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and welcoming you
can imagine. After
all, everyone is there
for the same reason:
peace, love and
rockets.
During our time in
Texas, we had the
privilege of catching
up with Bethesda
and id Software
royalty. Pete Hines,
Harvey Smith,
Prey
creative director
Raf Colantonio,
Arkane Studios lead designer Ricardo
Bare,
DOOM
executive producer Marty
Stratton, and the prolific studio director
at id Software, TimWillits, were all more
than happy to sit down and have a chat
about their respective projects and the
behemoth that QuakeCon has become.
More from them as their respective
games hit shelves at JB.
Having experienced the convention
and everything it had to offer, from the
blood drive to the eSports challenges to
the merch to the cosplayers, it’s difficult
to accurately describe the essence of
QuakeCon. It’s about family, it’s about
togetherness, it’s about a fondness for
absurdity and a respect for classic video
games. TimWillits said it himself: “If I
could describe QuakeCon in one word?
Love.”
1 2
honestly, it’s some of the most beautiful
chaos we’ve ever seen.
This year, of course, was no different.
2016 heralded the 21st QuakeCon – held
in Dallas, Texas – and with its coming
of age came a plethora of news and
announcements. The highly-anticipated
Prey
reboot is definitely something we’re
looking forward to, and one the devs
stated it is not an open world, but an
“open space station” of a title, where
every attempt was made to “say ‘yes’ to
the player” when it came to choice.
VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines
also promised that we aren’t likely to see
any sort of television or film adaptations
of Bethesda properties, as they just
“distract” from the games, adding “we
focus on making games. We know who
we are.”
And for
Dishonored 2
, co-creative
director at Arkane Studios. Harvey Smith,
noted that they paid “a heap of attention”
to feedback – from women in particular –
following the original, to ensure they could
make the best sequel possible.
The entire time you’re at QuakeCon,
you never forget it’s an event for the fans.
There’s developers and studio luminaries
traipsing around the halls scoffing slices
of pizza bigger than their heads, prizes,
giveaways, exclusive loot you can find
only at the show, and footage dropped in
the expo hall exclusive to attendees. The
atmosphere inside is one of the friendliest
THINGS
WE SAW AT
QUAKECON
THAT YOU WOULD
NEVER SEE
ANYWHERE ELSE:
A bunch of people
outside in PJs and
onesies chasing
Tauros.
A shrine dedicated
to Harambe, with a
bunch of bananas
(and a heap of other
stuff).
Tim Willits chowing
down on a piece of
pizza bigger than his
head.
Fifty Shades of Grey.
(and we hopefully
never will again).