If you've been eager to show off your rocket-launching prowess to the public, you'll be delighted to hear that a large group of them will gather at QuakeCon 2011 from August 4 until August 7 (yes, in 2011). Joining the annual and famously festive fragfest -- running on what event organizers have dubbed a "world-class network" -- requires only that you register, and then take your computer to the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas, Texas. The event is open to the public and attendance is free.

If you're particularly keen on lugging around a monstrous rig (or your Pentium III 800MHz with 128MB RAM, for that matter), you'll also have the opportunity to see and play upcoming games from Bethesda Softworks -- the publishing label of Zenimax, which acquired id Software in 2009. This year's QuakeCon will conclude just over a month before the North American debut of post-apocalyptic FPS Rage, currently slated for release on September 13.