The competition to be the next big thing in video games has been going on since video games first came to arcades and, later, to households. Some rose to prominence, but others, despitebeing played by many, were forgotten.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the mascot race that took place in the 90s, where everyone wanted to create the next Mario killer. One of these attempts at cementing a legacy wasGex, a wise-cracking, platforming gecko with a surprisingly extensive library of titles. The silly lizard has been dormant For many years, but it’s possible that Square Enix will change that soon.
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For context, Square Enix does not ownGexbecause it was originally brought to players by the same company that brought the worldFinal Fantasyand other JRPGs of renown.Gexwas the property of Eidos Interactive before the company was purchased by Square, andGexwas part of the package deal. Now Square Enix has filed a renewal for the patent onGex, keeping him usable. Yes, one of the biggest companies in the world, the owner ofFinal Fantasy 14, just filed to renew one of themost irrelevent gaming mascots of all time.
On the one hand, this seems a bit odd.Gexhas not had a place in the video game scene for years, despite once being a franchised force. AGexgame in 2022 or 2023 would be as odd as anew game starring Bubsy the Bobcat. However, that oddity already exists, making a newGextitle less farfetched than many would believe at first. Traditionally,Gexhas been a platformer, though whether in 2D or 3D depends on which console he was appearing on.
The good news is there’s a real chance that any newGexgame made could be genuinely good.Square Enix previously offeredGexto prospective developersthrough its Square Enix Collective project, inviting other devs to try their hands at the properties. If a similar offer is made now, perhaps an indie dev could turnGexinto the household name he never was.
No one can accuse Square Enix of not utilizing all of its tools, though only time will tell if anything worthwhile comes fromGexbeing revived once again. Still, with theM ratedStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originon the way having received a hearty laugh at its reveal, it’s questionable whether or notGexwould be Square Enix’s weirdest move.
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