The last game we got in the Doom series was 2020's Eternal. A?? fine game it was as well (though I personally prefer the 2016 entry). Given that it's only been four years then, one would hardly expect a new installment so soon. We know how long AAA titles take to develop in this climate. However, ??something may be on the horizon soon.

Back in January of this year, ZeniMax Media registered a trademark that many interpreted as being Doom related. The trademark itself was given the title "IDKFA," a well-known reference to a cheat code from the earlier games. Given this, many have assumed that this has to be in relation to an upcoming game.

The Verge's Tom Warren also teased a Doom may be on the way in a recent write-up on what's happening inside Microsoft and Xbox right now. "Microsoft will be banking on some new game announcements lifting the Doom around Xbox," Warren writes. Eurogamer also reports that it's heard similar things.

We have so few details about this speculation that I'm surprised I'm able to fill the required word count for this article (though I do waffle sometimes). As such, it can't be said what ZeniMax has planned. All we can do is play the Speculation Game based on what people strongly suspect, given the Doom reference.

Could an announcement be made soon?

Not long ago, the Xbox Showcase for 2024 was announced, which will be going ahead on June 9. This will be a chance for a lot of Xbox-related content to be shown off and teased. Seeing as id Software �the studio behind Doom �is part of this business u??mbrella, there's every possibility a new game in the iconic series could be announced.

I'm spit-balling, of course. None of the official Twitter/X accounts from the likes of id, Bethesda, Xbox or even the Doom profile itself mention any kind of announcement inbound. Makes sense if they want to keep it schtum, thoug?h.

We don't even know if id Software will be the developer of any future Doom ga??mes. I mean, it would seem likely, given the studio has been making them since 1993 (albeit not with the same people? onboard). But as I say, these are just rumors, so we'll hopefully know more either during or just before the Xbox Showcase goes live.

The showcase will be an important moment for Xbox either way, as the company faces scrutiny for its recent closure of several studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango GameWorks. This summer's stream will show what road Xbox has ahead without the makers of Prey and Hi-Fi Rush on-board.

The post Rumors are swirling around a possible new Doom?? rev??eal appeared first on Destructoid.

When you step out into the plains of Fallout 4, what do you see? A derelict city, a bunch of raiders, and some mutated beasts. It's all very fine, but one modder decided that the post-apocalyptic RPG ??needed an injection of ??some added flora and fauna.

Over on Nexus Mods (as spotted by DSO Gaming), user StamperDoesMods has created "Mutant Menagerie - Life Finds a Way," a mod for Fallout 4 that adds a ton of new wildlife as well as plant life. According to the description, The Commonwealth is now crawling with more than 60 new mutants, ove?r 30 new her?bs and plants, and around 50 new species of fish.

//youtu.be/4bIR1BVoJOE?t=122

It's a veritable Garden of Eden, if said garden had been annihilated by an atomic exp?losion. The mod also allows you to "earn new perks through gameplay, craft hundreds of new recipes and workshop objects, and much MUCH more!"

Life...uh...uh...uh...

The images on Nexus Mods–as well as the above video–give a brief overview of what you can expect from "Mutant Menagerie." The fact that it contains so much new content should keep any dystopian-lov?ing wannabee David Attenborough entertained for a while.

Fallout 4 is already pretty full of dangerous creatures, so a few more won't hurt. It's safe to assume that not all of these news ones are hostile, which means there'll be opportunities to just take in what remains of nature. Not to mention a chance to do some fishing. So...Fallout meets Stardew Valley, then?

You never know what you're going to get from the modding community. There are so many ways to tweak games like Fallout 4 that it's little wonder ?people are still playing years after rel?ease.

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It's on the Epic Games Store now

The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is free on the Epic Games Store right now, and it's a pretty fantastic way to spend this semi-lull gaming period if you aren't getting Pikmin 4.

In case you were wondering, this is considered the "standard" edition of ESO and includes both the base game and the Morrowind chapter for $20. The "Necrom" version is $60 and adds in "all previous chapters," which at this point includes: High Isle, Blackwood, Greymoor, Elsweyr, Summerset, and Morrowind.

You can grab Elder Scrolls Online for fr?e??e right here. This freebie promo will run through July 27 at 11AM ET, so you have time!

Is ESO worth playing?

Absolutely! Especially for free. Although it had its issues at launch, I thoroughly enjoyed running through and exploring this version of the Elder Scrolls universe, and?? it's only expanded since then with numerous quality-of-life patches. Although, you will have to buy/acquir??e the expansions that deal with content beyond the base game.

Does ESO have a mandatory subscription fee?

Nope! That's wher?e this free offer comes in handy.

There is, however, an "ESO Plus Membership" that you can buy, which has become increasingly popular since Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) he?lped usher the scheme into the mainstr?eam MMO scene ages ago.

Here's what it includes:

• Access to all DLC game packs
• Free crowns for the in-game Crown Store [read: microtransactions]
• Access to the Craft Bag
• Double bank space
• Bonuses to progression
• Increased Furniture placement limits
• Costume dyeing
• Double Transmute Crystal capacity
• Exclusive access to unique Crown Store deals

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Over 300 workers vote in favor of unionization

The QA department of ZeniMax Media has voted in favor of establishing a union within its office walls. Some 306 workers within the company's U.S. gaming division sought unionization within a recently held ballo??t, overseen by the Communication Workers of America (CWA).

ZeniMax Workers United has already been officially recognized by company owner Microsoft, following a deal made with the CWA in June 2022 where the union regulator offered their approval ??????????????????????????in regards to the Microsoft/Act?ivision Blizzard acquisition in return for Microsoft on any proposed union action �And thus, MS offered no resistance and full cooperation regarding the ZeniMax team's motion. The ZWU is now the largest union in the global games industry

Microsoft has lived up to its commitment to its workers and let them decide for themselves whether they want a union," said CWA president C??hris Shelton in a statement to CN?N. "Other video game and tech giants have made a conscious choice to attack, undermine, and demoralize their own employees when they join together to form a union. Microsoft is charting a different course which will strengthen its corporate culture and ability to serve its customers and should serve as a model for the? industry and as a blueprint for regulators."

