in to TechTV on Thursday, August 28th and watch X-Play. This gamer-oriented TV show sent their lovely hostess Morgan Webb to experience the madness of QuakeCon first hand. We'll see what she had to say next week. The show is repeated several times, so check you local cable listings!

Speaking of coverage. For those of you who can't get enough tourney action, check out this ZoneStats page for all the 1v1 stats you crave. Match demos can be found on the ever-reliable Challenge-TV page. More demos will be added as they become available.

I expect more pictures and coverage to come rolling in over the upcoming weeks and months... so keep checking back!

Sadly, another QuakeCon has come to an end.

I speak for the entire staff when I say that this has truly been a monumental show. Year after year, America's largest gaming event gets bigger and more exciting.

We would like to take a moment to thank our sponsors, our volunteers, and of course id Software. Without any of which, QuakeCon simply would not be possible. This show takes months of planning and literally thousands of man-hours of work to bring to life. Not to mention significant amounts of cash. It is a testament to the strength of our little gaming community that something like this can happen every year. Thanks to all those who donated their time, talent, and money to bring QuakeCon to their fellow gamers.

In the upcoming days and weeks, we will have many pictures to share of all the fun we've had. Indeed, if you attended QuakeCon and have pictures, movies, articles, etc. you would like to share with the rest of the community, send me a link.

And as always, the fun will continue in our Forums throughout the year.

It is now Friday and QuakeCon continues with its usual brand of mayhem. People have been fragged, free stuff has been given away, and Bawls has been consumed in large quantities. Some minor technical issues have prevented more frequent updates to the website... but rest assured, we will have plenty of pics and details to post eventually.

In the mean time, be sure to tune-in to X-Cast to listen to live broadcasts from QuakeCon featuring match coverage, music, and more!

Last night we opened our doors for Early Registration, and let in the first eager participants to the BYOC. We already have well over a thousand computers set up and the throngs keep coming. Despite a few hiccups, QuakeCon is shaping up nicely.

Something that a lot of people have been sking about is the specifications of the machines which will be used in the tournaments. Well, my buddy Jeff from AMD just handed me that information which I am happy to share with you now:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 (engineering sample)
Motherboard: NVIDIA TOP SECRET nForce Motherboard Technology
Video: NVIDIA GeForce FX5900 Ultra GPU-based Leadtek Winfast A350 Ultra
RAM: 512MB DDR 3200
Hard Drive: Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM

The setup process for QuakeCon 2003 is moving right along. This is due largely to the efforts of our industrious volunteer staff. Foto, our staff photographer (and birthday girl), has snapped a plethora of pics documenting the work. Here are a few for your enjoyment:

Crimpers Crimping


Patchers Patching


Admins Admin'ing


The New BYOC... "before"


The Obligatory BFG Picture

As I sit here in the new BYOC area, I am truly overwhelmed. Not only is the space much larger than last year... but it is much classier. Pictures will go up later today of the whole setup process and the new environs.

A new sponsor this year is You Play Games. They plan to host a number of tournaments and other activities for attendees to enjoy. But perhaps most exciting, they sent along word of an RTCW tournament they will be hosting with the grand prize of a trip to the Caribbean. Here's some info from the You Play Games @ QuakeCon page:

YouPlayGames (www.youplaygames.com), the industry's first multi-player online gaming service to combine skill-based gameplay for money with a massively popular, licensed title, will be attending QuakeCon 2003, scheduled for August 14 to 17 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas. During the conference, attendees can compete in a series of YouPlayGames' hosted tournaments for a chance to win money and prizes.

[snip]

Grand Prize Tournament – On Saturday, August 16, YouPlayGames will host a series of tournaments, ending with its "Championship Round," where the player with the highest balance in their YouPlayGames' account wins a trip to the company's headquarters in tropical Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.

Once again, the QuakeCon team and a slew of talented volunteers are down in Texas, hard at work setting up the big event. The new location is really spectacular and should be more than adequate to handle all the madness that will ensue.

Also tonight, NVIDIA sent along some information about a fun contest they will be holding at QuakeCon. Here's a snip:

NVIDIA Corporation (http://www.nvidia.com), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, has released details of its NVIDIA Speedⁿ Overclocking and Mod contest being held at this year's QuakeCon, the world's premiere multiplayer gaming event and the only event of its kind actually sponsored by the game developer (id Software).

