May 13^th, 2005 (2:41pm) - Buena Vista Games has been awarded the videogame publishing rights to the comic book property, "Turok." Former videogame publisher Acclaim had previously had the rights to the license, but lost it when Acclaim closed its doors last year. Buena Vista Games plans to revive the franchise with the help of the newly formed Vancouver studio, Propaganda Games. This new Turok game will appear on multiple home console and handheld platforms, including next-gen consoles.

"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 vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. "We expect Turok to lead our growth strategy of creating action-oriented game franchises for the core gamer market."

The original "Turok" property, created by Matthew H. Murphy, first appeared in comic books in 1954. The story was set around Turok and his young friend Andar, who during a hunting expedition gone wrong; stumble across a prehistoric valley filled with deadly predators. Over the past four decades, hundreds of Turok’s dinosaur-hunting adventures have graced the pages of comic books throughout the world, building a global franchise. Turok made his videogame debut on the Nintendo 64, and has appeared on the PC and multiple console game platforms, selling more than 5 million units worldwide over the franchise lifespan.

"Through compelling new technology, game design and graphics, it is our goal to take the Turok franchise to new heights," said Josh Holmes, vice president and studio general manager for Propaganda Games. "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."