"In light of the results of the recent unionization vote, we recognize the Communications Workers of America as the bargaining representative for the Quality Assurance employees at ZeniMax," said a Microsoft spokesperson of the vote. "We look forward to e?ngaging? in good faith negotiations as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement."

Zenimax Workers United is the third union to form within a AAA developer within the past 12 months. Back in late-November, Blizzard Albany's QA department voted to unionize, despite constant blowback from Blizzard management. And in May 2022, Raven Software's QA department also sought unionization, eventually forming ?the Game Workers Alliance. Other studios, such as recent Activision acquisition Proletariat, have also stated their intention to launch union bids.

Good job, folks. Let's keep the ball rolling.

The post ZeniMax QA workers suc?cessfully form recognized union appeared first on Destructoid.

What's the fallout?

[Update: Xbox has announced that it will premiere a "Bethesda Joins Xbox" video today at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET. Described as a "roundtable conversation," Xbox Aaron Greenberg notes that the video will not focus on major news or any game announcements. You can check out the video on the official Xbox YouTube channel.]

Earlier this week, Microsoft received approval from both the U.S. Securities & Exchanges Commission and the European Commission regarding its $7.5 billion USD acquisition of ZeniMax Media, essentially making the l?atter's studios and publishers Xbox-owned studios.

According to sources speaking with VentureBeat, Microsoft is planning to discuss what this industry-shaking transaction means for Xbox going forward, with specific regard to the Xbox Game Pass service. According to VentureBeat's sources, Microsoft is currently preparing a video presentation for broadcast Thursday, March 11, in order to better explain its plans for its newly owned studios such as ?Bethesda Softworks.

Of course, one of the biggest concerns from a customer standpoint revolves around exclusivity deals, and whether Xbox will now hold firm to titles such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Wolfenstein, and others. At present it remains unclear as to whether Microsoft intends to broach this subject in the ??presentation, focusing more on it??s plans to bring the aforementioned franchises to the Game Pass service.

It is also noted that the presentation is not an E??3-style "reveal" deal. This isn't going to be a showcase for new and upcoming games. The? report states that this is more a matter of business, as Microsoft begins to set out its goals for its soon-to-be-acquired portfolio of new studios and blockbuster brands, boosting its inventory to some 23 development teams. We will, of course, let you know as/when further details of this presentation are officially confirmed.

Xbox and Bethesda will talk this week about what the acq??uisition means [GamesBeat]

The post (Update) Microsoft to discuss Bethesda acquisition and what it means for Xbox ?fans later this week appeared first on Destructoid.

No objections raised in industry-shaking acquisition

Microsoft is now one step closer to completing its acquisition of ZeniMax Media, having sought and received approval from both the European Commission and the U.S. Securities & Exchanges Commission (SEC) both of whom offered no opposition to the multi-billion dol??lar deal from taking place.

By law, Microsoft was obliged to seek approval from the statutory bodies on the basis of Antitrust - essentially global laws that are in place in order to supervise and prevent the formation of monopolies with??in a given industry. This is a common legal procedure in transactions of this nature, and was also sought by Tencent during the congl?omerate's acquisition of mobile giant King in 2016.

Having received approval from both the EU Commission and the SEC, Microsoft is now exp?ected to press forward with the $7.5 billion transaction, which is expected to see completion in late-2021. The deal gives Microsoft ownership of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary studios and licenses, including those of vide??o game publisher Bethesda Softworks.

Bethesda and Microsoft have previously assured video game fans that the new deal does not automatically designate all future Bethesda releases as Xbox/PC exclusives, suggesting that title exclusivity will be designated on a "case-by-case" basis. Bethesda's next release, Deathloop, will retain its initi?al PlayStation exclusivity despite the Microsoft purchase.

The post Microsoft’s $7.5 billion ZeniMax/Bethesda deal approved by SEC and EU Commission appeared first on Destructoid.

'He was an extraordinary leader, and an even better human being'

Bethesda announced that?? Robert A. Altman, the co-founder and CEO of ZeniMax, has passed away.

"He was a true visionary, friend, and believer in ?the spirit of people and the power of what they could accomplish together," Bethesda said. "He was an extraordinary leader, and an even better human being."

We are deeply saddened to tell you of the passing of Robert A. Altman, our Founder and CEO. He was a true visionary, friend, and believer in the spirit of people and the power of what they could accomplish together. He was an extraordinary leader, and an even better human being. pic.twitter.com/FZFsVtHc5t

— Bethesda (@bethesda) February 4, 2021

In its statement – viewable in full on Twitter – Bethesda said it was "proud to carry on the val??ues and principles Robert taught us," and extended its "deepest sympathies to Robert's family [his wife Lynda Carter and two children], who are a part of our family and have always treated us as part of theirs."

pic.twitter.com/yVLKgJO4Sz

— Lynda Carter (@RealLyndaCarter) February 10, 2021

Current and former employees of ZeniMax – to say nothing of subsidiaries including id Software, Arkane, Tango Gameworks, and MachineGames – have shared their condolences and memories.

