ZeniMax Media Acquires id Software‏

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, as reported by the industry scoring system found at www.metacritic.com and www.gamerankings.com.