Bethesda Buys id Software

POOPERSCOOPER · Post by **POOPERSCOOPER** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:02 pm

[ Company -> Article ]

I'm not making this up, its the real deal here is the full press release;<blockquote>ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda
Softworks, today announced it has completed the acquisition of
legendary game studio, id Software, creators of world-renowned games
such as DOOM, QUAKE, Wolfenstein, and its upcoming title, RAGE. The
acquisition by ZeniMax Media joins together two of the finest, most
respected videogame developers in the world, combining the first person
shooter (FPS) expertise of id Software with acclaimed role playing game
(RPG) developer Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2008 Game of
the Year, Fallout 3, and the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls
IV: Oblivion. Bethesda Softworks will publish the titles of id Software
other than upcoming releases previously committed to other publishers.
Founded in 1991, id Software established itself as an industry
leader with some of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed
video games of all time. id Software created the original first-person
shooter, Wolfenstein 3D, and subsequently set new standards in the
genre with the blockbuster releases of its DOOM and QUAKE titles. In
addition, id Software developed cutting edge, proprietary technology
with the id Tech engine which powers many notable FPS titles, and
continues to make great advances in game technology under the direction
of John Carmack, one of the country’s technology leaders and a member
of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) Hall of Fame.
Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, commented on the
transaction: “This was a unique opportunity to team with a smart,
sophisticated publisher like Bethesda Softworks where the interests of
the studio and the publisher will be fully aligned in the development
and marketing of our titles. In addition, we will now have financial
and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a
huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our
fans.”
id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the
direction of its founder, John Carmack. No changes will be made in the
operations of id Software in the development of its games. All the
principals at id Software have signed long-term employment contracts,
assuring they will continue in their roles developing games at the
studio.
“This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward,”
said John Carmack, who will continue to serve in his current role as
Technical Director. “We will now be able to grow and extend all of our
franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple
teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service
of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best
talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as
it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about
this deal, I am."
Robert Altman, the founder, Chairman & CEO of ZeniMax Media
stated, “We, along with many others, consider id Software to be among
the finest game studios in the world, with extraordinary design,
artistic and technical capabilities. They have demonstrated,
repeatedly, that rare ability to create franchise properties that are
critical and commercial successes. Our intention is to make sure id
Software will continue to do what they do best – make AAA games. Our
role will be to provide publisher support through Bethesda Softworks
and give id Software the resources it needs to grow and expand.”
ZeniMax Media Inc, which is privately held, was founded in 1999
to create quality interactive entertainment products to meet the
growing worldwide demand. The Company is headquartered in Rockville, MD
and maintains offices in Hunt Valley, MD, London and Tokyo. Among its
wholly owned subsidiaries are Bethesda Softworks, a premier publisher
of video games, Vir2L Studios which develops games for the casual
market, and ZeniMax Online Studios, a studio dedicated to massively
multi-player online games (MMOG).
Bethesda Game Studios, the development group at ZeniMax Media,
is one of the top video game studios in the world. Its most recent
release, Fallout 3, was the 2008 winner of more than 60 Game of the
Year awards, including The Associated Press, Official Xbox Magazine,
Yahoo, PC Gamer, IGN, Game Critics Awards, Game Developer Choice
Awards, and Gamespy. Bethesda also created the 2006 PC and Xbox 360
Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the 2002 PC and
Xbox Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Bethesda Game
Studios has created 2 of the 10 best games of all time, Fallout 3 and
Oblivion, on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.</blockquote> It's no longer just oblivion with guns now.
Spotted @ <a href="http://ve3d.ign.com/">Voodoo Extreme</a>

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:16 pm

The next Fallout 3 dlc will have nazis mebbe.

Blargh · Post by **Blargh** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:06 pm

Ahahahaha. Classical.

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:43 pm

id fits perfectly in Bethesda's little empire, but I'd wished they'd acquired some talent instead.

Ausir · Post by **Ausir** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:04 pm

Well, FO4 might at least use a better engine now.

Also, it's technically not Bethesda that buys it but Bethesda's parent, ZeniMax.

Post by **Manoil** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:31 pm

No matter how you frame it, it's still discomforting. Who's next to sell out, I wonder?

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:48 pm

God is dead. He truly is. It is time to repent, for the Apocalypse surely is nigh. All of our lives of sin and transgressions towards our fellow man are about to be judged, so ye oh denizens of DAC, prepare for the Second Coming and repent. Repent for your ever loving souls and for the joyous service for the Lord Jehovah our God.

Jesus Christ · Post by **Jesus Christ** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:35 pm

senisterdenister wrote:God is dead. He truly is. It is time to repent, for the Apocalypse surely is nigh. All of our lives of sin and transgressions towards our fellow man are about to be judged, so ye oh denizens of DAC, prepare for the Second Coming and repent. Repent for your ever loving souls and for the joyous service for the Lord Jehovah our God.

Have you really been ignoring me this entire time?

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:32 pm

I'm sorry Jesus, I just didn't realize how close it really was.

Redeye · Post by **Redeye** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:39 pm

Now we'll be able to ask imps about rumours.

10 minutes in starts a Doom demo with original guys

tangentially related:
Ground Zero

spokomptonjdub · Post by **spokomptonjdub** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:41 am

This is truly bizarre.

id has always been ferociously independent, the only way I could see them actually selling themselves is if they either got a ridiculously favorable contract OR Carmack has plans to leave soon.

It's just weird.

UPDATE: John Romero, who's opinion means about as much as any of ours these days (if not less), called it "disgusting," and followed with "Fallout 3 bought DOOM? Wow."

I've though Romero was a joke for years now, but he has a point here.

spokomptonjdub · Post by **spokomptonjdub** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:46 am

In other strange game industry news, EA has consolidated Mythic and Bioware into one bloated, giant, and unkillable RPG factory.

MadBill · Post by **MadBill** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:23 am

I hope Bethcocks buy NASA next.

Post by **Manoil** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:43 am

or the FDA.

Smiley · Post by **Smiley** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:40 am

spokomptonjdub wrote:ridiculously favorable contract

This.

It's sort of a takeover like Activision/Blizzard, meaning they keep all their current employees and that Zenimax doesn't get to control them(Yeah.. right).

Carmack is pretty satisfied it seems.

John Carmack wrote:This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward. We will now be able to grow and extend all of our franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about this deal, I am.

Rosh · Post by **Rosh** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:03 am

Carmack's now a whore while Romero is the voice of reason...

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!

Goddamn, once you figure out these little dancing monkeys, one finally makes sense while the other goes cashtarded. I guess id was in far worse shape than we thought, but when was the last time they released a decent game? Probably around the same time they stopped pretending to have a storyline in their games and started masturbating furiously to the tune of "e-Sport".

DUMBÂ³ doesn't count.

PiP · Post by **PiP** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:19 pm

Wow I didn't realise Robert Altman was "the founder, Chairman & CEO of ZeniMax Media"

Post by **King of Creation** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:24 pm

I warned you all before in the History of the Console War part 1. It might me time to write part 2...

St. Toxic · Post by **St. Toxic** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:51 pm

Would you believe I expected this?

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:10 pm