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It’s a little later than promised, but Square Enix has finally opened up some of its classic IP to independent developers.
Through its Square Enix Collective crowdfunding platform, studios can now pitch game ideas for fresh takes on the publisher’s lesser-used properties. The company has encouraged devs to think beyond straight sequels, suggesting examples of a side-scrolling adventure or turn-based strategy game based on Gex the Gecko.
Gex is one of a trio of old Eidos IPs now available, with the other two including Fear Effect and Anachronox. On the Collective site, the publisher says it has "more IPs we may open up in the future" depending on the response to this initial threesome.
The submission process is similar to that of proposing original games through Square Enix Collective, although there are a few exceptions. The publisher will pre-approve pitches internally before they can be opened to community feedback.
After 28 days of consumer votes, Square Enix will then weigh up whether or not they wish to proceed with the pitch. If so, it is then open to crowdfunding.
"[This] no doubt begs an important question: Why ask gamers to pay for a game to be made if it’s using our IP?" the site writes. "Well, because it will still be the responsibility of the independent developer to build the game – and the developer will still be the key beneficiary of its success."
The publisher first announced it would open its IP to indie devs back in June, but says it "wasn’t something [we] wanted to open up right away, in case it overshadowed the original games that developers submitted to the platform".
