Acclaim Entertainment

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This article is about the defunct video game company. For the MMOG developer, see Acclaim Games.
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Acclaim Entertainment
Industry Video game industry
Fate Bankruptcy
Successor(s) Acclaim Games (purchaser of brand name and logotype)
Electronic Arts (purchaser of intellectual property for Burnout and NBA Jam)
THQ (purchaser of intellectual property for Juiced)
Throwback Entertainment (purchaser of intellectual property)
We Go Interactive Co., Ltd. (purchaser of intellectual property for Re-Volt, RC Revenge Pro, RC De Go)
Founded 1987
Defunct September 1, 2004
Headquarters Glen Cove, New York, U.S.
Key people Greg Fischbach: founder, co-chairman, CEO
Products Video games, comic books
Employees ≈800 (2001) [1]
Subsidiaries Iguana Entertainment, Probe Entertainment, Sculptured Software, Valiant Comics
Website Acclaim.com

Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, Xbox, and, to a lesser extent, personal computer systems and arcade games. It also released video games for the Sega Master System in Europe.

After Acclaim Entertainment's 2004 demise, the Acclaim brand and logotype were purchased by the unrelated company Acclaim Games (defunct from August 26, 2010). Canadian video game publisher Throwback Entertainment acquired more than 150 titles from Acclaim's video game library. In July 2010, We Go Interactive Co., Ltd., based in Seoul, Korea, purchased all IP related with Re-Volt, RC Revenge Pro, RC De GO from Throwback Entertainment.[2]

Contents

History[edit]

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Founded in 1987 as a Delaware corporation, Acclaim maintained operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, and Japan.[3] In its initial years, Acclaim was exclusively a video game publisher, either farming out the creation of its video games to external developers or localizing existing video games from overseas. But as it grew, it purchased some independent studios, including Iguana Entertainment of Austin, Texas; Probe Entertainment of London, England; and Sculptured Software of Salt Lake City, Utah.[4][5]

The name of the company was picked because it had to be alphabetically above the co-founder's former place of employment, Activision, and also had to be alphabetically above Accolade (another company formed by ex-Activision employees). This was a common formula for picking names of new companies that were founded by ex-Activision employees (the founders of Activision used this formula when they left Atari).[citation needed]

Many of Acclaim's products were licensed titles: games based on comics, television series and movies. They were also responsible for the ports of many of Midway's arcade games in the early to mid-1990s, including the Mortal Kombat series. They also published some games from other companies that at the time of publication didn't have an American branch, such as Technōs Japan's Double Dragon II: The Revenge and Taito's Bust-a-Move series.

In the 1990s, Sunsoft joined forces with Acclaim Entertainment to handle ad sales rights to Sunsoft's video games for game consoles.

The waning of the arcade game industry, coupled with some poor sales and public enthusiasm from several key titles led to the eventual loss of many of their licenses. One result of this was their late refactoring of the Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX series.

In June 1994, the company switched from video gaming to a media conglomerate.

In 1995, the company acquired Sculptured Software, Iguana Entertainment, Iguana UK, and Probe Entertainment and the companies switched to the first-party development studio, known as Acclaim Studios from 1999 to 2004.[5]

A less significant aspect of Acclaim's business was the development and publication of strategy guides relating to their software products and the issuance of "special edition" comic magazines, via Acclaim Comics, to support the more lucrative brand names. Lastly, they created the ASF/AMC motion capture format which is still in use in the industry today.[6]

Acclaim enjoyed a long relationship with the World Wrestling Federation dating back to 1988's WWF WrestleMania. However, after failing to match the success of World Championship Wrestling's THQ/AKI games amidst the Monday Night Wars, the WWF unexpectedly defected to THQ in 1999. Acclaim then picked up the license to Extreme Championship Wrestling and released two games for the company. ECW declared bankruptcy in 2001 while still owing Acclaim money. The game publisher would release three wrestling titles under the Legends of Wrestling banner in the throes of its final years.[7]

In 2001, Probe Entertainment became Acclaim Cheltenham.[citation needed]

In May, 2002 Acclaim bought most of the assets of the Software Creations studio and established a new development company, known as Acclaim Studios Manchester.[8] In December 2002, Acclaim closed its Salt Lake City studio (formerly veteran developer Sculptured Software).[9]

Acclaim suffered multiple lawsuits, a portion of them with former partners. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen sued over unpaid royalties.[10]

Acclaim suffered financial problems in 2004, the result of poor sales of their video and video game titles. This resulted in the closure of Acclaim Studios Cheltenham and Acclaim Studios Manchester in England and other places and their filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leaving many employees unpaid. Amongst the titles under development at the UK studios were Emergency Mayhem, Kung Faux and Made Man.

