Acclaim is back from the dead, more than 20 years after the publisher closed its doors in 2004.
The company's focus will be indies and classic franchises, according to a statement issued today. "One of the key goals for the relaunched Acclaim is to resurrect and revitalize its beloved portfolio of classic IP enjoyed for years by millions of players," it says.
The revived Acclaim has assembled an advisory board "comprised of esteemed industry leaders, including Russell Binder at Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan at Ridge Partners and Jeff Jarrett at Global Force Entertainment," continues the PR.
"Acclaim’s growth strategy is further supported by key partners Phil Toronto, Partner at VaynerFund, and Eric Vogel, Partner at JET Management. Their expertise in investment and management will help foster an environment ripe for nurturing independent developers and driving long-term success alongside the advisory board's leadership."
Former wrestler Jarrett is an interesting pick and one which harks back to Acclaim's connection with the world of wrestling video games.
The 57-year-old Jarrett—who has wrestled for the WWF, WCW, WWA and AEW—had this to say about the news:
For more than three decades, I've had the privilege to have been a part of both the wrestling and gaming universes, and I'm thrilled to now be a partner in the revival of Acclaim, an iconic publisher known for releasing some of the most legendary games of the ‘80s and ‘90s. From my early involvement with the publisher’s hit 16-bit WWF titles to my experience helping shape the TNA Wrestling series, which spawned the first video game wrestler to become a full-time roster member in the Squared Circle, I've seen firsthand the type of impact great games can have on players and fans. Resurrecting Acclaim is an opportunity to impart the same degree of passion and love to a new generation, and I'm excited to be involved.
Meanwhile, Acclaim's new CEO, Alex Josef, had this to say:
It’s an absolute honor and pleasure to be leading the charge in bringing Acclaim back to the forefront of the games industry. We’re fortunate that we have an extremely talented team and that we’ve already signed some incredible indie titles, which we’ll be revealing soon.
Acclaim was founded in 1987 by Greg Fischbach, Robert Holmes, and Jim Scoroposki, and grew to become one of the most successful publishers in the video game industry, releasing titles such as WWF WrestleMania, The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Shadow Man, Burnout and more on home systems.
Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in September 2004 and its were auctioned off to other companies.