In the first months of wfh, Altman sent weekly e-mails to the whole company and the words he offered brought normalcy and comfort to a lot of us in a hard time. Even in such a big company, his presence was a constant for those on every level and his loss is felt extremely. //t.co/VH4vGmTnnA

— ðŸ‚Ju Li Khaw🂠(@Juleshortstuff) February 4, 2021

I only met Robert once when he visited the studio. However from my almost 8 years at id/Bethesda/Zenimax I can say without a doubt that Robert was a great leader and he truly believed in what we were doing at id and the other Zenimax studios. He will be missed. //t.co/NXGCJJoa6m

— Davis Scherer (@DavisScherer) February 4, 2021

This is a rough one for me, folks. I I've worked at Bethesda for nearly 12 years, and I'm not sure many people can say they were known by name by the head of such a large org. But that wasn't unique to me; that's the experience of so many of my colleagues. Condolences to all. //t.co/lKGFkbb67O

— 🎶 Jen Tonon 🎶 - #JT20 Out NOW! (@JenTonon) February 4, 2021

The post Ro??bert A. Altman, the co-founder and CEO of ZeniMax, has died appeared first on Destructoid.

Go ask your father

Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the biggest stories in the gaming industry last year was Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media, which saw the former dol?e out a staggering $7.5 billion for the umbrella group and its subsidiary companies, including publisher Bethesda Softworks.

But despite the initial sale declaration made back in September 2020, Microsoft still has to settle several matters of red tape before the purchase can be completed, the latest of which sees Microsoft appealing to the European Union for its approval of the industry-shaking transa?ction.

The regulators of the EU must investigate Microsoft's purchase regarding matters of Antitrust - essentially checking to make sure t??hat the purchase does not break any of the EU's laws designed to prevent the ??formation of monopolies. This is a standard stage of legality in mergers of this nature, and was also applied to Tencent's 2016 purchase of mobile developer King, as well as the 2008 merger that spawned the company we know today as Activision Blizzard.

Shortly after the purchase was announced, Microsoft officials were quick to note that the deal did not necessarily mean future Bethesda products would be Xbox exclusive, noting that game platforms would be decided on a "case-by-case" basis. In fact, out of the gate, Sony will retain its PlayStation exclusivity deal on Bethesda's Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

The ??EU has until March 5 to complete its investigations and come to a decision, but it remains likely that? the commission will offer Microsoft its approval of the ZeniMax purchase, which will then enter its completion stages later in 2021.

The post Microsoft seeks EU approval on $7.??5 billion ZeniMax purchase appeared first on Destructoid.

Regulators need to approve the sale still

Ever since the morning where Microsoft dropped a bigger bombshell than the nukes in Fallout's lore, everyone has made a singular sweeping statement: Xbox acquired Bethesda.

That's not technically true yet. Microsoft and ZeniMax have completed negotiations and agreed upon?? terms. However, a sale isn't finalized until regulatory agencies that oversee mergers and acquisitions (likely the Securities and Exchanges Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and/or the Department of Justice) approve the deal.

In a recent interview with GameReactor, Xbox head Phil Spencer explains that he cannot yet start to direct Bethesda from a creative or business standpoint. Doing so would be illegal. "We haven't acquired ZeniMax," Spencer says. "?We have announced our intention to acquire ZeniMax. ??It is going through regulatory approval and we don't see any issues there. We expect early in 2021 the deal will close."

He continues "I want people to know, I'm not sitting down with Todd Howard and Robert Altman and planning their future. Because I'm currently not allowed to do that, that would be illegal... But I get a lot of questions right now: 'is this game exclusive? Is this game exclusive?' And right now, that is not my job in regards to ZeniMax. My job is not to sit down and go through their portfolio and dictate what happens."

This is the exact arc Double Fine went through following the announced Microsoft acquisition at E3 2019. A few months later, we interviewed Double Fine founder Tim Schafer and he likened the process to the studio being in escrow. "The deal was agreed upon but there's this due diligence period. It's like we're in escrow," Schafer explained. "It's gonna be finalized later [in September 2019] and then we'll find out what it's really like. Right now, th??ere's still a lot of business stuff to do to wrap it up. To officially stitch the companies together."

Soon enough Phil Spencer will be able to mandate that Elder Scrolls VII take place on the moon or that Arkane open five more studios because it's such a good developer. Or that Fallout 76 be officially renamed Fallout: This One Didn't Count. But until the deal actually closes, he'd be breaking the law if he started influencing Bethesda's dir?ection.

Phil S?pencer on exclusivity, monetisation, and game de?velopment [GameReactor]

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'I felt here is one of ends of the journeys'

Two of the most memorable appearances at E3 2019 were Keanu Reeves at the Cyberpunk 2077 showcase, and Ikumi Nakamura talking about GhostWire: Tokyo during Bethesda's conference. Full of genuine passion and levity that is rarely seen in g?aming conferences, people fell in love with these moments as they represented? the joy that gaming can bring to the world. Sadly, it looks like some of that joy will have to be squashed.

In a post on her Twitter account, Nakamura announced that she will be leaving developer Tango Gameworks, the studio responsible for GhostWire. From her brief explanation, it seems that Nakamura reached a creative plateau and was ready to move on from her nine-year tenure at that studio. While I'm saddened that her work on the Shinji Mikami directed horror has come to an end, at least she seems ??hopeful about the future.

If you happen to be in the market for a new creative director for your own studio, why not give her LinkedIn page a look? Nakamura seems eager to get back into the fray and her portfolio is certainly loa??ded with great titles. Here's to her future!

Ikumi Nakamura [Twitter]

The post ??Ikumi Nakamura announces departure from Tango Game?works appeared first on Destructoid.

Finally resolved after nearly five years

Perhaps the most major piece of litigation in virtual reality'??s relative infancy has been put to rest. ZeniMax (Bethesda's parent company) has settled its lawsuit with Oculus and Facebook over copyright and trademark infringements. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

This litigation has been ongoing for the better part of five years. ZeniMax originally alleged that Oculus co-founder John Carmack stole VR intellectual property and trade sec??rets when he left the ZeniMax-owned id Software. Further, ZeniMax asserted that another Oculus co-founder, Palmer Luckey, violated a non-disclosure agreement an??d also misappropriated trade secrets.

