ZeniMax, the parent company of developer Bethesda and id Software, has announced that they’ve gotten a $150 million investment from Providence Equity Partners, who previously invested $300 million into ZeniMax, some of that money was used to acquire id Software last year. This time, they’re looking to make another big acquisition.

Zenimax, the parent company of Bethesda and id Software, has announced that they’ve acquired developer Arcane Studios, famous for Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Arcane also worked on parts of BioShock 2.

ZeniMax, owners of Bethesda and the new owners of Id Software, will be taking over publishing duties from EA, the company announced today. It acquired the rights from EA, and unlike Bethesda, Id Software will not self-publish the game, rather, Bethesda will be the publisher.

Rage is scheduled for release late-2010.

In a new filing with the SEC, media house ZeniMax, owner of Bethesda Softworks, revealed that the company had raised $105 million USD in order to buy id Software. The company noted that it raised the money in “convertible notes and promissory notes issued in connection with the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Id Software, Inc.”. We don’t know exactly what Promissory Notes are, but we now have an idea what ZeniMax paid for id Software: around $100 million. The company did not reveal the price, but one can only think that it’s north of $100m, as ZeniMax isn’t exactly cash strapped (at least if you count the success of Fallout).

There are only a few large independent game studios left; Valve, Epic, Id Software, no wait, Id Software just got acquired by the parent company of Fallout 3 developer/publisher Bethesda, ZeniMax. Darn!

ZeniMax has noted that they expect Id Software to continue operating independently, as before, which is always good, all things considered. Id Software are the developers of classics such as Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake. And the upcoming Rage.