Quake Live (formerly known as Quake Zero) is a first-person shooter browser plugin-based video game developed by id Software, which was first announced in 2007. It is a browser-based variant of its predecessor, Quake III Arena (Q3A). The game entered an invitation-based closed beta in 2008, and an open beta began on February 24, 2009.

In-browser gameplay

Quake Live runs on a slightly updated version of the id Tech 3 engine, but the focus remains on usability rather than major graphical upgrades. Among other usability changes, Quake Live has a new, more streamlined HUD. The program is a modified version of Quake 3 Gold and executed as compiled code on the user’s processor, the user downloads the game in the background as a part of the registration process and interacts with the program either through a browser plugin that can be embedded on the webpage or as fullscreen. Updates to the game are continually released and automatically installed as the user logs in.

The browser plugin does not make use of Flash to play the game.^[2]

Quake Live registration of a user account is available on the Quake Live website for free to anyone wishing to play. Currently, only Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browers running in either Windows XP or Windows Vista are supported. However, id Software is planning on bringing the game to the Mac OS X and Linux operating systems as well.

The gameplay of Quake Live consists of players attempting to frag more of their opponents than any other player or team in a given match. This is achieved by navigating a 3D environment while collecting health, armor, weapons, ammo and various power-ups in an effort to survive and to damage your opponent or opponents until their health reaches zero.

Quake Live was released as a free version of Quake III: Gold^[5] (Quake III and its expansion pack, Team Arena) available only through a web browser. Quake Live is backed financially by in-game advertising from IGA Worldwide

Various game modes from Q3A return:

• Duel: Player versus player (1-on-1) combat. Whomever gets the most frags before the time is up wins.
• Free For All: Players engage in a match, where everyone fights for themselves. Whomever hits the frag limit first wins and ends the game. When the time limit expires, player with the most frags is the winner.
• Team Deathmatch: Same rules as Free for All but in this mode, two teams fight each other.
• Capture the Flag: Each team has a base, holding a flag. To earn points and win the game, a player must take the opposite flag, and return them to their own.
• Clan Arena: Teambased gameplay, everyone starts fully equipped with full armor and weapons. When fragged, the player must wait for the next round to begin. Players can rocket jump with no health penalty.
• Instagib: Free for All mode where players start with only a Railgun, which always delivers one-hit kills. Instagib servers are unranked.

During the QuakeCon 2008 keynote speech, John Carmack stated that Quake Live has no plans to allow user-made modifications, but they have hired successful Quake III mod authors to help them with their project.^[8] On the newly launched website (August 1, 2008), Quake Live is claimed to have over 25 maps and 4 game modes. The majority of the maps are based heavily on originals from Quake III Arena, Quake III Team Arena and popular user-made maps.^[9]

Beta

During late 2008 and early 2009, Quake Live had an invitation-only closed beta. A select handful of players were picked to start the beta, and over time those players were given limited friend invitations. Later, those friends received invitations of their own. On February 24 2009, the game progressed from closed beta to open beta, which caused a hefty amount of stress on the web server at launch. Queues were organized to limit the stress and prevent overloading of the servers.^[10] The queues have since been removed and the servers have been upgraded to handle the large amount of users.

Within the first 6 hours after launch over 113,000 player accounts were created