SEC documents reveal that ZeniMax obtained $105 million in debt financing for its acquisition of id Software. PaidContent dug up the documents, but is currently working on what entity actually slid the cash ZeniMax's way.

We're not that well versed in our mergers and acquisitions jargon, so we asked Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter for a bit of an explanation. Just what is "debt financing"? He explained, "It means that [ZeniMax] borrowed $105 million at the time that they bought id. The article doesn't say if the debt is secured by id's intellectual property, or what the repayment terms are, but the bottom line is that they bought id with borrowed money. It is not clear what they paid, but safe to assume that they paid at least $105 million, probably more."

ZeniMax isn't hurting for cash, so it's not like the company went begging for a loan. The parent company of Bethesda Softworks already made at least $300 million in sales off of Fallout 3. It'll take some time to find out if ZeniMax's minimum purchase price of $105 million was worth it for id's tech and intellectual property.

[Via Gamasutra. Thank you, Michael]

You really have no excuse for not owning Fallout 3 at this point. Not only is it a really excellent game, it's packing tons of value with all the different DLC available. And let's not forget the indescribable pleasure of having Danny Kaye songs endlessly stuck in your head.

Now that the game's been slashed to $24.99 for the weekend on Steam, you have less than no excuse. It's like ... negative excuse, which we believe means you're legally obligated to buy a copy, even if you already own one.

We already knew that recently bought by Bethesda company id Software are looking at a hefty lineup of upcoming iPhone games, but after speaking with company co-founder John Carmack this morning, we found out a little bit more about the potential for more classic reboots, like Doom Resurrection, in the future. "It really depends on how this one is received by consumers before we can make any plans, but I'm very interested in the prospect," Carmack told Joystiq.

Apparently, he's most interested in seeing this treatment for Quake, though he also noted that Quake 3 Arena is still "possible" on Apple's handheld. Why not Quake Live on Apple's OS X, Mr. Carmack? Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could ask. It is high on his "high priority" list though, right? So we've got something then? John? Hello?

Please?

Following yesterday's news that ZeniMax – the parent company of Fallout 3-developer Bethesda – had purchased id Software – one of the most successful, and long-standing, independent video game developers of all time – we had a chance to speak with ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman and id co-founder (and industry legend) John Carmack.

Joystiq: How long has the acquisition process been in development?

Robert Altman: I had my first meeting with [id Software CEO] Todd Hollenshead at E3 a year ago. We had a general discussion about how our two companies might explore matters of mutual interest and the conversations then took place over the ensuing months. So it's been almost a year, on and off, that we've been having these conversations.

And how long has Bethesda – or ZeniMax in this case– been looking to expand that studio range outside of just Bethesda and Vir2L,etc.?

Well, that was unexpected. id Software, the game studio behind Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, and the upcoming Rage, has just been acquired by ZeniMax, parent company of Fallout 3 developer Bethesda Softworks.

Despite the acquisition, ZeniMax expects id Software to continue operating as before. "No changes will be made in the operations of id Software in the development of its games," the press release states. "id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the direction of its founder, John Carmack ... All the principals at id Software have signed long-term employment contracts, assuring they will continue in their roles developing games in the future." In other words, don't expect major folks at id to jump ship.

A large emphasis is being placed on how id will benefit from ZeniMax resources. "Our role will be to provide publisher support through Bethesda Softworks and give id Software the resources it needs to grow and expand," said Robert Altman, founder and CEO of ZeniMax Media. "Our intention is to make sure id Software will continue to do what they do best – make AAA games." Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, also agrees that the acquisition will result in better financial security for the team: "We will now have financial and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our fans."

While it appears id has much to gain from the merger, we're more intrigued by what Bethesda can gain. While Fallout 3 has earned heaps of critical praise, many will agree that graphics tech is far from Bethesda's strong suit. With Carmack and idTech now owned by ZeniMax, future Bethesda titles are sure to benefit. See John Carmack's statement after the break.

Fallout 3 fans, it's time to get aboard the Duchess Gambit and visit the the beautiful seaside town of Point Lookout. Take long walks on the beach, absorb invigorating rays of sunshine and sip cocktails poolside. Yes, it's just another gorgeous day in the Wasteland, when you download the latest expansion to the post-nuclear apocalyptic epic for 800 ($10).

Who are we kidding? Point Lookout is a freak show. There are going to be creepy quest lines, nasty swamps and likely some inbreeding, based on the images we've seen.

