When id Software first revealed their next project Rage, it was originally announced as a Electronic Arts’ published videogame. That has now officially changed thanks to a Zenimax press release. According to Zenimax, their subsidiary Bethesda Softworks, who has released famous titles like Fallout 3, is now going to publish the anticipated first-person shooter/racing title.

“Electronic Arts will not be involved in the sales and marketing of RAGE,” read a statement from Zenimax. “The ongoing development of RAGE is unaffected by this development.”

I’m sure some might be quick to point out that not having EA control the marketing behind Rage, could potentially hurt the sales of the game. Obviously, this stems from the perception that the company has an unlimited pocket for promoting a title; however, I would disagree with this simple theory. Lately, EA has had some issues with their marketing department and have been dead wrong on their anticipation of sales numbers — especially when it comes to a new IP. If you need some examples, look no further than Mirror’s Edge and Dead Space. While they were good games, the sales were considered a disappointment.

EA is known for developing and promoting sequels — that’s where a large chunk of the cash comes from. Now of course, any company would find it easier to promote a next installment of an already known game, but EA’s having trouble advertising and selling something new to the gaming world, and Rage would be the same type of challenge.

Bethesda picking the rights to publish Rage is a good thing for id. They have proven time and time again, that they know how to advertise an open world videogame. I know you could easily point out that Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls, which are published by Bethesda, are sequels. But, both of those franchises were considered by many, niche titles, before they have seen the recent success. Somehow, Bethesda was able to bring these titles into the mainstream — which is something I couldn’t see EA being nearly as successful at.