Fallout publisher scoops up classic Doom/Quake developer
A bit of consolidation going on in the video game biz today, as ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3), is acquiring id Software, developer of the classic Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein franchises.
While responsible for some of the most important PC games of all time (and essentially creating the first-person shooter with 1992's Wolfenstein 3D), iD has struggled in recent years to find the same relevance among console gamers and develop new properties. The company has also needed to form a more mutually beneficial relationship with a publisher (which is why there are very few marquee standalone game developers today -- most are owned by, or have exclusive deals with, a single publisher).
Good news for iD fans is that co-founder John Carmack (also co-creator of games such as Doom and Quake) is along for the ride, signing a long-term employment contract, according to a press release about the deal. In it, Carmack says, "This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward...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."
A handful of iD projects already in development, including a new Wolfenstein game, will be published by Activision and EA, but Bethesda would publish any new sequels.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
Former radio DJ turned
journalist Dan Ackerman grew up in the Bronx and now lives in
Manhattan. He’s covered music, technology, and video games for
more than 10 years. His latest album, Tales Out of Night School
is available now. 
Joseph Kaminski,
when not juggling the dual demands of parenthood and HD gaming, is a
life-long Manhattanite and can be found testing the latest tech in
CNET’s Lab. 
Julie Rivera grew up
and currently resides in Brooklyn. When she's not deejaying,
bartending, or fixing gadgets for friends on the outside, you'll find
her testing, troubleshooting and developing benchmarks for laptops in
the "fish bowl" known as CNET Labs. 
Scott Stein, CNET's
newest laptops editor, was born in Queens and grew up a Long Islander -
and is now raising a kid in NYC. In addition to covering games and
tech, writing screenplays, and performing improv in seedy downtown
establishments, he's also a die-hard, season-ticket-holding Jets fan.
I certainly hope they won't consolize their games like Beth did to Fallout 3. Not that it was a bad game, just too obviously made for console gamers.
Still, I hope we can get the BFG 9000 in Fallout 3 sometime soon.
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by Tedders85
June 24, 2009 1:32 PM PDT
- Did Bill Gates just ad-lib that whole video? Good lord that was terrible.
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