The Awesome Games Done Quick 2017 has smashed its previous record after raising $2 million fund that will benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The weeklong event featured nonstop actions involving games such as Descent II, Ape Escape II, and Dark Souls III, among others.
Last year, AGDQ's haul was $1.2 million, which means the total for 2017 is about a million more.
With a total of $2,213,397 raised (and still counting!) we thank everyone for all of your support! #AGDQ2017
— Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) January 15, 2017
The Speedrun Concept
If you are not aware of this event, the Awesome Games Done Quick is a speedrunning charity bi-annual affair, the other one being Summer Games Done Quick, which usually benefits Doctors Without Borders. Speedrunning, for its part, is a concept wherein gameplay is conducted with the goal of completing the game as fast as possible.
The Awesome Games Done Quick essentially asks participants for donations as speedruns are streamed via Twitch. These were in exchange for incentives for speedrunning events such as naming characters or having players perform difficult challenges. The incentives also include the opportunity to win prizes.
Awesome Games Done Quick Highlights
For this year, around 181 speedruns were completed, and about 33,650 participants donated money.
The contributions averaged at $51.11 while the highest was $40,000, the maximum allowed amount. This single donation was made by The Yetee, a T-shirt company that also distributed its products to participants for free. The company has also doled out other donations to several events, capping its total contribution at $136,000 for the duration of the speedrunning marathon.
Other notable bequests include those made by a participant known as The General. His $37,998 total contribution was considered the largest coming from an individual. For those looking for the complete list of donors and their contributions, AGDQ's website has the record.
Since the AGDQ was first launched in 2010, the event has already collected more than $10 million for charity. It was first organized by Speed Demos Archive, but it is currently handled by Games Done Quick, LLC.
For enthusiasts who missed out AGDQ, the Summer Games Done Quick 2017 will take place in Minneapolis on July 2.
Notable AGDQ Runs
The AGDQ runs involve retro and modern titles. Some of the speedrunning highlights include TGH's Undertale run, which opted for the True pacifist route and ended at 1:28:17. While it is certainly one of the most impressive at AGDQ, it was 90 seconds short of the current Undertale record, which TGH himself posted two months ago.
If you are interested to view recorded streams, head to AGDQ's official YouTube channel.
