Apogee (A/K/A 3d Realms Software), the creator of Duke Nukem, is having a bit of a fire-sale of its intellectual property. According to filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the rights to 3D Realms' Prey have been sold to none other than Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media.

ZeniMax now holds the rights to use the Prey name in PC games, console games, downloadable content, online games, television shows, comic books, strategy guides, novels, T-shirts, hats, and other apparel. Bethesda has thus far offered only "no comment" to questions about the sale.

Interestingly, Zeni bought id Software a few months ago, so this new development could indicate that id will be working on the Prey sequel in the future. Prey 2, by the way, was already in the work, although there isn't much known about the title other than this boilerplate description:

"Building on the mind-bending portal and gravity-defying gameplay of the original with several innovative new twists, Prey 2 promises to once again take players into a compelling science-fiction world with breathtaking visuals and adrenaline-pumping action gameplay. Prey 2 is slated for Xbox 360 and PC platforms."

I doubt that description applies anymore, but that's good -- I can't wait to see what Bethesda will do with Prey. I thought the original was a solid shooter, but the game's execution wasn't nearly as good as the concept. In other words: It's the perfect property to give the sequel treatment to.

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