ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Doom creator id Software and Fallout 3 developer Bethesda, has now acquired the rights to the gravity-bending shooter franchise Prey.

While the company has yet to make an official statement, superannutation dug up a document that shows Radar Group transferring ownership to ZeniMax in July, backing up an overlooked report from Duke4.net. More recently, ZeniMax registered the Prey trademark under video games, books, movies, and television shows.

The first Prey (PC, X360) made it to stores in 2006 care of Human Head, which had worked with then-property owner 3D Realms on the long-in-development project. A sequel was later announced by Radar Group--a so-called entertainment incubator formed by 3DR exec Scott Miller--but nothing has been said since. Going by the USPTO, Radar handed the rights to ZeniMax within a month of getting them from 3DR.

Following the surprising news that Bethesda parent company ZeniMax had acquired legendary developer id, the studio has issued a lengthy statement explaining the reasons behind the acquisition and shed some light on its plans for growth.

"We will add a third major development team," id co-founder John Carmack told VentureBeat, noting that the Doom and Rage developer "already had a plan in place."

Carmack explained that the Quake Live team, "which had less than a dozen people," will work with id's other two major teams on multiplayer for Rage and Doom 4 as an "intermediate step" to "get familiar with our technology there."

Following that, the team will be assigned one of id's "main intellectual properties," a catalog that includes Quake, Doom, Wolfenstein and Commander Keen.

"It's not clear what that [property] is," said Carmack. "That's all we wanted: three teams. It's not as if we wanted to create four, five and six teams. We have two teams doing big titles now. We have our mobile teams doing other work. But we'll add that... Read more

Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media has just announced its acquisition of well-known video game developer id Software (Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D).

"id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the direction of its founder, John Carmack," vowed ZeniMax. "No changes will be made in the operations of id Software in the development of its games. All the principals at id Software have signed long-term employment contracts, assuring they will continue in their roles...at the studio."

Founded as an independent game developer in 1991, id Software is currently working on the post-apocalyptic shooter RAGE (PC, PS3, 360) and the long-awaited Doom 4.

"Our intention is to make sure id Software will continue to do what they do best--make AAA games," said ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman. "Our role will be to provide publisher support through Bethesda Softworks and give id Software the resources it... Read more

Following February's opening of a European publishing branch, Bethesda Softworks owner ZeniMax Media today announced the establishment of its Asian office.

Much like the company's publishing operations in North America and Europe, ZeniMax Asia K.K. will oversee the Asian production and distribution of Bethesda titles, such as Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, X360) and Star Trek: Conquest (PS2, Wii), under the Bethesda Softworks brand.

It will also publish Japanese editions of games from other developers, including the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 versions of Rockstar's Bully and 2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K8 on PS2, PS3, X360, and PSP.