ZeniMax hits back at Oculus VR, claims latter destroyed evidence

As reported last week, the long awaited trial between Oculus VR and ZeniMax Media has commenced at a Texan court. ZeniMax is accusing Oculus VR of "misappropriating ZeniMax trade secrets relating to virtual reality technology", which prompted the accused to issue a brisk statement last Wednesday.

Oculus VR's statement described ZeniMax's lawsuit as "wasteful litigation" and "an attempt to take credit for technology that it did not have the vision... to build." Now ZeniMax has shot back its own public statement, and while it mostly summarises the content of the lawsuit, it also alleges that Oculus VR destroyed evidence of any wrongdoing.

"With the start of the trial of our case in Federal District Court in Dallas against Defendants Facebook, Oculus and its management, ZeniMax and id Software welcome the opportunity to present substantial evidence of the Defendants' misappropriation of our Virtual Reality (VR) intellectual property," the statement reads.

"That evidence includes the theft of trade secrets and highly confidential information, including computer code. ZeniMax will also present evidence of the Defendants' intentional destruction of evidence to cover up their wrongdoing. ZeniMax and id Software are the visionary developers of breakthrough VR technology, and look forward to the vindication of our claims."

ZeniMax first filed the lawsuit in May 2014, following Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR. The proceedings started last week, and are expected to last three weeks.

According to a report at OculusVR – which is sitting in on proceedings – Carmack was questioned last week about his knowledge pertaining to a MacBook which had not been wiped, to which he replied: "I am not a Mac user unless under duress." Based on that report it sounds like the proceedings are fraught with tension.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.