On September 1, 2004, Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York, which would virtually annihilate their company in liquidating all possible assets to pay off their debt which reportedly tops USD$100 million.[citation needed]

An attempt to reopen the Cheltenham and Manchester studios in October 2004 (under the new name Exclaim) failed due to legal wrangling over IP, with both the US and UK administrators claiming rights.

In August 2005, former Activision executive Howard Marks purchased the name "Acclaim" for a reported $100,000. In the beginning of 2006, Marks formed a new company called Acclaim Games. According to a job listing for the company, Acclaim Games was aimed at the US and UK preteen multiplayer markets. However the second iteration of Acclaim did not go well due to connectivity and payment issues for their online games, along with a lack of action against dishonest players, earning that iteration of the company an "F" grade from the Los Angeles/Southern California Better Business Bureau.[11]

In 2006, Throwback Entertainment, a video game company that had once considered acquiring Acclaim Entertainment, announced that it had purchased more than 50 of Acclaim's games, and vowed to bring such titles as Re-Volt, Extreme-G, Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance, Vexx, Fur Fighters and many other franchises into the next generation and beyond.[12]

In July 2010, We Go Interactive Co.,Ltd, based in Seoul, Korea, acquired all IP related with Re-Volt, RC Revenge Pro, RC De Go from Throwback Entertainment.[2]

Controversies[edit]

During Acclaim's decline towards bankruptcy, Steve Perry, an executive, made several controversial business and marketing decisions. One example was a promise that a USD $10,000 (£5000) prize would be awarded to UK parents who would name their baby "Turok", to promote the release of Turok: Evolution.[13] Another was an attempt to buy advertising space on actual tombstones for a Shadowman game.[13]

In the last iteration of the BMX series, BMX XXX, semi-nude, nude and pornography content (e.g., full motion video of strippers and nude female riders) was added in hopes of boosting sales.[14] However, like most of its other contemporary titles, BMX XXX sold poorly and was derided for its content and poor gameplay.[citation needed] Dave Mirra himself publicly disowned the game, stating that he was not involved in the decision to include nudity, and he sued Acclaim for fear of being associated with BMX XXX.[15] Another was from Acclaim's own investors, claiming that Acclaim management had published misleading financial reports.[14]

Subsidiaries[edit]

Studios[edit]

Labels[edit]

  • Arena Entertainment, founded as Mirrorsoft, acquired in 1992, discontinued in 1994.
  • Acclaim Max Sports
  • Acclaim Sports
  • AKA Acclaim (Athletes Kick Ass)
  • Club Acclaim
  • Flying Edge in Glen Cove, New York, started in 1991, discontinued in 1994.
  • LJN, founded in 1970, acquired in 1988, closed in 1994. Brand briefly revived in 2000.

Game titles[edit]

