After More Than 20 Years, Acclaim Is Back

This isn’t exactly F2P-specific news. At the moment, we don’t know if it will have anything to do with free-to-play at all. If we were going by history, I’d have to say maybe not, but it’s been two decades since Acclaim declared bankruptcy in 2004, so anything is possible.

Perhaps I should clarify. After two decades, video game publisher Acclaim is back. The company’s resurrection was announced (teased?) yesterday with a brief press release and a trailer. The press release states that there is “big news” on the way and asks readers to “get ready for the next era of gaming” as “the legendary name in video games returns”. It also promises “new worlds, bold ideas, and the next wave of unforgettable games”.

According to Wikipedia, a group of executives bought the trademark and is bringing it back as an indie publisher. The entry also states that they may purchase former Acclaim IPs.

At the moment, what we don’t know is what kinds of games they’ll be making going forward. The company went bankrupt ahead of the rise in popularity of free-to-play, live-service games. That said, it’s been a direction companies give plenty of attention to now. And, as a publisher, Acclaim can easily have a broader portfolio than a company focused on development. So, again, anything is possible.