[Add Point Lookout to your queue]

In an act that can only be defined as 'terror gifting,' Bethesda recently dropped a handful of new, extra creepy Fallout 3: Point Lookout screenshots for your approval. Between the trailer (after the break), the few screens we got before and the handful of screens below, the creators of the "Capital Wasteland" have remained fairly tight-lipped about even the existence of the DLC from the get go.

Of the little we know from Bethesda about the game -- the swamp setting and promise of new weapons/enemies -- it looks as though the company is set to take even more of our money in the coming months. And considering this is the same developer that once created horse armor, we're going to say things have come a pretty long way.

[Via Evil Avatar]

Well, the Bioshock and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion bundle just got a lot less interesting. We put in word to Bethesda's Pete Hines asking which version of Oblivion would be included in the bundle, and he got back to us with this most sad news: It's the original game. That means it's not the Game of the Year edition including Shivering Isles, the lengthy expansion featuring the hilarious Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath.

How about that, this week's XBLM Deal of the Week is actually a deal. This week, you can snag the Fallout 3 "Operation: Anchorage" DLC for 560 ($7), 30 percent off the usual price of 800 ($10). Granted, you can pick up a used copy of the recently released "Operation: Anchorage" and "The Pitt" combo pack for about $15 at GameStop, but this download-only deal is still pretty decent. At any rate, it certainly stacks up better than most of the "deals" we usually see.

Add Operation: Anchorage to your Xbox 360 download queue

Update: Well, folks, Bethesda has confirmed our fears: The Oblivion included is not the Game of the Year edition. It's the original Oblivion release.

Bethesda, proprietor of large, navigable worlds both post-apocalyptic and, uh, pre-apocalyptic, has teamed up with 2K Games to offer a gaming bundle not seen since the days of the original Xbox, when you could get Jet Set Radio and Sega GT together in one convenient package. 2K and Bethesda are bundling Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Bioshock together for Xbox 360 and Windows PC, for $39.99 and $29.99, respectively, starting July 7.

The press release was unclear on which version of Oblivion this is (Game of the Year edition?), so we've sent word for a comment regarding that.

Steam users, know that Bethesda has just unloaded three of its top titles onto the service. Starting today, users can download The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year edition). Adding further incentive is a 20% discount on these titles, valid this week only.

Odds are you played both Elder Scrolls games already, but if you've yet to try the under-appreciated Call of Cthulhu, then we suggest you pounce on this. The hotel chase scene is an experience we'll never forget.

[Via Shacknews]

Written by sci-fi superstar Philip K. Dick in 1964, The Penultimate Truth follows people living in underground shelters, for fear of a World War III that they are told is being waged on the surface above them. We could go into more of the similarities between the book and Bethesda's Fallout 3, but then that would mean venturing into dangerous, radiation-strewn spoiler territory.

Of course, if one wants to say that Bethesda plagiarized The Penultimate Truth, then one must look to previous titles in the Fallout series, as well. Vaults were featured in previous games, and upon exiting these vaults, hubs of civilization were also found among what was thought to be a post-apocalyptic barren wasteland. So does that mean Interplay plagiarized The Penultimate Truth or that, perhaps, the idea isn't entirely unique in the first place?

Immediately following our demo of Brink, we were able to sit down with Splash Damage creative director Richard 'Rahdo' Ham and grill him some about the game. He came to Splash Damage following work on Fable 2 for this project, and has quite the gaming resume. But, following the demo for Brink, we were left with a lot of questions, and luckily Ham didn't mind answering them. He couldn't give us everything, though, as he failed to answer some of our more serious questions (Coke, or Pepsi?). So, head past the break and check out our chat with Splash Damage's Richard 'Rahdo' Ham!

So, there's good news and bad news for those of you who'd like to carry the apocalpyse in your pocket. Bethesda wants to bring the Fallout series to smaller screens ... they just haven't figured out how to pull it off yet.

"I think that the world of Fallout is unique enough that it could work on any platform. I think some of the things we do like VATS, I think that could translate to any platform, particularly the iPhone," Todd Howard told us yesterday. "We've looked into those things, we just haven't found the thing that supports the brand well. I wouldn't be surprised if it does happen one day. The iPhone versions that we've designed and said 'Ehh, we don't think we're going to do that right now,' there are ... there are a lot of them."

Could we maybe just have one?

Wet is a game that is for all intents and purposes pretty good, but it has the makings to be a lot better. However, the developers failed to give Rubi the room she needs, and for the brief period of time we had with the game, felt the confines of the small environments kept the game from realizing its full potential.

We won't bother wasting your time regaling the concept behind the game and what the whole point is -- we've already done that. Instead, we'll address what the game has done right, and what needs to change before a good game can become a great game.