Games Done Quick

Games Done Quick
Status Active
Genre Video game speedruns
Venue Various
Location(s) Various
Country United States
Inaugurated January 1, 2010 (2010-01-01)
Most recent July 1, 2018 (2018-07-01)
Organized by Games Done Quick, LLC
Website gamesdonequick.com

Games Done Quick is a semiannual video game speedrun charity marathon held in the United States, originally organized by the Speed Demos Archive and Speedruns Live communities. Since 2015, it has been handled by Games Done Quick, LLC.[1] Held since 2010, the events have raised money for several charities; the most common two being the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders.

The events are broadcast live on Twitch. Viewers are encouraged to donate for incentives during the stream such as naming characters in a run, having the runners attempt more difficult challenges, or winning prizes.[2] Over $16.7 million has been raised across 21 marathons.[3]

Format

Speedrunners take turns demonstrating their prowess at beating various video games in the quickest possible time, done in front of an audience as well as a livestream through Twitch.tv.[4][5][6] Sometimes these runs may be executed in an unusual or specific way, such as fully completing every level, completing a game blindfolded,[7] or featuring multiple runners racing against one another to complete a game first.[8] Video games run in Games Done Quick events include both retro and modern titles. The runs typically feature commentary from the runner(s) or experienced commentators, as well as donation messages read by an announcer.

Most of the popular runs feature video game glitches[9] and discussion between the runner and the commentators, most frequently describing techniques or using observational humor and banter.[10] Humor and banter is especially used for non-interactive or repetitive sequences that don't require the runner to use much or any skill. Donations from viewers may feature humorous comments that contain inside jokes among the speedrunning community, as well as more personal acknowledgements concerning the charity donated to. Because of the live broadcast and wider audience, runners and commentators are encouraged to refrain from using strong profanity and offensive behavior.[11]

History

Games Done Quick's former logo, used until 2018

Writer and speedrunner Eric Koziel identifies two important precursors to Games Done Quick: the "Desert Bus for Hope" donation drive held by LoadingReadyRun in November 2007, and a series of charity speedrun marathons held by The Speed Gamers starting in March 2008.[12]

Users of the site Speed Demos Archive decided to hold a charity marathon in January 2010,[13] during MAGFest 8. It was themed around 8-bit and 16-bit video games and thus dubbed "Classic Games Done Quick" (after the 1990s speedrunning project Quake Done Quick). Internet connectivity problems at the MAGFest hotel forced SDA administrator Mike Uyama to relocate the event to his mother's basement, but it raised over $10,000 for CARE.[14][12]

Following that initial success, the first Awesome Games Done Quick marathon was held in January 2011, expanding from two days to five days, incorporating newer games such as Halo and Portal, and raising more than $50,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.[15] The first Summer Games Done Quick was held in August 2011, raising $20,000 for the Organisation for Autism Research.[16][17] Since then, both Awesome Games Done Quick and Summer Games Done Quick have recurred annually, raising larger amounts each year.

A one-off additional marathon was held in March 2011 to support victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan; Japan Relief Done Quick raised over $25,000. In addition, a one-off promotional event was held on March 20, 2015 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the God of War franchise. Over the course of five hours, God of War Done Quick ended up raising $3,500 for The AbleGamers Foundation.

List of marathons

Awesome Games Done Quick

DatesVenueCharityAmount raisedNotes
January 1–3, 2010(planned) Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, Virginia (during MAGFest 8)
(actual) private residence		CARE$10,532[18]First and only marathon to be called "Classic Games Done Quick".
January 6–11, 2011National 4-H Youth Conference Center, Chevy Chase, MarylandPrevent Cancer Foundation$52,520[19]
January 4–9, 2012$149,045[20]First AGDQ event to raise over $100,000.
January 6–12, 2013$448,425[21]
January 5–11, 2014Crowne Plaza Dulles, Herndon, Virginia$1,031,667[22]First AGDQ event to raise over $1 million.
January 4–10, 2015Hilton Washington Dulles, Herndon, Virginia$1,576,085[23]
January 3–10, 2016$1,216,309[24]First AGDQ event to raise less than the previous year.
January 8–15, 2017[25]$2,222,791[26]First AGDQ event to raise over $2 million; as well as the first AGDQ event to raise over $1 million in a single day.
January 7–14, 2018[27]$2,295,191[28]Last AGDQ event to be held at Hilton Washington Dulles; as well as being the most amount raised at a GDQ event
January 6–13, 2019[29]Rockville, MD

Summer Games Done Quick

DatesVenueCharityAmount raisedNotes
August 4–6, 2011A participant's residence in West Bountiful, UtahOrganisation for Autism Research[30]$21,397[31]
May 24–28, 2012$46,279[32]
July 25–30, 2013Sheraton Denver Tech Center, Greenwood Village, ColoradoDoctors Without Borders$257,181[33]
June 22–28, 2014Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado$718,235[34]$82,985 of the funds were raised through the SGDQ 2014 Bundle.[35]
July 26–August 2, 2015Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront, Saint Paul, Minnesota$1,215,601[36]
July 3–9, 2016[37]Hilton Minneapolis Downtown, Minneapolis, Minnesota$1,294,139[38]First SGDQ to raise more than the AGDQ of the same year.
July 2–9, 2017[39]Minneapolis Marriott City Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota$1,792,342[40]
June 24–July 1, 2018[41]DoubleTree Hilton, Bloomington, Minnesota$2,168,889[42]First SGDQ to raise over $2 million.

