Don’t expect to see id Software’s name on the next Elder Scrolls title. Speaking with GI.biz, Bethesda super executive Pete Hines confirmed that id Software would continue to do its own thing post-acquirement. In other words, the once-independent studio won’t be messing with any traditional properties owned by Bethesda. Instead, id will work on its own titles: Doom 4, RAGE and “whatever else it is they’d like to do.”
“id has plenty of their own IP to keep themselves busy,” Hines said. “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.”
Oddly enough, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion may have benefitted from id Software’s touch. Oblivion Gates were essentially open-world monster closets.
Still, we can’t dismiss how great these two studios operate independently. We’re glad id Software is getting the financial support it needs, but we don’t like pouring orange juice on our cereal in the morning. Keep them seperate for now, ZeniMax.
