90s games publisher Acclaim has been revived, supported by a team of industry veterans looking to support indie titles and “reignite classic franchises.”
Led by CEO Alex Josef, former founder and CEO of Graffiti Games, the firm aims to provide resources including funding, marketing, and PR support to independent studios.
It has curated an advisory board of industry leaders to support this endeavour, including Striker Entertainment founding partner Russell Binder, Ridge Partners founder Mark Caplan, and Global Force Entertainment founder and professional wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
Acclaim’s growth strategy is further supported by VaynerFund partner Phil Toronto and Jet Management partner Eric Vogel.
“It’s an absolute honour and pleasure to be leading the charge in bringing Acclaim back to the forefront of the games industry,” said Acclaim CEO Alex Josef.
“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 added: “For more than three decades, I’ve had the privilege to have been part of both the wrestling and gaming universes, and I’m thrilled to now be a partner in the revival of Acclaim.
“From my early involvement with the publisher’s 16-bit WWF titles to my experience helping shape the TNA Wrestling services […] 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.”
Acclaim was originally founded in 1987, and became a worldwide publisher, developer, and mass marketer.
It brought franchises including Mortal Kombat, Turok and NBA Jam to home consoles, and was also known for its game adaptations of The Simpsons, Alien 3, Judge Dredd, and Batman Forever.