At the jury trial that took place in February 2017, ZeniMax asked for a verdict of $4 billion -- $2 billion for relief and another $2 billion in punitive damages. The jury awarded ZeniMax $500 million for copyright and trademark infringements with regard to its VR technology. However, the jury didn't find Oculus guilty of misappropriating trade secrets. Later, the ??Federal District Court judge reduced the award to $250 million.

At th??e time of set?tlement, the matter had been elevated to the appellate level. There's substantial risk in appealing a verdict, especially since continued litigation is exceedingly expensive. While the amount of the settlement wasn't revealed, it's almost certainly less than $250 million as both sides look to mitigate their risk -- and dodge paying a small fortune in court costs and opposing counsel's attorney's fees.

In a press release, ZeniMax CEO and chairman Robert Altman said "We are pleased that a settlement has been reached and are fully satisfied by the outcome. While we dislike litigation, we will always vigorously defend against any infringement or misappropriation of our?? intellectual property by third parties."

The post ZeniMax?? settles lawsuit with Facebook and?? Oculus over VR infringements appeared first on Destructoid.

'People sell used games all the time...We're not trying to stop that.'

Early yesterday morning, Polygon reported that Bethesda had issued a cease and desist order to Amazon marketplace seller Ryan Hupp, for his listing of a sealed copy of The Evil Within 2. Bethesda's case was that Hupp was not an "authorized reseller," and that his sale of the game as new was "??unlawful." That issue seems to stem from the wording of "new" in the store description, since Bethesda is claiming Hupp should have the item listed as "used."

Bethesda's legal firm, Vorys, sent the letter to Hupp and threatened to take action should he not comply. Hupp told Polygon that he has previously sold goods on the Amazon Marketplace with no issue. He even brought up the US Law of "First Sale Doctrine," which protects users looking to resell legal cop?ies of tradem?arked products they have previously purchased.

According to Bethesda, though, Hupp's sale of the product is not covered by the law. Since he isn't reselling his copy in what Vorys considers its orig??inal form, the game is "materially different from genuine products" as far as Bethesda? is concerned. Hupp provided the legal document to Polygon, which reads:

"Unless you remove all Bethesda products, from your storefront, stop selling any an??d all Bethesda products immediately and identify all sources of Bethesda products you are selling, we intend to file a lawsuit against you."

Since this story just happened to break out during the weekend of QuakeCon 2018, Eurogamer felt it proper to ask Bethesda directly at the event. Speaking with Pete Hines (Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications), writer?? Robert Purchase got this response:

"He's not trying to sell a secondhand game, he's trying to sell a ??new game. He was listing the product as if it was new. All we're saying is if it's a previously owned product, you have to sell it as a previously owned product - you cannot represent it's new because we have no way to verify what you'??re selling actually is new."

Hines then ex????plained how Hupp could have opened the game, used it for a couple of hours and then resealed the package. For that matter, all warranty cards or special codes for pre-order DLC could have been used and Hupp could be deceiving users by claiming the product is "new". If any of that had happened, then the game should be listed as "used" to prevent other people from being scammed.

Hines then went on to stress, "We're not trying to stop anybody from selling used games. People sell used?? games all the time - we understand that. We're not trying to stop that...We don't want our customers buying stuff from a vendor like Amazo??n where they think they're buying a new product and suddenly finding out they got a disc that's been played, somebody kicked across the floor and scratched."

I'm not a legal expert, but I'm pretty certain one can buy any product and then resell it without having opened the packaging. From my short time working at GameStop, I do know it specifically has a policy where it will not take trade-ins if the products are sealed, but that is in an effort to cut down on store theft. Unless Hupp has tossed his receipts and has no proof of purchase, he should be legally protected to sell his copy of The Evil Within 2 regardless of whether or not it is still sealed.

On the other hand, I definitely see Bethesda's point of view on this. While I don't believe i?t should be threatening legal action against resellers, I would hate to be on the receiving end of what I assumed is a "new" game only to find out someone had previously opened it. Consumers tend to buy new products specifically because they are sealed and should be 1??00% functional (barring manufacturing defects).

For the time being Hupp has removed his copy of The Evil Within 2 from Amazon. Speaking directly to Polygon, Hupp stated, "I understand the legal argume??nts Bethesda are relying on, and accept that they have some legitimate interest in determining how their products are sold at retail, but threatening individual custo?mers with lawsuits for selling games they own is a massive overreach."

Bethesda b???locks resale of a secondhand game (update) [Polygon]

Bethesda defends its legal threat against a man who tried to resell a "new", sealed copy of The Evil Within 2 on Amazon Marketplace [Eurogamer]

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Not Celine

Singer Dion DiMucci has filed a lawsuit against ZeniMax Media over their use of his '60s pop hit 'The Wanderer' in conjunction with Fallout 4.

The reported $1 million lawsuit claims that the song, which DiMucci signed off on through h?is label UMG, was used as a backdrop to "...repugnant and morally indefensible images designed to appeal to young consumers" in the game's marketing campaign. As part of?? the signing Dion retained the right to pull the song if it was to be used in a way in which he disagreed.

There was also an alternative option in which DiMucci ??could have renegotiated for a better fee if he disliked the?? planned context for his song. Dion has stated ZeniMax never reached out to him, nor did he see said context until after the adverts aired.

1961 hit single "T?he Wanderer" about a hep-cat seemingly on a mission to find, fuck and forget as many women as possible, reached the #2 spot in the U.S. charts on release, and has been covered by artists such as Bad Company, Bruce Springsteen, and Alvin & the Chipmunks.

Fallout 4 makers sued [The Wrap]

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Including everyone's favorite Gearbox employee

The DICE Summit is an annual get-together for game developers to discuss ideas for new games and emerging technology within the industry. While it doesn't hold much for the mainstream gaming public, it looks like the executives in charge of organizing the event have decided to shake things up for 2017. This year, a one-on-one Quake tournament will be held and streamed at the convention for?? all to see.

