ZeniMax Media facts for kids
Logo used since 2014
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Media Technology Limited |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
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US
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| Total equity | US$2.5 billion (2016) |
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Number of employees
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2,300+ (2020) |
| Parent | Microsoft (2021–2022) Microsoft Gaming (2022–present) |
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ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American company that owns many video game studios. It is based in Rockville, Maryland. The company started in 1999. It was founded by Christopher Weaver and Robert A. Altman. ZeniMax Media became the main company for Weaver's video game publisher, Bethesda Softworks.
ZeniMax Media owns famous game development studios. These include Bethesda Game Studios, known for The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield. It also owns id Software, which made Doom and Quake. Other studios are Arkane Studios (Dishonored, Prey), MachineGames (Wolfenstein), and ZeniMax Online Studios (The Elder Scrolls Online). In March 2021, Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media for $8.1 billion. It is now part of Microsoft's Microsoft Gaming division.
Contents
History of ZeniMax Media
How ZeniMax Started and Grew
ZeniMax Media was created in 1999 by Christopher Weaver and Robert A. Altman. Weaver was the founder of Bethesda Softworks, a video game company. Altman was a lawyer. They named the company "ZeniMax" by combining "zenith" (meaning the highest point) and "maximum." The goal was for ZeniMax Media to be the main company overseeing Bethesda Softworks.
Robert A. Altman became the chief executive officer (CEO). Christopher Weaver helped get funding for the new company. In 2004, ZeniMax bought the Fallout game series from another company called Interplay Entertainment.
In 2007, ZeniMax announced a new studio called ZeniMax Online Studios. This studio focuses on online games. By October 2007, ZeniMax had about 200 employees. A company called Providence Equity Partners invested $300 million in ZeniMax. This helped ZeniMax grow even more. By January 2011, ZeniMax had grown to 400 employees.
Legal Challenge with Oculus VR
In May 2014, ZeniMax had a legal disagreement with Oculus VR, a company that makes virtual reality headsets. ZeniMax believed that some of their technology and help were used to create the Oculus Rift headset. They said that their technology made the Oculus Rift better.
ZeniMax filed a lawsuit against Oculus VR. In February 2017, a jury decided that Oculus VR had used some of ZeniMax's copyrighted and trademarked ideas. The jury awarded ZeniMax $500 million.
ZeniMax Joins Microsoft
In September 2020, Microsoft announced that it would buy ZeniMax and all its studios for $7.5 billion. This was a very big deal in the video game world. Robert A. Altman, one of the founders, had thought about selling ZeniMax for several years. Sadly, he passed away in February 2021 before the deal was finalized.
Government groups in the US and Europe approved the purchase in March 2021. Microsoft officially completed the acquisition on March 9, 2021. The final cost was $8.1 billion. ZeniMax Media became a part of Microsoft's gaming division.
After joining Microsoft, some employees at ZeniMax Online Studios decided to form a union in January 2023. This union helps workers have a stronger voice. In 2024, Microsoft agreed to not interfere with union efforts at ZeniMax Media studios.
In May 2024, Microsoft announced some changes for ZeniMax studios. Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks were planned to close. Another studio, Roundhouse Studios, joined ZeniMax Online Studios. However, in August 2024, another company called Krafton agreed to buy Tango Gameworks, which saved it from closing. In July 2024, over 200 employees at Bethesda Game Studios also formed a union.
ZeniMax Studios
ZeniMax Media owns many different game development studios around the world. Here are some of them:
- Arkane Studios in Lyon, France. This studio joined ZeniMax in August 2010.
- Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, Maryland, US. This was the original company that ZeniMax was formed to oversee in 1999.
- Bethesda Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland, US. This studio was created in 2001 and makes big role-playing games.
- Bethesda Game Studios Austin in Austin, Texas, US. This studio started in 2012 and was renamed in 2018.
- Bethesda Game Studios Dallas in Dallas, US. This studio joined ZeniMax in 2017 and was renamed in 2018.
- Bethesda Game Studios Montreal in Montreal, Canada. This studio was created in 2015.
- Bethesda Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland, US. This studio was created in 2001 and makes big role-playing games.
- id Software in Richardson, Texas, US. This famous studio, known for Doom, joined ZeniMax in June 2009.
- id Software Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. This office was founded in 2015.
- MachineGames in Uppsala, Sweden. This studio joined ZeniMax in November 2010.
- MachineGames Sundsvall in Sundsvall, Sweden. This office was founded in 2023.
- ZeniMax Online Studios in Hunt Valley, Maryland, US. This studio, which makes online games like The Elder Scrolls Online, was founded in 2007.
- ZeniMax Online Studios Hungary in Budapest, Hungary. This studio joined ZeniMax in 2022.
Former Studios
Some studios that were once part of ZeniMax Media have either closed or joined other studios.
Alpha Dog Games
Alpha Dog Games was a Canadian mobile game developer located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ZeniMax Media bought this company in October 2019. When Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media in 2021, Alpha Dog Games also became part of Microsoft. The studio closed in May 2024.
Other Studios That Are No Longer Part of ZeniMax
- Arkane Studios Austin in Austin, Texas, US. This studio closed in 2024.
- Roundhouse Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, US. This studio joined ZeniMax Online Studios in 2024.
- Tango Gameworks in Tokyo, Japan. This studio joined ZeniMax in October 2010. It was sold to Krafton in 2024.
See also
In Spanish: ZeniMax Media para niños
