A trademark status change indicates that Team Ico’s The Last Guardian may be canceled.
More than three years after its announcement, Team Ico’s The Last Guardian is still missing in action. After its E3 2009 reveal, the spiritual successor to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus was given a vague 2011 release window. That year came and went without any updates about The Last Guardian; meanwhile, the game’s executive producer quit and GameStop removed the pre-order listing from its system. Though many held onto hope that the game was still in development, The Last Guardian‘s trademark was abandoned earlier this week, indicating that it may never be released.
On Monday, August 6, the formerly active trademark changed to “abandoned – no statement of use filed,” with a Notice of Abandonment being sent off to Sony. The trademark listing changed “because the applicant failed to file for a statement of use or an extension of time,” suggesting that Sony has no use for the name The Last Guardian anymore.
Despite rumors to the contrary, Sony has repeatedly insisted that The Last Guardian is not dead. The trademark can be revived or reinstated if Sony petitions to do so within two months, so hope isn’t completely lost. However, if the publisher couldn’t hang onto the trademark past its expiration date, it seems unlikely that it will make any efforts to recover it.
Source: Trademarkia via PlayStation Lifestyle
Update: Sony has responded to the trademark questions and confirmed that The Last Guardian is not canceled. According to the publisher, “the project is still in development. Nothing new to report at this time.” While it’s strange that a company as big as Sony would let a trademark become abandoned so casually, this should come as a relief to those who have been following the game’s development for the last three years.
Source: Twitter via GamesRadar