The contestants include a lot of game industry professionals with the likes of Sean Dunn, Ted Price, Tim Willits, and Randy Pitchford participating. There doesn't seem to be any prize, just a chance to see developers at play (and possibly a smug sense of superiority when they suck). I'm pretty sure Tim Willits would win, seeing as how he works for the company that created Quake. The full lineup is as follows:

• Sean Dunn (Sparkypants) vs. Shekhar Dhupelia (Wargaming)
• Feargus Urquhart (Obsidian Entertainment) vs. Patrick Hudson (Robot Entertainment)
• Randy Pitchford (Gearbox Software) vs. Leo Olebe (Facebook)
• Ted Price (Insomniac Games) vs. David Wood (Bandai Namco)
• Min Kim (Bonfire Studios) vs. Sheloman Byrd (Tencent)
• Kate Edwards (IGDA) vs. Tim Willits (id Software)
• Niccolo Maisto (FaceIt) vs. Matt Firor (ZeniMax Online)
• Jeffrey Kaplan (Blizzard) vs. Steve Ellmore (Disbelief)

The tournament is going to be held this Wednesday, February 22, at 10:50 AM PST. It will continue until February 23 when there will be a semi-final and then grand finale at 3:15 PM PST. If you're looking to watch the action, you can check out FaceIt's Twitch page. The tournament bracket and results will also be listed on the official DICE FaceIt website.

Randy Pitchford, Jeff Kaplan, and other devs will face off in a 16-player Quake tourney [PC Gamer]

The post This year’s DICE Summit will feature a game dev Quake tournament appeared first on Destructoid.

An appeal is surely next

After almost three days of delibera?tion, a Dall?as jury has reached a decision based on three weeks of testimony. The jury awarded ZeniMax half a billion dollars because it concluded that Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey violated a non-disclosure agreement that he was bound to.

As reported by Polygon, the North Texas jury's verdict is in favor of the plaintiff, but interestingly enough, not because of the crux of the lawsuit. ZeniMax originally filed a complaint alleging that Oculus misappropriated trade secrets in developing its Rift virtual reality headset?. The jury did not find this to be true.

While it was awarded $500 million, ZeniMax asked jurors to consider a $4 b?illion verdict -- $2 billion in compensation for misappropriated trade secrets and an additional $2 billion in punitive damages. The jury obviously didn't find the need to excessively punish for intentional wrongdoing. (However, there is a case to made based on the fact that the judge granted the motion to ??????????????????????????ask for punitives in the first place.)

What immediate effect this has on both companie?s is relatively unclear at the moment. As Polygon note??s, Oculus parent company Facebook is set to announce its quarter four earnings after the market closes today. Facebook obviously has a lot of money, but $500 million is still a substantial hit.

This probably isn't the end of the Oculus and ZeniMax drama. Oculus is almost certainly considering an appeal. If that happens, Oculus will be likely be forced to post a substantial bond upon appeal -- a guarantee of sorts that the money will be there for the plaintiff in the event that the appeal also goes ZeniMax's way. Or, as we saw in the Gawker and Hulk Hogan matter, there's a significant chance that they settle first, thus mitigating the risk for both parties and cutt??ing down on the cost of ?continued litigation.

Oc??ulus lawsuit ends with half billion dollar judgment award??ed to ZeniMax [Polygon]

(Update: ZeniMa?x sent us a statement about the verdict. Here's the statement in full:

"We are pleased that the jury in our case in the U.S. District Court in Dallas has awarded ZeniMax $500,000,000 for Defendants' unlawful infringement of our copyrights and trademarks, and for the violation of our non-disclosure agreement with Oculus pursuant to which we shared breakthrough VR technology that we had developed and that we exclusively own.  In addition, the jury upheld our complaint regarding the theft by John Carmack of RAGE source code and thousands of electronic files on a USB storage device which contained ZeniMax VR technology. While we regret we had to litigate in order to vindicate our rights, it was necessary to take a stand against companies that engage in illegal activity in their desire to get control of new, valuable technology.

 Asked to comment on the decision, Robert Altman, ZeniMax’s Chairman and CEO, said: "Technology is the foundation of our business and we consider the theft of our intellectual property to be a serious matter.  We appreciate the jury's finding against the defendants, and the award of half a billion dollars in damages for tho??se serious violations."

The liability of Defendants was? established by uncontradicted evidence presented by ZeniMax, including (i) the breakthrough in VR technology occurred in March 2012 at id Software through the research efforts of our former employee John Carmack (work that ZeniMax owns) before we ever had contact with the other defendants; (ii) we shared this VR technology with the defendants under a non-disclosure agreement that expressly stated all the technology was owned by ZeniMax; (iii) the four founders of Oculus had no expertise or even backgrounds in VR -- other than Palmer Luckey who could not code the software that was the key to solving the issues of VR; (iv) there was a documented stream of computer code and other technical assistance flowing from ZeniMax to Oculus over the next 6 months; (v) Oculus in writing acknowledged getting critical source code from ZeniMax; (vi) Carmack intentionally destroyed data on his computer after he got notice of this litigation and right after he r??esearched on Google how to wipe a hard drive -- and data on other Oculus computers and USB storage devices were similarly deleted (as determined by a court-appointed, independent expert in computer forensics);  (vii) when he quit id Software, Carmack admitted he secretly downloaded and stole over 10,000 documents from ZeniMax on a USB storage device, as well as the entire source code to RAGE  and the id tech® 5 engine -- which Carmack uploaded to his Oculus computer; (viii) Carmack filed an affidavit which the court's expert said was false in denying the destruction of evidence; and (ix) Facebook's lawyers made representations to the court about those same Oculus computers which the court's expert said were inaccurate. Oculus’ response in this case that it didn’t use any code or other assistance it received from ZeniMax was not credible, and is contradicted by the testimony of Oculus programmers (who admitted cutting and pasting ZeniMax code into the Oculus SDK), as well as by expert testimony.

