Old school publisher Acclaim is being resurrected from the dead.
This new version of the company is going to be supporting indie studios – including funding, marketing and PR support – in addition to “[reigniting] classic franchises.” The new Acclaim is being headed up by Alex Josef, who previously founded and was CEO of Graffiti Games, with Russell Binder, Mark Caplan and wrester Jeff Jarrett coming on as advisors.
Acclaim was originally founded in 1987 before going bankrupt in 2004.
“It’s an absolute honour and pleasure to be leading the charge in bringing Acclaim back to the forefront of the games industry,” CEO Josef said.
“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.”
Jarrett added: “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.”
