A group of industry veterans have come together to bring back Acclaim, one of the most iconic video game publishers.
Russell Binder of Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan of Ridge Partners, and Jeff Jarrett of Global Force Entertainment have come together to resurrect the Acclaim brand. Also part of the relaunch are Phil Toronto, Partner at VaynerFund, and Eric Vogel, Partner at JET Management. Tapped to lead the relaunch as the new CEO is Alex Josef.
The new Acclaim will also bring Jeff Jarrett, a two-time Hall of Fame wrestler, onto its board. He previously worked with the original Acclaim team in the ’80s and ’90s on several wrestling games. In a press release that was made available, he has stated,
“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.”
At the moment no new projects or titles have been announced by the new Acclaim. It should be noted that one of its key goals is to revitalize its portfolio of memorable titles. News regarding upcoming games will be announced in the future.
The original Acclaim Entertainment was founded in 1987 by Greg Fischbach, Robert Holmes, and Jim Scoroposki. The company was known for publishing some of the earliest WWE games and porting iconic arcade titles. Its development studios created classics such as the Turok series, the early South Park games, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, and The Red Star.
8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Stan Rezaee is the founder and Editor of 8Bit/Digi. He is a journalist and gamer from the Bay Area who has been writing about the medium for over five years.
