Author Archives: gstaff

QuakeCon 2011 Tournament Line Up Announced

With QuakeCon just over two week away, we’ve got details on this year’s tournaments. Get the full scoop in the press release below…

QUAKECON 2011 TOURNAMENT LINE UP ANNOUNCED

July 18, 2011 (Rockville, MD) – The world’s very best QUAKE LIVE® players will once again gather in Dallas, Texas to take part in intense online tournaments at QuakeCon® 2011, being held August 4-7, 2011 at the Hilton Anatole. Top professionals will compete in the Intel-sponsored QUAKE LIVE Duel Invitational Masters and the Intel® QUAKE LIVE Team Deathmatch Invitational Masters and contend for a share of over $40,000 in prize money.  Also new to this year’s QuakeCon®, up-and-coming players will have the opportunity to prove their gaming expertise in the Brink™ Open Championships.

This year, players competing in the tournaments will all be using the same kind of computers thanks to Dell. Players will be using the Alienware Aurora, which combines the latest in gaming technology to deliver a premier gaming experience to even the most demanding hard core gaming fan.

QuakeCon, which is free and open to the public, offers an opportunity to see the greatest players in the world compete in highly-competitive tournaments. Matches will also be broadcast live each day of the competitions on large screens with play-by-play commentary from this year’s shoutcasters who will capture all of the energy, excitement and behind-the-scenes drama, with live match coverage, player interviews and expert analysis.

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Around the web (updated)

Whaddya do when your back is too burnt to enjoy the Bahamas? In my case, it’s the perfect opportunity to do a web roundup.

While (web) surfing on my trip, I spotted this story on Joystiq about artist A.J. Hateley’s book covers inspired by video games. Above is his tribute to Fallout 3. Check out all his covers here.

Following Game Informer’s announcement of Dishonored, you’ll want to keep an eye out for extended coverage on their dedicated hub for the game. Beyond covering Arkane’s newly-announced game, their staff seems to have been bitten by the Oblivion bug, as they have new features on their favorite Oblivion fan videos and why they love the game.

Elsewhere, IGN looks back at both Oblivion (#18) and Fallout 3 (#6) in their list of the Top 100 Modern Video Games. Check out the full list here.

Has Fallout 3 ever made you wonder how to prepare for a post-apocalyptic lifestyle? If so, read 1Up’s How to Survive the Fallout Apocalypse.

In addition to these features, check out these links…

  • Learn a fun fact about how the Dragon language was created for Skyrim at 1Up
  • IGN shows how taking suggestions can go terribly wrong. You won’t see these dragons in Skyrim
  • The Wall Street Journal put up a video featuring Fallout 3 and Pete Hines prior to the big SCOTUS decision (hooray, video games!)
  • As we close in on QuakeCon 2011 (just over 2 weeks away), Kotaku has a piece on the early days of id Software
  • Kotaku writes about our first game, Gridiron!, after learning that we’re celebrating 25 years of excellence

After the break, find more coverage for Prey 2, Skyrim, and RAGE.

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QuakeCon 2011 Hotel Information

QuakeCon is around the corner, and if you’re planning to come from outside the area, hotel rooms are going fast. To make sure you’re not left out in the Texas heat with your LAN setup strapped to your back, book your discounted room at the Dallas Hilton Anatole — the site of QuakeCon 2011 — today.

Booking a reservation is simple:

In addition to the discounted room rate of $154 a night, staying at the Hilton also guarantees you a break on parking to $8 a day.

The show runs from August 4-7, so plan your reservation accordingly. See you there!

RAGE Graffiti Contest Winner

A couple months back, we announced our RAGE Graffiti Contest on Facebook. After fans voted for their top 20 designs, the team at id Software deliberated and picked a winning image. Drumroll please….

Congrats to Josh Grilli for winning the contest!! In addition to winning an iPad and a trip to this year’s QuakeCon, Josh’s graffiti art has been prominently placed in the game world (see above).

Game Informer reveals Dishonored

Since announcing the acquisition of Arkane Studios at QuakeCon last year, we’ve been on pins and needles waiting to announce their latest project. At long last, the wait is over! Game Informer has revealed that Dishonored will be the featured as the cover story for their August issue.

In addition to the magazine preview, this month you can expect updates aplenty on GameInformer.com — similar to the hub that was created for Skyrim. As they go live, we’ll keep you updated.

For now, check out our press release for the game, and check out the cover spread at Game Informer’s site.

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ANNOUNCES DISHONORED

Arkane Studios Reveals New First-Person Action Game

July 7, 2011 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today confirmed that it will publish Dishonored™, an all-new first-person action game under development at Arkane® Studios. Dishonored will be the first project for the studio since being acquired by ZeniMax in 2010.

Under the direction of co-creative directors, Raphael Colantonio, lead designer on Arx Fatalis®, and Harvey Smith, lead designer on Deus Ex®, Dishonored is set for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows® in 2012.

Details on Dishonored will be revealed in the exclusive cover story in Game Informer®’s August issue, which ships to subscribers in early July 2011 and hits newsstands on July 15th. Coverage of the game will also continue on the magazine’s website, www.gameinformer.com/dishonored, throughout the month of August.

“At Arkane we have a passion for creating deep, immersive game experiences,” said Colantonio. “To be able to finally share details of our project is both extremely exciting and satisfying.”

The game will also be featured in magazine cover stories around the world throughout the month of August. Check the official site for updated details: www.dishonored.com.

QuakeCon Keynote & Presentation news

This morning we’re pleased to announce that QuakeCon, the ultimate video game festival, will kick off on Thursday, August 4th 2011. As tradition goes, id’s co-founder and technical director, John Carmack, will kick things off with his keynote address.

In addition to the keynote and other special events (more on that soon), this year’s event will give you a chance to see some great presentations on our upcoming titles, including Todd Howard’s first public presentation of Skyrim!! QuakeCon will also see the first public demo of Prey 2, which will be demoed by Chris Rhinehart, Project Lead at Human Head Studios. And in addition to being able to play RAGE on the show floor, attendees will be able to check out a special presentation of the award-winning shooter given by Matt Hooper, the game’s Design Director.

QuakeCon 2011 will take place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX. The event remains FREE to general admission and BYOC attendees thanks to the support of id and Bethesda Softworks, as well as the QuakeCon volunteer staff and the 2011 event sponsors and exhibitors. Doors to the QuakeCon BYOC will open on Thursday, August 4th at 9:00am CST and will remain open through 12:00pm CST on Sunday, August 7th.

QuakeCon Exhibit Hall Hours are:

  • Thursday, August 4, 2011 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Friday August 5 2011 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Saturday August 6, 2011 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

To pre-register online for QuakeCon today go to: http://registration.quakecon.org/.