Square Enix is seemingly interested in the title and has recently filed a trademark for The Portopia Serial Murder Case. The trademark application was filed on November 10 and made public a few days ago. The trademark was filed under Class 9 which includes use for “machinery and equipment including commercial video game machine software, programs, and virtual reality game software.” The Portopia Serial Murder Case was developed by Enix and released in 1983 on the PC-6001, and has since been ported to other platforms. The game was designed by Yuji Horii, creator of the Dragon Quest series. The action-adventure visual novel revolved around the death of the president of a bank. The police were sent to investigate the mystery and the player is assigned as the detective on the case. The player travels around several locations to interact with and interview characters who may shed light on the mystery. The Portopia Serial Murder Case was very much ahead of its time, featuring an open world, non-linear gameplay, and branching dialogues. The game also features several alternate endings depending on the player’s choices. The Portopia Serial Murder Case influenced renowned game director Hideo Kojima in the creation of the Metal Gear series. “What made up my mind to get into this industry myself was Super Mario Bros. and The Portopia Serial Murder Case. They weren’t the ‘bleep bloop’ games of old; these games had their own worlds and stories. I felt a certain authorial quality in them,” Kojima shared in an interview in a 1999 interview with Nice Games. The filing has led to speculation that the company is planning to do a remake. It would be interesting to see a modern take on such a pioneering title. The Portopia Serial Murder Case should be given the reverence and attention it deserves for revolutionizing narrative-based gaming as we know it today. If Square Enix does decide to make the game, we hope that it will also be released to audiences outside Japan. The company recently shared its plans to focus on the global market to increase its revenue. Square Enix also filed a trademark application for Paranormasight. The title is currently unknown and could be a future project that the developer is working on. The purpose of the trademark filing for both Paranormasight and The Portopia Serial Murder Case is still unclear at this point. Fans will have to wait for an official announcement for Square Enix regarding projects related to the trademark applications.
