ZeniMax Media announced today it has acquired the rights to publish Rage, the next big game from id Software, which ZeniMax acquired earlier this year.
Previously, Rage was going to be published by Electronic Arts through its EA Partners label. Rockville, Md.-based ZeniMax, which also owns other game makers such as Bethesda Softworks, said that the ongoing development of Rage is unaffected by the change.
It’s hard to tell why this happened, but it probably means a lot less revenue coming into EA.
The deal is an interesting move as it removes one of the premiere titles in the first-person shooter genre from EA’s portfolio. Presumably, id Software will have more say about the publishing of the game under this deal, and ZeniMax, which has a far smaller slate of titles than EA, will be able to give the game more attention upon launch. Rage is a highly anticipated futuristic shooter and vehicle combat game.
id Software is a legendary game studio in Mesquite, Texas, and is known for titles such as Doom and Wolfenstein.