Acclaim Rises From the Dead

February 28, 2006 | By: James Brightman

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Acclaim Games is back, but not as we once knew the publisher. In fact the only similarity between the new Acclaim and the old is its name. Howard Marks hopes to restore Acclaim much in the same way he did with Activision in the '90s. More within...

Acclaim, the defunct publisher of games like Turok and All-Star Baseball, has returned... but in name only. Activision co-founder Howard Marks purchased the Acclaim name last year (in August) to establish a new company with a focus on free online games.

While the original Acclaim brand had been somewhat tarnished by a mix of mediocre and downright shoddy products, Marks has "a strong belief in the viability of the brand" and he intends to restore the company "to its former glory." Marks and his business partner purchased Activision in 1991, when it was in a similar state. "Activision today is a huge success and why not do the same with Acclaim?" asks Marks in his online bio.

The new Acclaim, based in Beverly Hills, California, will not only offer free online games, but it also will incorporate multiple business models such as in-game advertising and the option for gamers to purchase in-game items.

"Acclaim Games is passionate about gaming and committed to delivering the best online games available to the world," said Acclaim CEO Howard Marks. "These games were created to captivate gamers and provide the exciting multiplayer experience that youth users demand."

Acclaim's first title will be BOTS, a multiplayer online robot fighting game that is completely free to play. "The game is designed with accessibility and a positive community experience in mind. A sports-like ranking system allows players to challenge themselves against their friends in a cleanly rendered, safe and youth friendly environment as they develop their skills and evolve their own personalized BOT," says Acclaim.

BOTS will offer gamers hundreds of upgradeable options for "nearly limitless" combinations. "That's where the fun really begins with BOTS. The upgrades will give gamers the chance to really take ownership of their BOTS as they create a unique virtual identity," said Ken Chan, BOTS Brand Manager. "And the interface is so simple, we expect that a lot of new gamers will fall in love with this really fun online game."

BOTS is scheduled to go live worldwide this spring, but Acclaim is encouraging players to register for free now.

In addition to BOTS, Acclaim's website reveals another IP is in the works, an MMORPG called 9Dragons.