Name Release Year Platform(s)
AFL Live 2003 2002 PC, PS2, Xbox
AFL Live 2004 2003 PC, PS2, Xbox
AFL Live Premiership Edition 2004 PC, PS2, Xbox
Alias 2004 PC, PS2, Xbox, Mobile
Alien 3 1992, 1993, 1994 Amiga, Commodore 64, NES, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Master System
All-Star Baseball '97 1997 PlayStation, Sega Saturn
All-Star Baseball '99 1998 Nintendo 64, Game Boy
All-Star Baseball 2000 1999 Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color
All-Star Baseball 2001 2000 Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color
All-Star Baseball 2002 2001 GameCube, PlayStation 2
All-Star Baseball 2003 2002 Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance
All-Star Baseball 2004 2003 Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance
All-Star Baseball 2005 2004 Xbox, PlayStation 2
ATV Quad Power Racing 2 2003 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, GBA
Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. 1999 PS, N64, GBC
Aggressive Inline 2002 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, GBA
Batman & Robin 1998 PS1
Batman Forever 1995
1996		 SNES, Sega Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, PC
Blast Lacrosse 2001 PS1
BMX XXX 2002 Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PS2
Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands 1995 Sega Saturn, PlayStation
Burnout 2001 (PS2)
2002 (Nintendo GameCube, Xbox)		 PS2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox
Burnout 2: Point of Impact 2002 (PS2)
2003 (Nintendo GameCube, Xbox)		 PS2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox
Bust-a-Move 2 1997 PS1, Sega Saturn, Game Boy
Bust a Move 99 1999 PS1, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game Boy
Constructor 1997 PC, PS1
Crazy Taxi 2001 PS2, Nintendo GameCube
D 1995 3DO, Sega Saturn, PS1, PC
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2000 PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, Windows PC, GBC
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 2001 PS2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, GBA
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3 2002 GBA
Dragonheart: Fire & Steel 1996 United States Canada
1997 European Union Australia Japan		 PS1, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, PC
ECW Anarchy Rulz 2000 PS, Dreamcast
ECW Hardcore Revolution 2000 PS, N64, Dreamcast, GBC
18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker 2001 (PS2)
2002 (Nintendo GameCube)		 PS2, Nintendo GameCube
Extreme-G 1997 N64
Extreme-G 2 1998 N64, PC
XG3: Extreme G Racing 2001 PS2, Nintendo GameCube
XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association 2004 PS2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox
Fantastic Four 1997 PS
Forsaken 1998 United States Canada European Union Australia
1999 Japan		 Windows, PS1, N64
Fur Fighters 2000 (Dreamcast, Windows)
2001 (PS2)		 Dreamcast, Windows, PS2
Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance 2003 PS2, Xbox, PC
Iggy's Reckin' Balls 1998 N64
Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness 1994 Game Boy
Jupiter Strike 1995 United StatesCanada PS1
Justice League Task Force 1995 SNES, MegaDrive/Genesis
Krusty's Fun House 1992 Amiga, DOS, NES, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
Kung Faux 2004 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Kevin Sheedy AFL Coach 2002 2001 PC
Legends of Wrestling 2001 (PS2)
2002 (Xbox, Nintendo GameCube)		 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Legends of Wrestling II 2002 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Machines 1999 PC
Mark Davis' The Fishing Master (Japan only) 1995 Super Famicom/SNES
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Get A Clue 1999 Game Boy
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Get A Clue 2 2000 GBC
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall 1999 PS1, PC
Mortal Kombat 1992 Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD, Sega 32X, SNES, PC
Mortal Kombat II 1993 Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega 32X, SNES, PC
NBA Jam Extreme 1996
1997 (Windows)		 Arcade, PS1, Sega Saturn, PC
NBA Jam 99 1998 N64, Gameboy
NBA Jam 2000 1999 N64
NBA Jam 2001 2000 Gameboy
NBA Jam 2002 2002 Gameboy Advance
NBA Jam 2003 PS2, Xbox
The NFL Quarterback Club series PS1, N64, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn, SNES
NHL Breakaway 1998
1999		 N64, PS1, Dreamcast
Othello 1988 NES
Paris-Dakar Rally 2001 PC, PS2
Paris-Dakar 2: The World's Ultimate Rally 2003 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Predator 2 1992 Mega Drive/Genesis
Rambo 1987/1988 NES
Re-Volt 1999 PS1, N64, Dreamcast, PC, Arcade
Revolution X 1995 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, PS1
RC Revenge Pro 2000 PS2
RC Revenge 2000 PS1
Shadow Man 1999 N64, PS1, PC, Dreamcast
Shadow Man: 2econd Coming 2002 PS2
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling 2003 PS2, Xbox
Smash TV 1991 NES
South Park 1999 PS, N64, PC
South Park Rally 2000 PS, N64, PC, Dreamcast
South Park: Chef's Luv Shack 1999 PS, N64, PC, Dreamcast
Space Jam 1996 PS, Sega Saturn, PC
Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six 1992
1993		 NES, Master System, Game Gear
Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge 1992
1993
1994		 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage 1994 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
Spider-Man: The Animated Series 1995 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
Stargate 1995 SNES
Summer Heat Beach Volleyball 2001 PS2
The Addams Family 1992/1993 Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis
The Itchy & Scratchy Game 1994/1995 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
The Simpsons: Bart & the Beanstalk 1994 Game Boy
The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man 1992 NES, Game Gear
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants 1991 Amiga, NES, Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World 1991 Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Master System, Game Gear
The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts 1992 Game Boy
The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare 1992
1993
1994		 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
TrickStyle 1999 Dreamcast, PC
Trog! 1991 NES, MS-DOS
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter 1997 N64, PC, Game Boy
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil 1998 N64, GBC, PC
Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion 2000 N64, GBC
Turok: Rage Wars 1999 N64, GBC
Turok: Evolution 2002 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC
Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety 1995 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC
Virtual Bart 1994 SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
WWF in Your House 1996 PlayStation, Sega Saturn
WWF WrestleMania 1988 NES
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game 1996 PC, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
WWF War Zone 1998 PS, N64, Sega Saturn (Cancelled)
WWF Attitude 1999 PS, N64, Dreamcast
WWF Raw 1995 SNES, Megadrive/Genesis, Sega 32x, Game Boy
WWF Royal Rumble 1994 SNES, Megadrive/Genesis, Game Boy
Vexx 2003 PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Virtua Tennis 2 2002 PS2
X-Men: Children of the Atom 1997 Sega Saturn, PC, PlayStation