If you think you've got what it takes to win the overclocking or mod crown, now is your chance to prove it. Prizes will be awarded for best overall performance, most overclocked system, best case mod--performance, and best case mod--aesthetics.

Our sponsor AMD, purveyor of fine processors and chipsets worldwide, has announced two fun contests which they will be hosting at QuakeCon.

Best Case Mod Contest - Is your computer more lit up than a Christmas tree? Is it water-cooled? Is it made from an old water cooler? Then come show it off at the AMD booth! The contest will tun Thursday and Friday with judging scheduled at 2pm on Friday. Contest forms available at AMD's booth.

How Crazy Can You be for AMD? - No, I'm not exactly sure what that means either. But you can stop by the AMD booth to find out and grab a contest form. The contest is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Judging begins at 10:00am on Sunday in AMD booth.

Fun stuff. Thanks AMD!

Well, most of the QuakeCon staff is down in Dallas already. And I, myself, am leaving tomorrow morning. Hopefully there will be a few updates documenting our setup process over the next couple days. However until I'm actually down there on a working Internet connection, things are still up in the air. But regardless, QuakeCon is only three days away! Time to get psyched!!!

With four days to go before the GTV broadcasts begin, the online GTV network is completed and ready for your viewing pleasure. Today, QuakeCon is proud to bring you another first by releasing "maps" of the completed GTV network. To make our coverage as smooth as possible for everyone, these maps allow you to choose the closest server to you, and as FonFon, the author of GTV says "look pretty darn nifty".

Quake 3 1vs1
Quake 3 CTF
Wolfenstein

Also, the CTF and RTCW tournament brackets were updated to reflect the latest changes.

Look for more information to follow here and on the CTF and the RTCW tournament pages in the next couple days as we strive to bring you the best event coverage possible!

The next update will be live from Dallas where we will be giving you updates on all QuakeCon happenings!!

Late Update: The QuakeCon 2003 Registration is now closed. Those of you that didn't sign up will have to do so at QuakeCon. The Attendees list is still accessible as a reference.

As noted recently by our French-Canadian demigod Thrax, we have adjusted our BYOC and Tournament waiting lists to prune out duplicate or erroneous entries. It would behoove you to check out our Attendees page to see if you've been given a spot.

But if you are still on the list, then the following information is important to you. We will begin allowing people who are on the wait list to enter the BYOC starting at 2:00pm on Thursday, August 14th. So even if you are not guaranteed a spot, there is hope!

For those of you that HAVE a BYOC spot, that means your spot is guaranteed until 2:00pm that day. If you show up AFTER that, we cannot guarantee you a spot anymore. Show up early!
More info is available on the forums.

Activision will showcase Call of Duty, a WWII first-person action game, at QuakeCon, while also providing financial support to the Event. I'll let the press release speak for itself:

ACTIVISION CONFIRMED AS A FEATURED SPONSOR OF ID SOFTWARE'S QUAKECON 2003 Santa Monica, CA - Aug. 7, 2003 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) will once again be a featured sponsor of id Software's QuakeCon 2003, the world's most legendary multiplayer gaming event and ultimate fan-based game tournament, party and convention, taking place Aug. 14 - 17 in Dallas, TX. In addition to co-hosting with id Software the first-ever opportunity to play DOOM 3™ multiplayer deathmatch, Activision will also provide financial support for the annual LAN-fest in celebration of all things QUAKE™. Continuing its annual tradition of offering fans a summer-time sneak peak at some of its upcoming titles, Activision will showcase one of the hottest games set for release this holiday season - Infinity Ward's intense WWII first-person action game Call of Duty™. Call of Duty allows players to experience the cinematic intensity and chaos of battle as never before, through the eyes of ordinary soldiers fighting together in squads, across 24 devastating missions of gritty combat and epic moments of World War II. The title employs an extensively enhanced version of id Software's Quake III/Return to Castle Wolfenstein game engine, featuring scores of soldiers and incredible special effects. "QuakeCon is simply the ultimate fan-based gaming event in the world, offering a rare chance to interact directly with the true innovators of our community," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios. "Activision is thrilled to support QuakeCon 2003 and continue our close collaboration with id Software." "We can't wait for this year's QuakeCon. Where else can our fans take on each other in some great competition, play DOOM 3 multiplayer and check out cool new games like Call of Duty," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "This is a unique opportunity for all of us at id and Activision to show the games we're working on in a special setting usually reserved for industry-only shows."

