Square Enix has invited developers to pitch ideas for new games based on the Gex, Fear Effect and Anachronox franchises.

The company said it's not necessarily looking for straight-up sequels to those games. Rather, it wants to see different takes on those universes.

"What would Gex look like in a side-scrolling adventure, or a turn-based strategy?" the company said. "So feel free to mash up genres, and get creative."

It's part of Collective, a program Square Enix launched in November 2013 to partner with developers for crowdfunding efforts.

It works like this: once Square Enix greenlights an idea it puts it out to the community to let them vote and provide feedback. After 28 days of this the company decides whether or not to proceed.

It's then onto crowdfunding, which is sure to raise eyebrows given developers will work with Square Enix, a multi-million pound video game publisher, on its established intellectual property.

Square Enix justified this by saying it will still be the responsibility of the independent developer to build the game, and insisted the developer "will still be the key beneficiary of its success".

However, Square Enix will still take five per cent of net crowdfunds raised, assuming the initial target is reached, and a distribution fee of 10 per cent net sales revenue to sell the game, and it will charge a 10 per cent license fee for the use of the IP. Phew!

"And, obviously, we'll have more involvement in the direction of development," Square Enix said, "because let's face it, we want to make sure the game that's released is the game that's promised."

Square Enix said the developer will still keep 80 per cent of the net revenue from sales of the game, "and who knows, maybe we'll be interested in licensing a sequel as well?

"It's a pretty good deal".

Collective has run for a year now, partnering with a number of independent developers, such as Crackdown 2 studio Ruffian's Game of Glens. But that project was shelved after it suffered at Collective's polls.

While 36 original game ideas have been published by Collective, just three have so far been successfully Kickstarted: Sand Sailor Studio's Black The Fall, Kitfox Games' Moon Hunters, and, most recently, point-and-click adventure Goetia from French developer Sushee.

Perhaps it's best to employ a wait and see approach following this latest news, then. Maybe Anachronox creator Tom Hall fancies a pitch?

OH MY GOD THE WORLD NEEDS FEAR EFFECT 3 AND ANACHRONOX 2!!!

Voted for Gex because I miss 3D platform games....

As much as I'd like such unique take with Anachronox again, I'll go with Fear Effect because honestly, that game mixed gore and sex in a perfect match.

why not all 3? we dont need another shitty ff game...

Because I feel like every game would choose for the option 'all 3 of them'.....  it is more interesting to see what people want if they can choose.

Would be happy if they ported Anachronox like what happened with Resident evil.  Not sure many played that one.  Fear Effect was great but I remember it as an hard game where I had no idea what I should do ^^'.  At this moment I want an light hearted funny game like Gex.  Gex is a bit like Conker influenced by trends/movies and not for the young audience...

I would go with a new Gex game, because I'm not too familiar with the other two franchises and the Gex games are simply damn awesome!

Fear Effect.. With its lesbian female protagonist its gonna be so much fun seeing feminist internet blow up.. I atleast expect 5 twitter meltdowns, 2 hacking attacks, 342 reddit bans and 5 nude photos.

Fear Effect, as long as it's basically Fear Effect 3. Fuck that "LOL, make it a side scroller!" bullshit.