Kotaku: zenimax

Google Yanks Android Ports of Doom, Quake on ZeniMax Demand

Owen Good — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:00 MST

A takedown notice sent by ZeniMax led to the Android Store's removal of several ports of Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein; one of the developers admits that, though the port used open-source Doom code, some of the game files were proprietary.

ZeniMax, which of course now owns iD software, filed the DMCA complaint with Google. Developer L!TH!UM told the site Android and Me that Doom for Android, offered for free, was built with open source code but "My mistake was allowing the download of the Plutonia and TNT WADs, at least that is what I suspect."

"Although I may not be able to distribute the application through the Market, the APK can still be downloaded and installed through the web," the dev said.

Other ports pulled include: Ultimate Doom; Quake Platinum; Doom II; Wolf 3D: Spear of Destiny (two versions); Wolfenstein 3D; Quake GL; Wolfenstein 3D Lite (Beta 2) and Doom Soundboard.

iD Software frags Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein ports for Android [Android and Me via Game Politics]

Vir2L Goes Medieval On The Wii

Mike Fahey — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:40:00 MST

Vir2L Studios is bringing the sights, sounds, and smells (hopefully not) of the Middle Ages to the Wii with Medieval Games, which might have been more accurately titled Ye Olde Mini-Game Collection.

Medieval Games will have you and up to three of your closest friends compete in a variety of medieval activities. There'll be the historicaly accurate storming of castles, catapulting, and archery contests, along with a bit of your more fictitious medieval fare, such as battling dragons.

The game is being developed by N-Fusion Interactive, to be published by Vir2L Studios, one of ZeniMax Media's more colorfully named companies. While it certainly sounds like a mini-game compilation, at least they are wrapping it around an interesting theme. I'd point you to the press release for more information, but you really won't find any. Huzzah! This game shall exist! That is all we need to know.

Vir2L Studios Announces Medieval Games for Wii
(Rockville, MD) – Vir2L® Studios, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today Medieval Games™ for the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo. Medieval Games allows you to experience the excitement of days of old with up to three of your friends.

From battling dragons and storming the castle, to catapulting and archery contests, Medieval Games offers hours of fun for the entire family. Choose from a variety of colorful characters, such as the knight, princess, bard, or wizard as you compete in a variety of game modes. Tournaments and jousting await in this rich fantasy world!

Medieval Games is currently under development at N- Fusion Interactive and will be published by Vir2L Studios. Medieval Games has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information, visit www.Vir2L.com.

Nearly 150 Screenshots of Fallout 3 Leaked

Owen Good — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 MDT

Although I probably should leave anything in Japanese to Bash, pictures speak any language, and there are nearly 150 of them of Fallout 3 that have hit the Internet following the Zenimax Asia expo (Zenimax owns Fallout developer Bethesda.) Tipster Brother None, the forum admin over at No Mutants Allowed, writes: "Apparently the people viewing Fallout 3 in the ZeniMax Asia showing in Taiwan did not take their NDAs very seriously." Apparently so. We have a gallery of 28 screenies on the jump, with a link to the entire set.

Fallout 3 Screenshots [CNG4U and Catchplay, via No Mutants Allowed]

Firor Heads ZeniMax MMO Studio

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:40:09 MDT

Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media wants to break into the MMO market, and they've got the talent lined up to make it happen. The company has created ZeniMax Online Studios, a division of the company dedicated to the creation of cutting-edge MMOG title, and they've tapped MMO expert Matt Firor to head up the operation. Firor is one of the founders of Mythic Entertainment and the producer on Dark Age of Camelot, so he is directly responsible for the six months of my life I lost fighting for the good of Albion. I'll be wanting that back.

"We are excited about the opportunities we have in the online gaming space and felt that Matt is the perfect person to lead this effort," said James Leder, COO of ZeniMax Media. There are relatively few people who have the actual experience and knowledge that comes from having created a successful MMO, and Matt is the real deal. We feel fortunate to have him join our group."

Great! Now all they need to do is hand him a copy of Oblivion, tell him, "Just make this, only bigger" and they'll be golden.

ZeniMax Media Announces Establishment of Online Gaming Division - ZeniMax Online Studios Subsidiary to be headed by noted MMO veteran
August 1, 2007 (Rockville, MD) - ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of Bethesda Softworks, announced today the creation of ZeniMax Online Studios. The division will be headed by Matt Firor, a well-known expert in the field of online gaming, and will focus on the Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) market segment.

Firor was one of the founders of Mythic Entertainment, where he worked for over 10 years on MMO titles. At Mythic he was the producer of the worldwide #1 smash hit Dark Age of Camelot, a MMORPG considered one of the most influential online games of all time. When he left Mythic in 2006, Firor was responsible for all development projects at the company. For the past year, he has been a consultant in the online gaming industry, advising leading publishers interested in entering the online market.

"This could not be a more perfect opportunity for me," said Matt. "I am extremely impressed with ZeniMax and Bethesda Softworks management - their development philosophy closely matches my own, with an emphasis on quality, innovation, and craftsmanship. I am eager to get back to what I love - the development of cutting edge MMOG titles."

"We are excited about the opportunities we have in the online gaming space and felt that Matt is the perfect person to lead this effort," said James Leder, COO of ZeniMax Media. There are relatively few people who have the actual experience and knowledge that comes from having created a successful MMO, and Matt is the real deal. We feel fortunate to have him join our group."

Firor is a graduate of George Washington University and has worked in the gaming industry for 17 years. He has lectured at the University of Virginia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology on game development topics, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Firor has written articles for Game Developer Magazine and was a regular columnist covering online game development for the Korean gaming magazine "Onplayer".

For more information on ZeniMax Online Studios, visit www.zenimaxonline.com.