Also, for those of you interested in volunteering, you may signup on the volunteer page until Saturday, August 9th. By signing up now, you will be able to choose what you want to help us with. After that, feel free to ask a member of the QuakeCon staff at the event. Your help is really appreciated! You help us make QuakeCon the world's premier multiplayer gaming event!

Lastly! For those of you that were on the registration waiting list for a BYOC or a Tournament spot, be sure to look at the Attendee's list. You might be surprised to see you now got the BYOC or the tournament spot you wanted!

Once again this year, QuakeCon is proud to announce that VIA Technologies will be showcasing its line-up of high-performance chipsets and the very popular Mini-ITX platform. Here's the Press Release for all the crunchy details:

VIA Joins Gaming Elite at QuakeCon 2003 Demonstrating continued support for the gaming community, VIA is again a key sponsor of the QuakeCon LAN gaming convention, and will display an impressive line-up of the latest generation of high performance hardware Mesquite, Texas and Taipei, Taiwan, ** August 2003, - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced Key Sponsorship of QuakeCon 2003, the USA's largest fan-based LAN gaming event, being held in Dallas, Texas, during August 14-17, 2003. Showcasing its technology leadership in core logic design, VIA will demonstrate the very latest high performance chipsets for the Intel® Pentium® 4, and the AMD Athlon™ and Opteron™ processor platforms. Combining leading-edge performance based on VIA FastStream64 memory technology with a commanding feature set that includes native Serial ATA, V-RAID and Vinyl Audio, VIA's chipset solutions fit perfectly with the requirements of gamers who demand only the best. VIA will also highlight its audio portfolio that leads the market with support for the latest 24-bit, 8-channel content, and leading 3D audio gaming performance, and will feature the ultra compact, highly integrated VIA EPIA Mini-ITX platform, including an EPIA-based audio playstation, new small form factor cases from Casetronics, and a special "mod" from the rapidly expanding community of Mini-ITX enthusiasts. "In its unfailing ability to attract the world's top gamers, we found that there is no better place than QuakeCon to demonstrate our leadership in high performance PC solutions," commented Richard Brown, Associate Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "With this year's QuakeCon looking bigger and better than ever, it's an event we just couldn't afford to miss." "We are delighted that VIA will again be supporting QuakeCon," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. "Our games continually push the edge of technology, and our fans demand the type of power and performance that VIA packs into their products."

You can read the Press Release here. Stay tuned for more QuakeCon information!

As per tradition, we proudly make available the Official Desktop Wallpaper for QuakeCon 2003! This wallpaper, made by our Art Director, Rao, will be found on all official computers at QuakeCon.

It is available in different size and formats for your viewing pleasure. Head over to our wallpaper page to get your copy!

Also, for those of you renting a monitor from Bit By Bit, note that August 7th is the last day to order monitors without incurring additional charges.

I just got the following from FonFon, the creator of the exceedingly popular and ridiculously useful GTV:

The Quakecon GTV network will be the largest one yet, with anticipated needs of 7000 spots for Quake 3 (1vs1 and CTF), and 3000 for RtCW. To help find your way around this mammoth network a "map" of all the GTV servers will be released in a week so you can connect directly to a server close to you. You can make watching GTV even easier by testing it out ahead of time. Try connecting to gtv.speakeasy.net (gtv.speakeasy.net:27965 for RtCW), and see the GTV Help if you have any
problems.

For those with GTV servers wishing to help out, applications are being accepted to mirror GTV for Quakecon. Speakeasy.net will be providing over 5000 spots for GTV, but this is a community oriented event and any mirrors are welcome. Please contact fonfon@quakecon.org for more information.

We have lots of very interesting news for the QuakeCon attendees tonight.

