What does BYOC mean to you? Gamers, unite for Dallas' annual four day "bring your own computer" QuakeCon gaming convention. The action runs August 2-5 at the Hilton Anatole and is free to the public.
QuakeCon has progressively become more successful since its modest start in 1996. According to the official QuakeCon website, QuakeCon's BYOC local area network party (LAN) is now the largest in the world. Organized and hosted by id Software, this huge event is now known to bring thousands of gamers from all over the world to one place where they can share in a gaming utopia and a little friendly competition.
Don't be fooled-- you won't be gaming for 96 hours straight... unless you just want to. QuakeCon has plenty of other areas of interest besides gaming past the point of exhaustion.
The keynote speaker is id Software co-founder and game programmer John Carmack. You can catch his speech on Thursday, Aug. 2 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the Alienware Mainstage. Another event to add to your to-do list is the Plantronics Gamecom Presentation on Saturday, Aug. 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Last year, Plantronics gave attendees a preview of some of their best gaming headsets.
Other highlights to look out for include a Skyrim game demo, a performance by movie-spoofing aficionados Master Pancake Theater and the overall tournament finals.
Thinking about attending? You can pre-register online, which means you skip the lines the day of, and you have the ability to choose select packages that are only available during online registration. Perks of the additional packages include reserved BYOC LAN party seating, your preferred t-shirts and sizes and more.
Organizers suggest bringing any accessories you think you'll need to make your gaming experience more complete. For the full list of acceptable and unacceptable items, other FAQs or to register, visit www.QuakeCon.org.
Recap: It's free, it's fun and it's four days long. If you're local, then it sounds like it's worth a short commute to see what the fuss is all about.
