QuakeCon 2012 opens today, and Polygon's on the floor

Quakecon 2012 opens today, and Polygon is on the floor covering id Software's annual event.

Quakecon 2012 opens today, and Polygon is on the floor covering id Software's annual event live.

Co-founder John Carmack will give the free conference's keynote at 3:00 p.m. EST today after a welcome address from id Software's Todd Hollenshead and Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines. Over the next few days, the conference will host panels on making and designing games, hold tournaments with over $150,000 in prizes to distribute, and offer hands-on demos with games like Dishonored and Doom 3 BFG Edition.

"QuakeCon is the culmination of a dedicated group of gamers, ranging from casual to hardcore, who make the trip each year to visit with friends and connect with peers on the largest LAN party in North America," said Todd Hollenshead, president of id Software. "We couldn't host this event without such a devoted community behind us, including hundreds of volunteers and event sponsors who are passionate about making QuakeCon 2012 the most rewarding yet."

Perhaps to coincide with Quakecon's opening, the return of a wild 90s shooter, Rise of the Triad, was announced on the game's apparently official Twitter account this morning.

id expects over 8,500 attendees at Quakecon 2012, which runs through Sunday August 5th. Be sure to check back with us often for all the news.