Buena Vista to rescue Turok from extinction

Buena Vista Games has secured the publishing rights to comic book property Turok, announcing plans to produce games based on the franchise for both current and next-generation consoles.

The Turok dinosaur character first appeared in a series of comic books created by Matthew H. Murphy in 1954. The license was formerly owned by Acclaim, which published the first Turok game for Nintendo 64 in 1997. A series of titles for multiple platforms followed and more than 5 million units were sold in total.

Classic Media took over the license when Acclaim went into liquidation in 2004, adding Turok to a portfolio of properties that includes Lassie, the Lone Ranger and Casper the Friendly Ghost.

"With the launch of the new console and handheld game platforms, we feel it is the perfect time to redefine Turok video games," said Graham Hopper, senior VP at BVG.

"We expect Turok to lead our growth strategy of creating action-oriented game franchises for the core gamer market."

Classic Media's Leslie Levine added: "BVG is committed to building Turok into one of their cornerstone franchises to reach the core gamer through exciting new platforms. We couldn't ask for a more enthusiastic team."

The game is being developed by Propaganda Games, BVG's recently established Vancouver studio, for unspecified multiple platforms.

"Through compelling new technology, game design and graphics, it is our goal to take the Turok franchise to new heights," said Propaganda's Josh Holmes.

"The brand's rich, prehistoric setting and ferocious monsters provide us an extensive palette of content to create the most intense, action-packed game play for next-generation console systems."