Sega Trademarks Ecco The Dolphin, Sparking Comeback Rumors

Last December, Sega filed trademarks for the long-dormant IP, Ecco the Dolphin. Read on to find out what this may mean for the franchise!

Sega Revives Ecco IP With Trademark

Ecco The Dolphin Returns

As reported by Gematsu, Sega filed trademarks for Ecco and Ecco the Dolphin in late December of last year, igniting speculation about a potential revival of the franchise after 24 years of inactivity. The news broke today, following the filing on December 27th, 2024.

Originally launched in 1992 by the Hungarian game development studio Appaloosa Interactive (formerly known as Novotrade International) and published by Sega, Ecco the Dolphin features the titular character, a bottlenose dolphin, who embarks on a mission to save the planet from extraterrestrial alien threats. The series saw four sequels released up until the year 2000. Plans for a sequel to Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, were abandoned following the decline and eventual discontinuation of the Sega Dreamcast.

Today, Sega stands as a renowned game developer and publisher. Appaloosa Interactive, on the other hand, ceased operations in the mid-2000s, but its former staff, including Ecco the Dolphin’s creator Ed Annunziata, remain active in the video game industry. Annunziata released Space War Arena in 2019 and expressed his ongoing hope for an Ecco sequel in a 2019 interview with NintendoLife, stating, "One thing I can say is in the future, people are playing this game. I never give up!"

Currently, no definitive updates have surfaced regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin. Fans should stay tuned for further developments. With Sega's recent track record of reviving classic franchises like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter, along with developing new IPs such as Project Century and the RPG-like Virtua Fighter, Ecco the Dolphin could well be next on their list.

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