Special marathons

MarathonDatesVenueCharityAmount raisedNotes
Japan Relief Done QuickApril 7–10, 2011Runners stream from their residencesDoctors Without Borders$25,800[43]A marathon to support victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Speedrun SpooktacularOctober 26–29, 2012Lindsey King$9,733[44]A marathon to help medical bills for Lindsey King who is an artist for Speed Demos Archive
God of War Done QuickMarch 20, 2015[45]Sony Santa Monica StudioAbleGamers Foundation$3,500+[46]Special event at Sony Santa Monica Studio as part of the 10 year anniversary of the God of War franchise.
Harvey Relief Done QuickSeptember 1–3, 2017Runners stream from their residencesHouston Food Bank$229,455[47]A marathon to support victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Games Done Quick ExpressOctober 26–28, 2018[48]San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California (during TwitchCon)

References

  1. ↑ "Privacy Policy". Games Done Quick, LLC. August 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ Smith, Ernie (January 13, 2015). "How Gaming Gurus Reinvented Telethons for the Web". Association Now.
  3. ↑ "all events tracker". January 14, 2017.
  4. ↑ Gach, Ethan. "Watch The Final Days Of The Weeklong Awesome Games Done Quick Charity Marathon". Kotaku. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick is indeed awesome, will ruin productivity all week". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  6. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (January 9, 2017). "Awesome Games Done Quick speedruns another week". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  7. ↑ Biery, Thomas (July 5, 2016). "Watch a speedrunner complete Castlevania: Symphony of the Night blindfolded". Polygon. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  8. ↑ Otero, Jose (January 12, 2016). "11 Amazing Speedruns from Awesome Games Done Quick 2016". IGN. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  9. ↑ Biery, Thomas (July 9, 2016). "Summer Games Done Quick 2016 roundup: The biggest surprises of the week". Polygon. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  10. ↑ "What to watch during the Summer Games Done Quick speedrun marathon". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Games Done Quick". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  12. 1 2 Koziel, Eric (January 5, 2018). "Speedrun Science: A Long Guide to Short Playthroughs" (PDF). Fangamer.
  13. ↑ "Speeding Through Classic Games to Beat Cancer". Wired.com. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick Starts This Weekend: Watch and Be Wowed". Vice.com. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick Has Already Raised $250K for Prevent Cancer Foundation". Kevinbondelli.com. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ "September_2011". Researchautism.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ "NetGuide NZ - Gamers speed-run for charity". Https:. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Classic Games Done Quick Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2011 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2012 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2013 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2014 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2015 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  25. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (July 10, 2016). "As previously announced, #AGDQ2017 will be January 8th to the 15th. Mark your calendars!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2017 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  27. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (July 10, 2017). "The day after #SGDQ2017 is over is a sad day. Don't be too sad though, because #AGDQ2018 will be January 7th - 14th at Herndon, Virginia!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 10, 2017 – via Twitter.
  28. ↑ "Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  29. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (July 3, 2018). "We hope you had a fantastic time at #SGDQ2018 and we can't wait for our next 2 events! #GDQx will be at @TwitchCon in San Jose, CA from October 26 - 28, and #AGDQ2019 will be in Rockville, MD from January 6 - 13!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 3, 2018 – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "The OARacle". researchautism.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2011 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2012 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2013 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2014 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2014 Bundle". Archived from the original on June 30, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2015 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  37. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (January 10, 2016). "On the #AGDQ2016 finale, we announced our dates and location for #SGDQ2016! July 3-9th, in downtown Minneapolis, MN!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2016 – via Twitter.
  38. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2016 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  39. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (January 16, 2017). "AGDQ 2017 was amazing, and we already can't wait for #SGDQ2017! It will be from July 2nd to the 9th at Minneapolis, Minnesota!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 16, 2017 – via Twitter.
  40. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2017 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  41. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (January 14, 2018). "What an awesome video from @TheBesteban, and the SGDQ 2018 dates are June 24 - July 1!! We hope to see you there! #AGDQ2018" (Tweet). Retrieved January 14, 2018 – via Twitter.
  42. ↑ "Summer Games Done Quick 2018 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Japan Relief Done Quick 2011 Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Speedrun Spooktacular Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  45. ↑ Aaron Kaufman; Community Strategist; Santa Monica Studio (March 16, 2015). "Watch God of War Done Quick, Live March 20th". Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  46. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (March 20, 2015). "Thanks to everyone who helped raise over $3500 for @AbleGamers and create an incredibly fun stream at @SonySantaMonica today! It was amazing" (Tweet). Retrieved March 20, 2015 – via Twitter.
  47. ↑ "Harvey Relief Done Quick Donation Tracker". gamesdonequick.com.
  48. ↑ Games Done Quick [@GamesDoneQuick] (June 5, 2018). "GDQs are fun right? Let's have more fun then with a bonus GDQ this year! @TwitchCon and GDQ are coming together with GDQ Express, a non-stop 3-day charity speedrunning event in San Jose, CA from October 26-28! Runners: game submissions open 7/8! gamesdonequick.com/express #GDQx" (Tweet). Retrieved June 5, 2018 – via Twitter.
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