Acclaim back in the game

The publisher has been reborn in the US as a free-to-play online portal, after former Activision CEO Howard Marks bought the brand name, creating new company Acclaim Games.

Acclaim.com advertises itself as ‘the US’s biggest free-to-play American games publisher’, and Marks has told CasualGaming.biz that it already has close to seven million registered players.

“Games are free to play and players purchase in-game items to enhance their game play enjoyment,” he explained. “It is optional. We are also developing our own games directed by David Perry of Matrix/Earthworm Jim fame.

“The online space is the future of the gaming industry.  Most kids today are born on the Internet and want to play socially. Our games are all social and fun to play with friends and meet new people.”

Marks hopes that his games, including smashes 2Moons, Dance! Online and 9Dragons, will make their way to Xbox Live and PSN soon, but he is waiting for the platform holders to “embrace free-to-play”.

Marks pretty much ruled out any return to boxed publishing for Acclaim, cheekily asking CasualGaming.biz, “What’s a games box?” when we pitched the question.