We will consider what further steps we need to take to ensure there will be no ongoing use of our misappropriated technology, including by seeking an injunction to restrain Oc??ulus and Facebook from their ongoing use of computer code that the jury found infringed ZeniMax's copyrights.)

The post (Update) Jury awards ZeniM??ax $500 million in lawsuit with O??culus appeared first on Destructoid.

Living it up at the Gaylord

QuakeCon ??will return from August 24 through Au??gust 27, 2017, ZeniMax has announced.

This year, the event is going to be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, TX, with the usual showcase of new games (remember Quake Champions?), competitive play, and a couple thousand seats reserved for bring-your-own-computer lan-party shenanigans.

The event is free for general admittance, and Bethesda is coyly promising that attendees will be among the "first to see sneak peeks of [its] upcoming titles and announcements." A proper Doom single-player expansion, please. I need it. You need it. The whol?e word needs? it. Let's go already!

The post QuakeCon 2017 is all set for August 24 appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm gonna make this place your home

Hearthfire may not have been the best DLC for Skyrim, but fans latched onto the base-building mechanics and loved their inclusion in Fallout 4. Many felt it was an integral part of the fun factor for the title, allowing you to stake a claim in the vast world Bethesda had created. The joy of buying furniture is soon coming to The Elder Scrolls Online with the "Homestead" update.

Slated for early 2017, Homestead will give players the chance to buy a home in ESO. Each house will be an instanced location, so there shouldn't be any fighting over plots of land. Players will have the ability to customize the house to? their liking as well as invite their?? friends to tea.

There is going to be a wide range of items available for customization. Around 2,000 pieces of furniture will be include along with 40 different types of homes with styles ranging from elaborate manors to small cottages. Some of the home exteriors will be based on the different Elder Scrolls races.

As for pricing, most of the items will be purchasable with in-game currency. Some will require the premium currency, known as Crowns, but those seem to be relegated to ultra-luxurious items. When the update does officially launch, all players will be given a free home after completing a tutori??al. You can own multiple plots of land, so you won't have to worry about selling your previous house.

This seems like a cool way to give players more stuff to do within The Elder Scrolls Online. I'm not sure that taking care of a house is what players truly want (as opposed to more quests), but I've always had a th??ing for virtual dollhouses. Something about wish fulfillmen??t and all that.

Elder Scrolls Online Update Brings Player Housing Early Next Year [GameSpot]

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14 years and only now?

The lasting legacy of Doom shouldn't only be attributed to the quality of the main game. Creator id Software had such a lax approach to fan creations that it eventually bought a few for a full retail release (Final Doom) as well as licensed a fan's Linux code for Quake. Those guys loved seeing people enjoy their game and modify it however?? they saw fit. Boy have?? the times changed.

ZeniMax Media, the parent company behind Bethesda, has recently issued a takedown notice to the creator of Doom: The Roguelike. For those unaware, this fan game has been around for about 14 years and the first release predat?es ZeniMax's acquisition of id Software by seven years. While that isn't exactly grounds to base a legal defense on, it does beg the question of why the fan game is only now being ta?rgeted.

Kornel Kisielewicz, the creator of Doom: The Roguelike, is also questioning why Brutal Doom 64 received endorsement from ZeniMax and was eve?n nominated for an award at The Game Awards. For all intents and purposes, that title violates copyright laws just as much as Kisielewicz's creati??on.

For now, the official website for this fan game remains online. As sorry as I am to admit this, I don't think Kisielewicz can do much to defend his game.? The ??only course of action would be to entirely swap the character sprites, which would then alter the game to something else. He could try sticking it to the man, but entering a losing battle doesn't seem worth it.

Fan-Made Doom Game Receives Legal No??tice From Doom's? Parent Company [GameSpot]

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Blue-Eyes White Dovahkiin

That free-to-play strategy card game based on The Elder Scrolls? Still happening.

Leading into PAX East this weekend, where The Elder Scrolls: Legends will be playable at booth #8021, Bethesda Softworks and Dire Wolf Digital have begun taking on closed beta applicants for the PC version. The titl??e is also planned for release on iPad as well as? "additional platforms."

Think anyone will see this imagery on the show floo??r and get their hopes up?

Speaking of, here are some mischievous alternate ?headlines born out of our office chat:

• You can play the next Elder Scrolls on PC before its iPad release
• The new Elder Scrolls brings back some fan-favorite characters
• Elder Scrolls: Legends, more like Magic the Gathering amirite?
• This new Elder Scrolls sure is different
• New Elder Scrolls is unlike anything we've seen before
• The Elder Scrolls: Legends blew my mind and restored my faith in humanity
• The Elder Scrolls: Legends gave me a boner
• Zodiac Killer Ted Cruz wants to ban The Elder Scrolls: Legends, but his college roommate caught him playing it under the covers

The post The Elder Scrolls: Legends is rolling out its ?PC beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Steal everything... with explosions!

One of the coolest questlines in both Oblivion and Skyrim was the Thieves Guild. Sure, it’s never been as memorable the ??Dark Brotherhood, but I always find planning heists and dealing with the politics of a band of thieves really cool.

Now we’ll be able to do that with friends, as ZeniMax has announced the next Elder Scrolls Online DLC will be The Elder Scrolls Online: Thieves Guild.

The DLC will add a whole load of stuff: new environments, new story content, a 12-player trial called the Maw of Lorkhaj, new crimin??al activities, new skills, and, of course, plenty of new loot.

There will also be an update to the core game coming alongside the DLC, which will include tweaks ??to many of the game’s systems, improved combat, and 64-bit builds for PC and Mac. Basically, the whole game is seemingly being improved.

The trailer is a bit explosive and not-at-all sneaky for my taste, but those few new environments shown lo??ok really neat.

