Looking to the future

Jul 10, 2009 07:23 GMT  ·  By

A document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed that ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, has raised about 105 million dollars in capital in order to complete the buyout of id Software, the developer best known for having created Doom and its sequels.

The document, which was uncovered by paidContent, is dated for July 7 and the issuing of securities by ZeniMax began on June 23. It's not clear whether all the money that was raised went directly to finance the acquisition but it's an impressive sum to get for ZeniMax, which hints that some of it might be used for future development.

ZeniMax raised as much as 300 million dollars in 2007 and it has an impressive array of board members, like Jerome Bruckheimer, Calvin Ripken, Jr. and Leslie Moonves, helping the company when it comes to raising money.

ZeniMax has been putting together quite an impressive videogame portfolio in the last few years. Bethesda was acquired in 2001 and since then, the team has managed to put together the impressive The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, added new content for it through DLC packs, an expansion, and, last year, launched another blockbuster in the form of Fallout 3, which has also received four DLC packs and is expecting a fifth, and a complete edition, which is set for fall. Work on The Elder Scrolls V is also rumored to be going on at Bethesda.

The acquisition of id Software allows ZeniMax to have another veteran development studio under its tutelage, one that specializes in a genre of videogames, shooters, which Bethesda has not been involved with. The first game id Software will be developing for Bethesda is not known for certain, but at the moment the studio is working on Wolfenstein, Doom 4 and Rage.