Acclaim, one of the major entertainment publishers from the 80s and 90s, is being revived by a group of industry veterans after more than 20 years.
Acclaim was one of the biggest console video game publishers in its prime after it was established in 1987. It worked with franchises like Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Turok.
Now, several veterans in the entertainment industry have gotten together to bring Acclaim back. Advisory board members include:
- Russell Binder (Striker Entertainment)
- Mark Caplan (Ridge Partners)
- Jeff Jarrett (Global Force Entertainment and two-time Hall of Fame wrestler)
Acclaim is partnering with Phil Toronto (Partner at VaynerFund) and Eric Vogel (Partner at JET Management). Their goal is to grow Acclaim through investing and managing independent developers.
The goals for the studio include supporting indie devs while also bringing back classic franchises. To do so, it’ll provide funding and marketing/PR support.
Alex Josef will be the CEO, and he has over 20 years of experience publishing hundreds of games across console, PC, and even mobile.
Josef shared his excitement about Acclaim:
“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.”
Jeff Jarrett, one of the board members, also shared his experience with the company back in the 80s and 90s and what the relaunch of Acclaim means to him:
“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.”
There’s no news on where the company will start yet. However, Acclaim’s website is open for game pitches, and fans can sign up for its newsletter and private beta access for future games.
For more industry news, check out Jagex’s new CEO, Jon Bellamy, and Emona Capital’s buyout of Secret Mode.
