Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda Softworks, LLC
Subsidiary
Industry Interactive entertainment
Computer and video games
Founded 1986 (1986)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Founder Christopher Weaver
Headquarters Rockville, Maryland, United States
Key people
 Vlatko Andonov (President)
Todd Vaughn (VP Development)
Pete Hines (VP PR & Marketing)
Ron Seger (VP Sales)
Products List of Bethesda Softworks video games
Parent ZeniMax Media
Subsidiaries Bethesda Game Studios
Website www.bethsoft.com

Bethesda Softworks, LLC is an American video game publisher. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland,[1] and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland. The company's products consist of games in role-playing, racing, simulation, and sports.

History

Bethesda has been a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment content for over two decades. In 2001 Bethesda Softworks became a publisher only and the newly formed Bethesda Game Studios became the developer of their games. Founded in 1986 by Christopher Weaver in Bethesda, Maryland, and moved to Rockville, Maryland in 1990, the company has a long history of PC and console games.

Bethesda is credited with the creation of the first physics-based sports simulation (Gridiron!) in 1986 for the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga and Commodore 64/128. Early games scored respectably in the gaming press.[2][3]

The company is best known for creating The Elder Scrolls RPG series, based upon the original programming of Julian Lefay. The first chapter of the series, entitled The Elder Scrolls: Arena, was released in 1994. Since that time, numerous other chapters have been released. The game has four direct sequels Daggerfall (1996), Morrowind (2002), Oblivion (2006) and Skyrim (2011), along with three spin-offs Battlespire (1997), Redguard (1998), and The Elder Scrolls Travels series.

Bethesda Softworks is also known for publishing titles based upon popular movie franchises, including The Terminator, Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean.

In 2004, the Fallout franchise was acquired by Bethesda Softworks from Interplay Productions and the development of Fallout 3 was handed over to Bethesda Game Studios. Fallout 3 was released on October 28, 2008. Five downloadable content packs for Fallout 3 were released in the year following its release—Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta. Obsidian Entertainment's new Fallout title, Fallout: New Vegas was published in 2010. Fallout 4 was released on November 10, 2015.

The company continues to expand their publishing into new franchises, releasing Wet and Rogue Warrior in 2010, and Splash Damage's Brink and inXile Entertainment's Hunted: The Demon's Forge in 2011.

On June 24, 2009, Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media, acquired id Software, whose titles, including Rage, would be published by Bethesda Softworks.[4] It was later announced that all games using the new id Tech 5 game engine will be published by them.

Games published

1980s and 1990s

2000s

2010s

References

  1. ↑ "Company Profile". ZeniMax Media. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  2. ↑ Walker, Jeff (September 1989). "Wayne Gretzky Hockey". Amiga Computing 2 (4). Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  3. ↑ Kennedy, John (December 1989). "It is the Orangeblobs v. the Blackblobs: GRIDIRON!". Amiga Computing. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  4. ↑ "ZeniMax Media Acquires id Software". PR Newswire. June 24, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2015.

External links

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