Eternal Darkness

Some of you may have heard this before — Nintendo has renewed a trademark application for Eternity Darkness, the highly regarded GameCube title that pushed boundaries and provided a unique experience on the console. The latest renewal, the second of this particular record, has brought back optimism that Nintendo is planning to use the IP in some way.

This takes us back the a trademark established in summer 2013, with an update of 17th December this year representing a second renewal. The key difference when this particular trademark was opened in 2013 was that it included "downloadable electronic game programs” and “downloadable electronic game software" as relevant areas; what's brought some additional optimism in this latest renewal is a declaration that there's an "ongoing effort" with "product or service research or development".

That, naturally, leads to speculation that the franchise, which has been dormant since the GameCube release — with the doomed and controversial Shadow of the Eternals project being a failed and unofficial follow-up — could return in some form. The wording implies that some work on a product is taking place, with potential projects being a straight-up Virtual Console / eShop release, a HD Remaster or even a new title. Though it's fair to point out that the original — developed by Silicon Knights but published and owned by Nintendo — wasn't a commercial smash-hit, any fresh release would garner attention from long-term fans and give either of Nintendo's current systems a unique new offering. It is, of course, all speculation.

Also of interest is a renewal for Wii Vitality Sensor, the quirky accessory that was held back due to technical limitations, which has the same terms of ongoing effort; with Nintendo preparing for its first QoL product, exploring projects in the health field and — no doubt — for future gaming hardware, it's possible that the basis of the technology is still being investigated and tested.

Trademark listings can, in the end, come to nothing. We can take hope from the statement of ongoing effort, however, and this is a time of year for optimism.

If Eternal Darkness is to return, what form would you like it to take. A remaster, or an entirely new game? Let us know what you think.

[source tsdr.uspto.gov, via neogaf.com, tsdr.uspto.gov]