Acclaim Studios Manchester formed
Out of the ashes of the late Software Creations
Acclaim Entertainment has forged a new development studio in the crucible of harsh market conditions. Acclaim Studios Manchester, which was officially unveiled early on Wednesday morning, consists of 70 former employees of Software Creations, including former CEO, Paul Hibbard, who takes up the position of General Manager at the new company, reporting directly to John Ma, Acclaim's Executive Vice President of Product Development. Software Creations is responsible for a multitude of titles stretching back to 8-bit systems. Some of its more memorable titles include 16-bit oddities Equinox and Plok. Last year the developer completed work, along with co-developer EA Sports, on the GameCube version of FIFA Soccer 2002 Major League Soccer, released to critical acclaim in the States last Christmas. It was not however involved in the porting of the game to the PlayStation 2. Acclaim has positioned the studio strategically, with Rod Cousens, President and Chief Operating Officer at Acclaim International, commenting that the addition of Acclaim Studios Manchester "broadens our global development capabilities". It has not been revealed whether any employees were laid off in the transition from Software Creations, nor which projects the new company will now start work on, but "certain proprietary assets" have also been rescued from the ashes of the former developer by Acclaim. Representatives of Acclaim were not available for comment at the time of writing, but then again it is 10pm.
