The development of the first game was originally based on idea of making a video game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, but that idea fell through and Mortal Kombat was created instead and released in 1992. in July 2009 and became a part of the Warner Bros. Following Midway's bankruptcy, the franchise was picked up by Warner Bros. Beginning with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Midway Games exclusively created home versions of Mortal Kombat up until Mortal Kombat vs. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim Entertainment for the home console conversions. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines, and later to home consoles. Mortal Kombat (commonly abbreviated 'MK') is a series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.