ZeniMax buys id Software. Relevance to us: zero. Unless Bethesda tries to use the id Tech 5 engine for Fallout 4, which, with their inability to handle even a solid undemanding engine like Gamebryo, would be pretty hilarious.
Fine, I'll post it: ZeniMax buys id Software
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whirlingdervish
Brahmin Cavalry Commander
meh.
Bitter much? It's just a thread, get over it. We don't need two threads on the same subject, and when we post news we can't remove that one. Also, you were not the first person to report that by far.
And people: remember that Zenimax is not the same as Bethesda.
And people: remember that Zenimax is not the same as Bethesda.
id is not really relevant to us, and Bethesda is down the shitter.
one can only hope that id might rub off a few best practices on Beth?
one can only hope that id might rub off a few best practices on Beth?
Except it isn't the same. Bethesda is a daughter of Zenimax, as is id Software now.Beelzebud said:
So id Software is completely seperate from Bethesda, until Zenimax(!) starts changing things.
They do not share developers. They do not develop the same games.
It might turn out in the long run that they're going to merge and change everything. But that's only one possibility of a lot of different possibilities.
The only interesting bit is that Pete Hines is mentioned as a PR contact, but that might as well be temporary or Pete Hines being bored at Bethesda.
That has more to do with the way Bethesda the publisher and Bethesda the developer share certain employees, most noticeably under the PR department, than anything else. Doesn't impact the development side of things, it's just Bethesda the publisher.
And its amazing track record.
And what are the odd of Bethesda releasing a stable game on cutting edge technology? They better absorb some id programmers before they take over the engine.
Actually, ZeniMax is pretty separate from Bethesda. It's just that ZeniMax really isn't much of anything, in itself. It's not a publisher, nor a developer. It's a paper shell parent company.
And its amazing track record.
Ausir said:
And what are the odd of Bethesda releasing a stable game on cutting edge technology? They better absorb some id programmers before they take over the engine.
Ausir said:
Actually, ZeniMax is pretty separate from Bethesda. It's just that ZeniMax really isn't much of anything, in itself. It's not a publisher, nor a developer. It's a paper shell parent company.
"The only interesting bit is that Pete Hines is mentioned as a PR contact, but that might as well be temporary or Pete Hines being bored at Bethesda."Beelzebud said:
You can't infer much from that, other than that Pete Hines is taking over some PR duties right now for whatever reason (their PR manager could've quit, Zenimax might not be satisfied with the PR, maybe they needed a new PR manager but hadn't gotten one yet etc).
It's also largely irrelevant for game development.
If the different companies can share technology between them while still keeping diverse games that they develop, i see no harm done actually.
Oblivion and fallout could really use a better engine in combat and fixed shooter elements since they have so many.
Point being, if they only take exactly what they need from each other while still being two really different companies, it's not that bad!
Oblivion and fallout could really use a better engine in combat and fixed shooter elements since they have so many.
Point being, if they only take exactly what they need from each other while still being two really different companies, it's not that bad!
Sander said:
Are you deliberately ignoring every warning sign Bethesda/Zenimax has given us the past few years?
You are going to sit here and say that the PR department is irrelevant in regards to Bethesda? The PR department practically made every design decision for Fallout 3. Hell one of the biggest criticisms of Bethesda from this site has been the meddling influence their PR department has on the game design process.
Amazing...
Again: Bethesda, the publisher, is not the same as Zenimax, the parent company, which is definitely not the same as Bethesda the developer.Beelzebud said:
I have no clue how this will turn out, as we have no idea how Zenimax will interfere with id Software. Yes, there's a good chance they'll change a bunch of things for the worse. But given that it's id Software, there's also a chance they just saw an opportunity to buy a succesful company and let it run pretty much as it has been running, analogous to EA purchasing Bioware.
But face it: id Software itself has never been about making niche games and its games are extremely popular, succesful and pretty damned mainstream already. What, exactly, is Zenimax going to want to change about that?
'This site' has uttered no such criticism, its posters have but that certainly isn't one of the main criticisms leveled at Bethesda or Fallout 3, nor do we actually have any idea how much input the PR department has. Also note that Pete Hines isn't just a PR Manager, he's the VP of Bethesda Softworks.Beelzebud said:
I am also not saying that at all, as I have said earlier in this thread we have no clue whether Pete Hines is just filling a role for now or will retain that position, nor how much influence he'll want to use, or how much influence he'll get (note that id Software is a more mature and independent developer than Bethesda).
It is?Ausir said:
Probably because they want to get all MMORPGs under one roof.