Toshihiro Kobayashi was interviewed a year ago, in Japanese http://www.4gamer.net/games/102/G010223/20160807001/

Google translate does a decent job but only if presented with copied interview text, not the link. Link translation results in more poor translation, but with correct formatting.

Contents (in no particular order):
- business origins (2-3 people involved, Japanese-engineered materials searched through factories, no pads were good and are good now, it's just Artisan's are better)
- "plans" on visiting DreamHack to present the pads
- slightest touch possible upon quake vs counter-strike vs overwatch
- lots of rants about QcK and it's undeserved success
- some rants about Zowie mice
- e-sports mouse pads are NOT meant to last and are compared to Formula 1 tires
- problems with production and factory yields, especially Shiden-kai (producer wanted to abandon the model, but the sales insisted there were fans around the world, factory gone bankrupt, new shiden-kai pads would probably have another feel due to machinery fail)
- new product in development is advertised: a "rubber" base part + several replaceable glide parts sold together so that the customers could try combinations to see what suits them most. Also when the glide part wears off one would be able to replace just that, not the "rubber" base.
- will not try to produce mice, producing anything new to PC market is high risk low reward

I'd like to know if there are any cultural references to the series, or even have a complete list of them. Maybe there's already a wiki page for that, just haven't found it. I'm interested in art not related to gaming per se.

Anyway I'll share my findings.
1) The biggest is a funny-translated (to Russian) film "Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" done by Goblin. The Quake III related part (one of them?) is here.
That shit was BIG in RU internet when it came out.

2) There was an obscure Canadian progressive metal/fusion band Grey Matter. Some tracks of their sole 2001 year album are officially available here. Listen to Oyagaa, 6 minutes in it has 3 Quake III announces. One of the album booklet pages thanks Todd Hollenshead and ID Software:


3) There is another obscure Belorussian (boringly) avant-garde band Knyaz Mishkin. They have more than 20 years of history and also released an album in 2001, officially available here. Track 2 (really titled "Keen eye") features Quake I single player sounds in its middle and end.