Headquarters[edit]

Acclaim had its headquarters in One Acclaim Plaza,[16] located in Glen Cove, New York. Acclaim bought the 3 story, 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2), Class A office building in 1994 for $4 million.[17] Acclaim was originally located in the hamlet of Oyster Bay in the Town of Oyster Bay.[18] It originally occupied a one-room office in Oyster Bay. At a later time it occupied a brick structure with two stories.[19]

See also[edit]

Portal icon New York portal
Portal icon Companies portal
Portal icon Video Games portal

References[edit]

  1. ^ "L.I. @ WORK; Acclaim Entertainment: Back in the Groove". New York Times. 2003-03-31. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  2. ^ a b "Throwback Press Release: Re-Volt Sale". Throwback Entertainment. 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2011-05-21. 
  3. ^ "Acclaim Entertainment- History Re-Volt Sale". Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-08-01. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  4. ^ "Acclaim to Buy Iguana". New York Times. 1994-21-12. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  5. ^ a b "Acclaim to acquire world's largest independent entertainment software developers; company to purchase both Probe and Sculptured Software in stock swaps. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 1995-10-10. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  6. ^ "Acclaim ASF/AMC". Cs.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  7. ^ McLaughlin, Rus IGN Presents the History of Wrestling Games IGN (November 12, 2008). Retrieved on 2-03-11.
  8. ^ "Software Creations Ltd". MobyGames. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  9. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo. "Acclaim closes Salt Lake City studio". GameSpot. 
  10. ^ "Olsen Twins Sue Acclaim Over Royalties". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-09-12.  Text "2004-04-27" ignored (help)
  11. ^ "Acclaim Games Incorporated Business Review in Beverly Hills, CA". La.bbb.org. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  12. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (2006-07-10). "Q&A: Throwback CEO Thomas Maduri". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-04-25. 
  13. ^ a b "'Turok' maker plays the name game". CNET. 2002-08-27. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  14. ^ a b "L.I.@WORK". New York Times. 2003-03-23. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  15. ^ "L.I.@WORK". New York Times. 2003-11-03. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 
  16. ^ "Headquarters." Acclaim Entertainment. June 23, 2000. Retrieved on July 8, 2010.
  17. ^ "Acclaim buys Glen Cove site." Real Estate Weekly. July 20, 1994. Retrieved on July 8, 2010.
  18. ^ Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, Volume 1. Standard & Poor's, 1995. Page listing Acclaim. Retrieved from Google Books on July 8, 2010. "ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT INC. (See Corporate Information Section) 71 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay, NY 11771"
  19. ^ Pederson, James P. International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 24. St. James Press, 1998. Approx. Pages 3-7-ish. Retrieved from Google Books on July 8, 2010. ISBN 1-55862-365-5, ISBN 978-1-55862-365-1 "Acclaim went from a shoestring budget and one-room office in Oyster Bay, to a two-story brick structure,"

External links[edit]

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