Mortal Kombat and Turok Publisher Acclaim Revives to Support Indie Devs and Classic Franchises
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Key points
- The legendary 90s publisher returns to support indie developers and revive classic game franchises.
- Jeff Jarrett joins the team, bringing over 30 years of experience in both gaming and wrestling to the table.
- Acclaim filed for bankruptcy and shut down in 2004.
Acclaim, the 90s iconic publisher, is making a return 21 years after shutting down in 2004. The company, known for games like Turok, Mortal Kombat, Extreme-G, Shadow Man, and NBA Jam, is getting revived thanks to a concerted effort of Striker Entertainment, Ridge Partners, Global Force Entertainment, VaynerFund, and JET Management.
The original company was founded in 1987. Firstly, Acclaim made a name for itself as the console publisher of arcade classics like Mortal Kombat. But later it became famous for its wild marketing stunts promoting games like Turok: Evolution and Shadow Man: 2econd Coming.
In 2002, the company was looking to re-launch the popular Turok series. The core idea of the marketing campaign for the upcoming Turok: Evolution was offering $10,000 to anyone willing to name their newborn child Turok. For Shadow Man: 2econd Coming, Acclaim went even further, reportedly offering a cash incentive to families of the recently deceased to hang billboards or poster-like advertisements on their grave markers. It is even rumored that the team referred to this effort as ‘deadvertising.’
Reborn Acclaim is assembling an advisory board featuring influential figures in entertainment and gaming. Among them are Russell Binder, the founding partner of licensing and merchandising powerhouse Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan, the founder of the business consultancy firm Ridge Partners, professional wrestler Jeff Jarrett and CEO Alex Josef, the former founder and CEO of Graffiti Games, known for Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion.
