id Software sold to ZeniMax (Bethesda) to become own publisher

25 June 2009

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Posted by:Josh

id Software, makers of Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein and the upcoming Rage, have been purchased by ZeniMax, owner of the top-tier publisher Bethesda Softworks which created The Elder Scrolls games and Fallout 3.

The reason for the merger is to effectively turn ID into a publisher of its own titles while freeing them up to pump more resources into game development.

As John Carmack explains, “We’re really getting kind of tired competing with our own publishers in terms of how our titles will be featured. 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. So the idea of actually becoming a publisher and merging Bethesda and ZeniMax on there [is ideal.] It would be hard to imagine a more complementary relationship. They are tripe A, top-of-the-line in what they do in the RPGs. And they have no overlap with all the things we do in the FPSes.”

Bethesda Softworks will now publish the titles of id Software other than upcoming releases previously committed to other publishers.

Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, commented, “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 meanwhile will continue to operate as is, with all their principle developers signing multi-year contracts to stay on and continue developing the hit games everyone wants, like Doom 4.

“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.”