I know a lot of people stopped playing TESO not long after launch (which is fair, the game’s always had problems), but the last DLC – Orsinium – was really cool. While I admittedly haven’t put much time into it, I found the new quests and environments it introduced were probably better made than a lot of the core game. I’m hopeful that Thieves Guild will live up to its single-player predecessors.

ZeniMax hasn’t announced pricing or a release date yet, but if it’s comparable to Orsinium, expect the price to be somewhere around 3,00??0 crowns, or &poun??d;14.99.

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Enhancing the engine post Skyrim

Lotta folks think Fallout 4's plum ugly, but a lotta folks think Bob Dylan's a bad singer and that didn't stop him from schilling for Chrysler in a Super Bowl commercial. The point is: never like or believe in a??nything.

And while Bethesda has gone on record as not caring if you think Fallout 4 doesn't look good, the team did work a lot on its Creation Engine, as detailed in a blog post, post-Skyrim to separate this upcoming Fallout  from Fallout 3 seven years ago.

"The first thing we did after Skyrim was to enhance the Creation Engine’s graphical core by adding a physically based deferred renderer. This new renderer allows us to add ??many more dynamic lights to every scene, and paint our surfaces with realistic materials. We want objects and characters in the world to feel tactile and grounded, and a big part of that is ensuring that these materials are distinct – that metal reflects light in a distinct manner from wood, for example."

There's some dense stuff here not for idiots, of which I am one. "If you’re not sure what all of that means, don’t worry," it reassures. "What’s important is how this technology comes together with the art and gameplay of Fallout 4 to create a dynamic, immersive experience." Ah, yes, I love to play the video games!

The post Bethesda expla??ins how the Creation Engine made Fallout 4 so pretty appeared first on Destructoid.

Long hair don't care

Boston-bound Fallouts acting like they federal.

A lot of people were upset that Fallout 4 looked more like Fallout 3 than, say, The Witcher 3. Bethesda's Pete Hines has a pretty zen attitude about the whole thing, explaining to Metro that the negative reaction to the visuals, "Definitely doesn&rsquo??;t upset us."

"As with most forms of entertainment you never get 100 per cent agreement on anything. And so, at the end of the day, whether it’s what the grap??hics look like or whether the gameplay is what you want or whether you?? like the setting, or whatever it is, everybody is entitled to their opinion."

Surprisingly, some lunatics were actu?ally upset about the game adding color. Hines is not worried about swaying those very wrong folks or those who are unimpressed by the technology on display. "You can use whatever criteria you want to buy or not buy a game, because ultimately it’s not up to me," Hines said. "I don’t get to go up to each individual consumer and say, ‘You have to buy this game or I&rsquo?;m gonna try and convince you otherwise!’ I put out information in the best way possible to give people a good idea, "Here’s what we’re doing and here’s what it’s gonna be like.'"

Good on 'em. I actually wrote elsewhere, for a naughty site your work might block, that it was a pretty bold ?move of Bethesda to no?t chase tech orgasms.

Bet??hesda’s Pete Hines Fallout 4 interview – ‘We’re doing stuff that other folks wouldn’t do?? or don’t do’ [Metro]

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Not the only thing that's leaking

Fallout 4 was at gamescom 2015 in the form of a closed off theatre demo you could wait in a real long line for. But why wait in a line when you can just watch "Hidden Camera Shows Audience Teased by Big Butt Man in Tights Live" on line. Hah.

It's actually not about butts at all, but a sneaky recording of Fallout 4.

You can watch it here, but obvious NSFW warning, as it leaks to a porn site with videos like, "Babe Red-head lesbian," "Wake me for Sex," and "Titfuck until completion." You won't get completion out of Fallout 4, which recently announced it would continue post-credits and there would be no level cap (or jimmy hat).

The post Fallout 4 gameplay leaks via porn site appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't expect Elder Scrolls VI soon

Maybe the wasteland isn't your bag and, really, you just want a Skyrim follow up. Well, you're out of luck and wrong. Bethesda’s VP of Marketing Pete Hines confirmed to Dual Shockers that it would be a "very long time" until the company reveals whatever comes after Fallout 4.

While Fallout 4 somehow comes out this November, Bethesda's a bit of a one-game studio and all efforts are focused on finishing Fallout 4, which will then need to be supported post launch and, likely, see a lot of DLC. Meanwhile, supporting the roughly year-and-a-half-old The Elder Scrolls Online will be the company's other focus.

Not all that surprising, gi?ven the company's typical pace. Slow and ?steady.

It Will Be a “Very Long Time&rdq?uo; Before we Hear About the Next Elder Scrolls Game; Team 100% Focused on Fallout 4 [Dual Shockers]

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Pick a vein and get to work

According to multiple posts from the Bethesda family of social media presences, Fallout 4 has no level cap and will not end? once the main storyline is complete. So, if you were so inclined, you could spend the rest of your life turning your Va?ult Dweller into the very embodiment of the wasteland; consuming everything that lives, leaving piles of corpses in your wake.

This is a welcome change after Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas' misguided "no more playing this after the credits" decision. Bethesda eventually released a DLC pack for Fallout 3 that allowed the player to continue past the conclusion of the main narrative, but you ha?d to pony up if you wanted to see how your story ultimately affected the Capital Wasteland.

Skyrim managed to avoid this issue by treating the main story as just another quest to be completed. It made the threat of Alduin feel like part of a larger story, which is no bad thing. Bethesda crafts enormous worlds for their players to explore -- nothing makes a place feel massive quite like the sensation of being out of your depth. We'll have to see how this is handled in Fallout 4. Y'know, because the game's not out yet.

To our fans who’ve asked: Fallout 4 doesn’t end when the main story is over and there is no level cap. You can keep playing and leveling.

