REPORT: Acclaim Entertainment Revived As Independent Studio

A name synonymous with video games in the 90's, Acclaim Entertainment will rejoin the industry under new ownership and vision. On March 4th, a group of executives purchased the Acclaim trademark with the plan to focus on publishing independent games and original intellectual properties. Serving as the new CEO will be Alex Josef, the current CEO of Graffiti Games (Turnip Boy, Elderand), a publisher company based out of Los Angeles, California.

Members of the advisory board include industry veterans Mark Caplan, Russell Binder, and perhaps most surprising, wrestling veteran and current AEW star Jeff Jarrett. Perhaps Jarrett's addition can be vital, as throughout his wrestling career, he has worked within the game industry in then-WWF, WCW, and as the founder and head of TNA.

“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,” Jarrett said, in a statement from WrestleZone. “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.”

With many of the franchises Acclaim was revered for publishing and producing now under the umbrella of other rights holders (Mortal Kombat, the Turok series, Shadowman, and NBA Jam, to name a few), what this revision plans to build their rebranding around will be fascinating to see. In the 2000's, the company found itself in financial hardship due to a significant drop in video game sales. They would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and closing its doors in 2005.

What are some of your Acclaim Entertainment memories? And how many guitars will Jarrett break over the heads of programmers during development, Slapnuts?

SOURCE: WrestleZone