Once again, Kyle Bennett from HardOCP and Ratpadz has generously agreed to provide a shiny new Ratpad to every person in the BYOC. Kyle will also be leading his annual hardware discussion at 1:00 on Saturday.

The guys at OverdrivePC are offering a unique opportunity to QuakeCon attendees called the “OverdrivePC Speed Workshop.” The goal of this service is to assist gamers with their current computer performance and efficiency levels as well as answer any questions they may have about the direction of their machine. OPC will offer advice on over clocking, cooling, help locating bottlenecks and any other pressing questions each gamer has. They will move from computer to computer in the BYOC based on a (first registered, first served) basis. For more information and to register, check out their site.

Also, we've had many questions about the Adam's Mark parking rate: anyone staying at the hotel will get a reduced rate of $6 per day.

That's all for tonight!

Okay, now that some of the hysteria has died down about the Doom 3 announcement, we can move on to other business.

There will be another semi-official tournament held at QuakeCon which I have the pleasure of announcing tonight. However this tourney is only open to gamers of the female persuasion. Yes, it's the First (possibly annual) Ms. QuakeCon Tournament! Right now they are in the organizational and sign-up stage. So if you think you're the gal with the most game, you'll want to join in! You can check out all the details over at MsQuakeCon.org. The excellent gamer-oriented clothing company company GeekWearz is sponsoring this event. But they are also looking for additional sponsorship to help raise prize money for the winner(s). If you are a company who wishes to get some exposure while helping out the community, this would be a great way to do it. Questions can be addressed to our own Volunteer Coordinator, Byskwik. Or feel free to stop by #msquakecon on irc.enterthegame.com.

Moving on. For your edification, we have posted a very general Schedule of QuakeCon 2003. No lectures, roundtables, or workshops have been confirmed yet, so the page will just give you an idea of how the weekend will progress. As QuakeCon gets closer, we'll be able to fill more of it in.

And now I'd like to take a moment to give you a few reminders:

First of all, everyone who is registered should already have received an email about this. But just in case, we want to call your attention to our Attendee Admin Page. From it, you can change some of your information, cancel a BYOC or Tourney registration, and other administrative type stuff. Check it out.

Next, we posted about this a while back, but as QuakeCon gets closer we don't want anyone to miss out. We have made an arrangement with Bit-by-Bit Computers Rentals to provide monitor and PC rentals for attendees at a special discounted rate. This is of great use to people unable to bring their own computers or who simply don't want to lug their monitors down to Texas. Take a look at their order form. If you have any questions, you can contact them at (972) 960-9888 or da_info@bit-by-bit.com.

And finally tonight, I wanted to remind everyone about our Parking and Transportation page. This, as you might expect, contains information about parking at, and transportation to and from, QuakeCon. It's invaluable to those of us not from the area.

That's it for now. Things are really starting to pick up speed as the clock ticks down to QuakeCon. If you are not excited already, then there is clearly something wrong with you.

We've got some really big news for you today! Hold on to your hats and read this release:

DOOM 3™ DEATHMATCH PLAYABLE AT QUAKECON 2003 Santa Monica, CA - July 23, 2003 - Prepare for DOOM 3™! id Software™ and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) are bringing DOOM 3 to QuakeCon 2003. The world's most legendary multiplayer gaming event will host the first-ever opportunity for fans to play DOOM 3 multiplayer. In Dallas at the Adam's Mark Hotel from Aug. 14 - 17, QuakeCon attendees will go toe-to-toe at the Activision/id Software booth in the ultimate sneak preview of the most anticipated game ever. "What better way to celebrate QuakeCon than to unveil to our fans a preview of DOOM 3 multiplayer," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "While everyone knows that DOOM 3 is the most terrifying and scary single player experience ever created, multiplayer delivers the intense competitive action that our fans can count on. It's a natural to debut the DOOM 3 multiplayer experience at QuakeCon, the world's preeminent fan-based multiplayer gaming event." QuakeCon attendees will have the chance to play DOOM 3's four-player Deathmatch on a level co-developed by id Software and U.K.-based developer Splash Damage, Ltd. Splash Damage has most recently worked with id Software on Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and will be co-developing DOOM 3's multiplayer levels. About id Software id - Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth - has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3D®, DOOM®, DOOM II™, QUAKE® and QUAKE II™. With intense graphics and mind-blowing action, id's games have helped redefine the modern video game, continually setting industry standards for technology and gameplay. And, in keeping with tradition, id Software has amplified the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the release of their latest action titles, QUAKE III Arena™, QUAKE III: Team Arena™, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein™. id Software's advanced DOOM 3 engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com. About Activision, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $864 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com. The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These important factors, and other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings. # # # © 2003 Id Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. under license. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Wolfenstein 3D, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, DOOM, DOOM II, DOOM 3, QUAKE, QUAKE II, QUAKE III Arena, QUAKE III: Team Arena, and the id Software name are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Id Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

