Back when Microsoft first entered the console market with the original Xbox in 2001, things were very different- each console used to have a mascot character associated with it, one that usually starred in a platforming game, and one that represented the console brand as a whole. Nintendo had (and still has) Mario, Sega had Sonic, PlayStation had Crash Bandicoot, and Microsoft hoped that they would have Blinx.
Unfortunately, Blinx never actually caught on- the games he starred in were mediocre at best, and people were actually interested in buying an Xbox for the good games it offered, such as, I don’t know, Halo (Master Chief would go on to become Xbox’s ‘mascot’). That said, he still did have his fans, and there were many hoping for a revival from Microsoft in the Xbox One era, especially given how they seem to be okay with reviving some of the older franchises in their arsenal, such as Killer Instinct and The Phantom Dust.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that will happen, as it appears as though Microsoft has just abandoned the trademark for Blinx, signaling, once and for all, that they intend to do nothing with the character any more.
Sort of sad, I guess? Personally, I’d rather they focus on good games, so I am okay with this.