— BethesdaGameStudios (@BethesdaStudios) August 6, 2015

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2,500 Crowns

Elder Scrolls Online is still chugging along with its free-to-subscribe model on PC and consoles, and now you can get a look at the Imperial City pack, which is set to arrive on August 31 fo??r PC, and September 15 on PS4 and Xbox One. Have I mentioned that I really don't li??ke the fragmentation between these versions?

It looks very cool, but there's a caveat -- it's DLC. If you have a subsc??ription it'll be included, but otherwise you'l??l have to fork over 2,500 Crowns in the in-game store (3,000 Crowns costs $25). It'll offer up new PVE and PVP content, including dungeons, quests, enemies, and items.

The Orcish province of Orsinium is still in development, and a potential Dark Brotherhood questline has been teased?.

The post Elder Scrolls Online’s Imperial City is DLC, costs roughly $20 appeared first on Destructoid.

A private showing for the fans only

Since that massive wave of info about Fallout 4 back at E3, I've counting the days till its November release. I'm a big fan of the series, and seeing its debut on the current gen was incredibly satisfying. Unfortunately, B??????????????????????????ethesda Game Studios has still been tight-lipped about the more intricate aspects of the game, but the developer is seeking to remedy that at QuakeCon 2015 later this month. 

During the popular Dallas convention, Besthesda will show off live gameplay footage for fans behind closed doors. Sadly, it won't be shown to the public and will only be seen by QuakeCon attendees. Also, just like previous special showings at the convention, recording and photography of the live demo will be prohibited, as the developers hate seeing bootleg footage of their games online. Which is understandable. Back in 2011, Todd Howard hosted a live demo of Skyrim before its releas?e and footage found its way online thanks to a ballsy fan.

If Fallout isn't your thing, then you'll be pleased to hear that the folks at id Software are also showing off more footage of the upcoming Doom. Last year, they opened QuakeCon with a live demo of the over-the-top shooter, which we finally got to see at E3 last month. What's more, the folks behind The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will be on hand to show some new content. Not t?o mention the numerous events, panels, and LAN parties scheduled throughout the three-day convention. So there's much fun to be had at this year's con.

For more info ab??out Q?uakeCon 2015, check out their schedule below.

QuakeCon 2015 Schedule [QuakeCon Blog]

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Waiting for an overhaul

To my surprise, The Elder Scrolls Online works pretty well on a console. In fact, it feels almost identical to my experiences with Morrowind and Skyrim on the Xbox and Xbox 360 respectively (first-person ?mode helps). I was able to copy my character over almost instantly, log in, and pick up right where I left off on PC. Having to actually buy the damn thing is? a hard pill to swallow, but since it's subscription-free now, I can just hop back in at any time.

Having said all that, the core game isn't really any better than it was months ago. The good news is that the free-to-sub scheme is actually pretty fair, and I don't feel like I'm "missing out" by not paying on a monthly basis. The bad news is that console servers are separate, which is a gigantic step down from my time with Final Fantasy XIV, which shares the same servers on PS3, PS4, and PC -- so it's really easy for m??e to play ??with anyone I want to.

In my time testing the PS4 version I noticed a lot of dead areas, likely due to the lower install-base, compared to all of the MMO players out there who already had a PC version and didn't feel like buying the game all over again. Dungeons are still fun (and far more active with a controller), but open world exploration hasn't really been addressed. At times leveling can be a crawl, and most world events fa??ll flat.

The next bit of content coming to ESO is Cyrodiil and Orsini??um (Imperial City and the city of Orcs respectively), which will launch later this year. Also, the Dark Brotherhood is being teased. which is likely enough to pull me back in to complete their questline. In the meantime, I'm going to be playing other MMOs instead.

The post Elder Scrolls Online feels fine on consoles, but it doesn’t fix the core game appeared first on Destructoid.

Hopefully sooner than later

It was a bit muted, but during Bethesda's E3 conference today, new zones were announced for The Elder Scrolls Online. The Imperial City and Orsinium will? be playable, and one more bit of content was teased for release later this year.

Yep, everyone's favorite faction, the Dark Brotherhood, was teased. They currently do not have a questline yet, but I'm guessing everyone will spring for it when it does eventually come out. I kep??t pressing Zenimax Studios during my studio visit, and could only ev??er elicit a "maybe," so this is great news.

The post Bethesda teases The?? Dark Brotherhood in Elder Scrolls Online appeared first on Destructoid.

Baffling scientists and all religions

A well-known MMO suffers major launch-day issues that prevent people f??rom being able to play. Shocker.

In a turn of events surprising nobody, players of The Elder Scrolls Online on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are reporting the inability to log in and play. This is, unfortunately, fairly standard with ?newly released MMOs, but what’s interesting is it’s not the only problem players are reporting.

The Express has reported that in true Elder Scrolls fashion, there are a whole load of bugs plaguing th?e game: crucial NPCs going missing, being kicked for chat spamming without sending a single message, keyboards not working, and problems with the friend sys??tem have all been brought up to ZeniMax.

An admin on the ZeniMax forums has claimed the problems will be fixed shortly… we have no id?ea how shortly they consider to be shortly:

“Hey everyone. We're working on getting this resolved as soon as possible. We'll update you as soon as everything is up and running. Thanks for your patience!”

ZeniMax admins have also offered the incredibly helpful fix of simply trying again until it works:

“Hey guys,

We understand this is frustrating, but we encourage you to continue to try logging in until you reach a screen stating that you've been placed into a queue. Once you're in the queue, please do not leave the queue, close the game client, or otherwise navigate away from this screen. We’re working to get you into Tamriel as quickly as we can. Thanks for your continued patience and support!”

Way to totally stick the landing there, TESO. I like you, I want you to do well, but come the fuck on. Here's hoping people will be able to play soon.

Elder Scroll?s Online PS4 and Xbox One: Troubles in Tamriel Unlimited hits launch [The Express]

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