How do you like that? A chance to actually play Doom 3 at QuakeCon. And multiplayer, no less! Very little has been said about D3's multiplayer thus far. But now we'll have a chance to get our grubby little hands on it. We are not worthy!

With less than a month to go before the big show, things are really starting to roll behind the scenes. Make no mistake, this year's QuakeCon will blow your mind and make you spend all night picking the pieces up off the floor.

But in order to get in you'll need to sign our waiver. We've just made said waiver available over on the left in various flavors (MS Word, Plain text, and .pdf). You can speed your registration process if you print out, sign, and bring a waiver with you. And if you are under 18, then you MUST have your waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian before you arrive in Dallas. Any attendee under 18 without a signed waiver will NOT be admitted.

Another annual favorite which will be returning this year is QuakeJam! This is an impromtu gathering of musicians attending QuakeCon with the stated goal of, well, jamming. This year they've got their own website and everything! So check it out.

Finally, you may have noticed that we added several new official QuakeCon sponsors over on the right. Please visit their sites and buy lots of their products. It is their support which makes your gaming experience possible!

For everyone who has been asking questions frequently, we've got something just for you. Yes, it's our FAQ, newly updated for QuakeCon 2003. Whether or not you've been to QuakeCon before, we strongly urge everyone to read through the page.

If you still have questions which are not addressed in the FAQ, please pass them along.

Although Xcast has been live and broadcasting for several days now, it has at last come time to officially announce it to the world. XCast is being pioneered by members of the QuakeCon family, expeienced e-sports shoutcasting luminaries, and other talented people. And it is all being made possible by the great people at Speakeasy whose continued dedication to the gaming community makes this (and countless other ventures) possible.

Here is the official announcement which also contains information about how you can audition to join our team as a shoutcaster. The announcement can also be obtained in .pdf format.

Tonight on XCast, the qualifier rounds for the Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Quake III Arena: Capture the Flag team tournaments continue. Here are tonight's featured matches:

-7PM EDT - Q3CTF: EOE vs NEO
-9PM EDT - RtCW: [TAF]gaming vs. FL/DD Alpha Team
-10PM EDT - RtCW: west Side wolves vs MotherFragger
-11PM EDT - Q3CTF: Flatline Qcon CTF Squad vs da nova

We have posted the official rules for the Quake III Arena 1 vs 1 Tournament along with a map list, prize breakdown, and all the other information you'd expect. Anyone planning to participate in this tourney would be well advised to study these rules BEFORE attending QuakeCon.

Also today, QuakeCon friend and supporter, LeftE, has created a page with great information about parking in (and transportation to and from) the downtown Dallas area. This information is invaluable to out-of-towners. Thanks LeftE! See it here!

And finally, just a reminder that coverage of the Qualifier rounds continues on the XCast network... now conveniently linked over on the left for your clicking pleasure.

Tonight, the first round of the Quakecon tournament qualifiers begins. It also marks the first night of the shoutcasting effort being built to broadcast Quakecon, so you can tune in and hear all the action live!

Just tune into into http://relay1.x-cast.net:8000/listen.pls (using WinAmp) and check out all the RTCW and CTF action beginning tonight at 7:00EST. You can also jump in the official shoutcast IRC channel at #xcast on the EnterTheGame IRC Network (irc.enterthegame.com).

We'll have an official announcement launching the XCast network soon, but we didn't want to make anyone wait to enjoy the coverage. So... enjoy!