Acclaim, the publisher behind hundreds of classic games from the 80s and 90s, is set to be revived.
The company closed back in 2004 as it filed for bankruptcy, but will now return to support indie developers and “reignite classic franchises” from its portfolio of IP.
Acclaim was known in the 90s for game adaptations of familiar franchises, from WWF (now WWE) and The Simpsons, to movie tie-ins like Alien 3, Judge Dredd and Batman Forever, to comic book games like Spider-Man and Wolverine.
It also published the likes of the controversial Mortal Kombat games and Theme Park. Then, in the late 90s, it was prolific for publishing N64 games like Turok, Extreme-G, Shadow Man, and the South Park FPS.
As well as resurrecting its old franchises, the company will be offering funding, marketing, and PR support to indie studios.
The newly-revived publisher has an advisory board of industry leaders, including “licensing icons, professional athletes, living music legends and season veterans who have defined the intersection of video games and pop culture”. That includes two-time Hall of Fame wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
“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.”
Acclaim was originally founded in 1987, publishing a number of NES and Game Boy games. However, sales of its games declined in the early ’00s which led to a number of studio closures across the UK. Eventually the company closed in August 2004, closing all of its facilities and terminating all employees at its Austin and New York studios.
Still, a number of game franchises first published by Acclaim have made a return in recent years.
High-speed racer Extreme-G and puzzle game Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls were added to Nintendo Switch Online’s N64 catalogue last year, which were followed by Turok 2: Seeds of Evil and Shadow Man in the Mature app.
What’s more, as previously reported, a new Shadow Man game is in development from Blowfish Studios along with comic publisher Valiant Entertainment, while Saber Interactive is working on a new Turok game it revealed at last year’s The Game Awards.
