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Zenimax buys id Software
Author: Joe MartinPublished: 24th June 2009
Zenimax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, has now wholly bought out id Software.
Discussing why id Software would ever want to sell company founder John Carmack says it's to do with the capitalising on the brands that both developers own.
"We're really getting kind of tired competing with our own publishers in terms of how our titles will be featured," Carmack said in a comment to Kotaku. "And we've really gotten more IPs than we've been able to take advantage of. And working with other companies hasn't been working out as spectacularly as it could."
“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," said id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead. "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.”
According to the press release id Software will continue to operate as a separate studio totally run by John Carmack and no changes are being made to the company structure or game designs. The core team at id Software have signed long-term contracts with Zenimax Media.
“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," said Rob Altman, Zenimax CEO. "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.”
What's your opinion on the deal? Let us know in the forums.
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Please let this be a hint at a remake of Hexen please let this be a hint at a remake of Hexen please ohh sorry I'm repeating myself.
Or Rage...
I've got the feeling there's going to be a lot of DLC.
Personally I think this is great news.
They're both great developers with great back catalogues and styles. It'll be good to see if they take a peice of each others pie to imrove games from both companies.
Bethesda, make good, involving stories but stick an engine together with a random selection of off the shelf technologies and some blue-tac.
Sounds like an excellent coming together to me.
Until the crossover, anyway.
IMHO, Raven always made the better games using Id's tech.
It was better than Doom III....
Hello, how do you know any of this? Assume much? for all you know they will merge to two together, the first 3 words in assume spell.........
Just a hint... @ Lepermessiah
Anyways, I think this is one of the saddest days ever for FPS people of the old generation [you know, the ones that actually played Hexen, Quake and Doom instead of talking about it]. Why?
Well, id is great at what they do. Awesome engines that always push boundaries. Games that follow a certain pattern and never try to be more than they really are: Shooting fests with lots of aliens.
Not everyone likes their games, many have never played the originals but claim the new ones are "nothing like the original". Just don't expect games like HL/HL2 from id. They won't have the best story lines or the most detailed characters. I mean, look at the Doom marine, maybe the most underdeveloped main character in a game ever.
Anyways, me and my friends always used to say that id will be the last games maker not being bought out by any money whoring publisher. Well, it just happened. I'm sad despite all the opportunities that now open to id and their franchises.
Stop being such pessimistic whine babies.
you could in doom 3. it had little or no impact on the game (access to ammo and stuff depending how you chose)
OH BOY, WOULDN'T THAT BE FUN.
</sarcasm>
"AAA games" invariably means "console ports", which invariably means "a large pair of pants". On the other hand, at least it's a useful warning to avoid when people start on about "AAAAAAA+++ titles". What is this, bloody ebay?
:)This tickled me.
On the other hand, despite what Zenimax might say, parent company pressure is never a good thing. It always boils down to overly commercial, poorer quality games. Something that jumps immidielty to mind is the fact Rage is probably going to take up multiple DVDs on the 360. I can see something that like Zenimax saying "no" to around manufacturing costs and forcing id to reduce the game size (i.e. the textures) to fit on one DVD.
On the one hand, it could be great. But bitter experiences teaches us chances are it won't be.
Glad nothing will change but while they say that now I highly doubt a buyout will all of a sudden not impact on any of the development of games.
cant stand oblivion / fallout3
As long as the linux installers for their Windows titles keep coming I don't care!
I think more money to develop can never be a bad thing, especially if they stay true to their word and leave the studio intact.
............remember Quake 4 ......... kinda dropped the ball there though