Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda Softworks is a developer and publisher of computer and video games, owned by ZeniMax Media.

Background
Bethesda Softworks, founded in 1985 by Christopher Weaver, is a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment content.

With a broad panoply of products in the role-playing, racing, simulation, and sport genres, Bethesda Softworks' major franchises are distributed worldwide.

Divisions
Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) is the in-house development team led by Todd Howard and owned by Bethesda Softworks. Not all BGS titles are published by Bethesda Softworks. "Bethesda Softworks" is often used to designate games "published" by Bethesda, both BGS projects and those developed externally.

Fallout 3
In 2004, Bethesda licensed the rights to develop Fallout 3 and two additional sequels from Interplay Entertainment, and in 2007 acquired the whole Fallout franchise. Todd Howard said in January 2007 that "We started work (on Fallout 3) in late 2004 with a few people. We only had about 10 people on it until Oblivion wrapped, but most of our staff is on it now."

Fallout 3 was released on October 28, 2008 and has won over 60 Game of the Year Awards – including honors from IGN, the Game Developers' Choice Awards and Game Critics Awards. Bethesda has continued to support Fallout 3 with five add-ons – Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta.

Fallout: New Vegas
In 2009, Bethesda Softworks announced Fallout: New Vegas, a new entry in the Fallout series. It is important to note that Bethesda only published New Vegas, which was developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The US release date was October 19, 2010, and three days later it hit the UK. On January 28, 2011, Bethesda confirmed a deal made with Namco Bandai to let them publish New Vegas in continental Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Bethesda also published the four New Vegas add-ons: Dead Money, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road and Honest Hearts.

Fallout 4
On November 14, 2013 Bethesda Softworks filed for a European trademark for Fallout 4 with the Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office of the European Union (OHIM). However, this trademark was later reviewed by the OHIM and subsequently nullified for unknown reasons.

Other games
Bethesda Softworks' most prominent series is The Elder Scrolls, of which Morrowind is the 5th release and 3rd main title, Oblivion the 9th release and 4th main title, and Skyrim the 10th release and 5th main title. Fallout 3 and New Vegas are based on the same engine as Oblivion.

Other Bethesda releases include WET, Rogue Warrior and RAGE.