In a recent report from MCV, the future of Acclaim is looking bleak, at best. According to the report, Acclaim has closed two of their main offices, eliminating 130 jobs, in what appears to be the possible end of this game publishing giant. According to MCV’s report, an announcement to NASDAQ is expected sometime today. On July 16th, 2004, Acclaim received a notification of being delisted from NASDAQ, unless they were able to increase the worth of their shares by August 18th. August 18th has already passed and the value of Acclaim’s shares seems to be dropping at a steady rate. All of these conditions combine to spell certain doom for the company.

As an observer, the end of Acclaim does not come as a surprise to me. A quick glance at the company’s 2004 game lineup reveals a list that is severely lacking in any heavy hitting titles. While Crazy Taxi is still a brand that carries heavy recognition, it is hardly enough to keep an entire publisher afloat. As Acclaim reaches its seemingly inevitable end, I can only wonder what hands these few franchises will end up in. Until then, I wish the best for Acclaim and all of the recently unemployed. Sadly, in an era of corporate consolidation, there are going to be many companies that fall through the cracks.