Baltimore County continues to be the go-to place for video game firms.
ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, said Monday it?s bringing a new online gaming studio, ZeniMax Online Studios,to Hunt Valley.
“They had a blank slate. They could have picked anywhere,” said David Iannucci, executive director of the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development. “It?s a really exciting development win to have them here.”
The company has leased 40,000 square feet of space on International Circle across from the Hunt Valley Town Center, according to Baltimore County officials.
Baltimore County is already home to some of the best-known video and computer game development companies in the world, including Firaxis Games, Big Huge Games and BreakAway Ltd. “What was appealing to [ZeniMax Media] was to be a part of a community of gaming companies and professionals,” Iannucci said.
The company is hiring for lead positions in animation, art, programming, content design, production and network administration, both locally and nationally.
ZeniMax Media, founded in 1999, created ZeniMax Online Studios in August 2007. The company will be headed by Matt Firor, an expert in the online gaming field. ZeniMax Online Studios will focus on the online multiplayer game market, a growing sector in the interactive entertainment industry.
There are more than a dozen game development companies in Baltimore County, mostly in the Hunt Valley area, totaling more than 400 employees. Baltimore-area schools, like the University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Baltimore City Community College, have recognized the strength of the industry in the area and added courses that prepare students to gain employment in the game development industry, Iannucci said.
The video game industry totaled $7.4 billion in 2006 software sales in the United States, according to the Entertainment Software Association. Attempts to contact representatives from ZeniMax Media were unsuccessful Monday.
