Many gamers of the 80s and 90s have probably seen the logo for publisher Acclaim at some point in their life. The company is known for bringing several beloved franchises to consoles like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Sega Genesis. This includes the popular fighter Mortal Kombat, the first-person dino shooter Turok, and the influential arcade basketball game NBA Jam. Unfortunately, the publisher had gone under back in 2004. However, after a little over two decades, Acclaim is officially returning with the goal of “revitalizing the gaming landscape.”
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As stated in a new press release, this new version of Acclaim says that it will accomplish this goal by supporting indie developers and bringing back some of its classic franchises. The publisher stated it will provide resources like funding, marketing, and PR support to the studios that sign with the company. Details on what franchises will return are not yet revealed. Additionally, the company did not say which indie studios it plans to support, but its new CEO Alex Josef claims it will be revealing them “soon.”
“It’s an absolute honor and pleasure to be leading the charge in bringing Acclaim back to the forefront of the games industry,” said Josef. “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.”
Josef has been in the games industry for more than two decades. Much of their experience is in market and publishing. He is the founder of VIM Global, a PR and marketing company that has helped release tons of games like Guacamelee, Super Mega Baseball, and Human Fall Flat.
As mentioned above, a key goal for Acclaim this time around is to bring back some of its fan-favorite franchises. In order to fulfill that goal, the publisher has formed an advisory board which includes Russell Binder at Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan at Ridge Partners, and Jeff Jarrett at Global Force Entertainment.
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“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,” said Jarrett. “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.”
Lastly, Acclaim’s growth strategy will be supported by partners VaynerFund’s Phil Toronto, and JET Management’s Eric Vogel.
Are you excited for the return of Acclaim? What classic SNES or Sega franchises from the publisher would you like to see come back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Star Wars. Courtesy of Disney
