id won't create new IP for Bethesda

By Games Industry.biz Published 14 July, 2009

Has "plenty to keep themselves busy".

Bethesda has told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz that recently acquired developer id Software won't be creating new games or developing titles based on any intellectual properties owned by the publisher.

ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda, swooped for the Doom creator last month, fuelling speculation the developer could be creating original games for Bethesda, or working on its brands, which include Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.

"id has plenty of their own IP to keep themselves busy," said Pete Hines, global VP of marketing for the company. "It was their desire to build to three teams and bring the development of their IP in-house. So we'll help them build up to the three full teams a little faster, now that they have additional resources, and they'll work on Rage and Doom 4 and whatever else it is they'd like to do."

"But with Quake, Doom, Wolfenstein, and Rage, they already have more IP than they have teams to work on them. So right now creating new IP or having them work on our Bethesda IP isn't even being considered."

Hines said that adding a specialist first-person development team strengthens the company, but it won't stop the publisher working with and releasing first-person titles from other external developers.

"It gives us an internal studio with that kind expertise. And not just any studio, but id. These are the guys that invented first-person shooters, and are continuing to push the boundaries with their tech and ideas. You want people like that working with you and a part of your internal development capacity."

"It doesn't mean we won't continue to look at third party folks to work with, like the relationship we have with Splash Damage, but it gives us internal expertise that will be invaluable," continued Hines.

"We do have a strong portfolio with games like Oblivion and Fallout, and the folks at Bethesda Game Studios will continue to work on those, but these games aren't the same kinds of games that id makes. So there's room for them all," he added.

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Comments (14) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • wellzy4eva #1 3 years ago

    Deceptive heading, it sounds like id Software are rebelling against Bethesda, rather than Bethesda saying 'Hey, we just fund them, they know what they're doing, we're not gonna mess with it'

    It would be good if Bethesda bought Splash Damage as well, although they do already have a partnership deal with them.

  • Dizzy #2 3 years ago

    They better respect their new overlords! ;)

    Bethesda IP certainly is pretty hot right now... maybe better that the iD IP.

  • symmetry #3 3 years ago

    Heh, it's funny that they have a developer called Splash Damage when id basically invented splash damage in games :)

  • Xerx3s #4 3 years ago

    "Bethesda IP certainly is pretty hot right now... maybe better that the iD IP. "

    Howso? ID is constantly releasing loads of tiny IP's such as Orcs & Elves on the DS that are do well both critically and financially. Doom 3 sold about 3 million copies on two platforms which is about the same as Fallout 3 did on 3 platforms. I can't think of a single game that they released that didn't sell.

  • Hunam #5 3 years ago

    You don't really know id if you think they'd willingly enter an agreement in which they don't do exactly as they want. id aren't some sort of run of the mill studio, they are in the top 5 game developers of the world.

    I'm a big fan of Splash Damage too, and it's interesting that id joined Zenimax as well, id had a massive hand in setting up Splash Damage which I think could only make Brink a better title. I'd be perfectly happy if SD and Obsidian joined the ranks of Zenimax too tbh, they seem like the best group for gamers and developers right now.

  • Dizzy #6 3 years ago

    "Howso? "

    I am not talking sales... I am talking critical acclaim. Bethesda has scored way better than iD last few years in the eyes of the critics.

  • Hunam #7 3 years ago

    That'll be because the last time id released a full product was in 2004 :p
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/09 @ 14:09

  • BiscuitBase #8 3 years ago

    Maybe they'll switch Rage to be in the Fallout universe? You heard it here first folks!

  • WrongShui #9 3 years ago

    Beth could us id's expertise, the non vats shooting in Fallout was pretty dire.

    Vats was awesome though.

  • Domovoi #10 3 years ago

    Yeah, yeah, it'll undoubtedly be fine. Now spill some beans about the new Elder Scrolls.

  • Xerx3s #11 3 years ago

    "I am not talking sales... I am talking critical acclaim. Bethesda has scored way better than iD last few years in the eyes of the critics."

    I don't know what you are on about but every title I can think of made by them has been very well received critically.

  • wellzy4eva #12 3 years ago

    @buscuitbase - Rage cannot be changed as it's still under their previous contract with EA.

  • FooAtari #13 3 years ago

    Bethesda did not buy id. Bithesda don't won id. THE PARENT COMPANY DOES, ZeniMax Media

    Not that hard to grasp EG, is it?

    the headline you posted for this news a few weeks ago was also misleading...

  • Eraser #14 3 years ago

    "Heh, it's funny that they have a developer called Splash Damage when id basically invented splash damage in games :)"

    Actually, Splash Damage started off as an amateur mod team that created mods for Quake 3 Arena such as Q3 Fortress