ZeniMax Media
| File:Zenimax logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and video games |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Rockville, Maryland |
Key people | Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO Todd Howard, Executive Producer and Game Director |
| Products | The Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3, Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, Rage |
| Parent | Xbox Game Studios  |
| Subsidiaries | id Software Bethesda Softworks Vir2L Studios Mud Duck Productions ZeniMax Online Studios |
| Website | http://www.zenimax.com |
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American developer, marketer, publisher, and distributor of computer and video games. It is based in Rockville, Maryland.
ZeniMax is known as a third party publisher and as the owner of Bethesda Softworks, the developer of The Elder Scrolls game series and new owner of id Software, the developer of Doom.
ZeniMax development studios
The following video game development studios and brands are owned by ZeniMax Media:
- id Software in Dallas, Texas, founded 1991, acquired 2009.
- Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, Maryland, founded 1985, acquired 1999.
- Vir2L Studios (Mobile phone and handheld game development)
- Mud Duck Productions
- ZeniMax Online Studios (MMOG development)
History
ZeniMax was founded in 1999 by Bethesda Softworks founder Chris Weaver and Robert A. Altman. Weaver's vision was to use Bethesda Softworks as a hybrid-media company which would create cross-media properties for a diverse range of different platforms. Weaver brought Robert Altman on board as CEO, contributing his stock in Bethesda Softworks so that the new shell company (Zenimax) would be able to obtain funding. Weaver moved to a non-operational role in 2002.
Under ZeniMax, Bethesda developed and published The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Bethesda is also the publisher of three new Star Trek games, Star Trek: Legacy (For PC/Xbox 360), Star Trek: Tactical Assault (for Nintendo DS/PlayStation Portable), and Star Trek: Encounters (PlayStation 2).[1]
In 2004, ZeniMax acquired the Fallout franchise from Interplay Entertainment.[2] Bethesda's Todd Howard said in January 2007 that "We started work on Fallout 3 in late 2004 with a few people. We only had about 10 people on it until Oblivion wrapped, but most of our staff is on it now."[3] Fallout 3 was released in October 2008.
On June 24, 2009, it was announced that ZeniMax had purchased independent developer id Software.[4]
In September 2009 ZeniMax acquired rights to the Prey video game franchise.[5]
In December 2009 ZeniMax acquired publishing rights to the id Software game Rage. Game was to be published by Electronic Arts.[6]
References
- ^ Press Release: Bethesda Softworks Obtains Star Trek License and Announces Two Games from Bethesda Softworks website
- ^ Facing Fallout from Next Generation
- ^ Fallout 3 360-bound? from GameSpot
- ^ Remo, Chris (2009-06-24). "Bethesda Parent ZeniMax Acquires id Software". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (2009-09-08). "ZeniMax Media Acquires Rights To 'Prey'". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
- ^ Purchese, Robert (2009-12-15). "Bethesda takes Rage from EA". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-01-02.