Prey for the Gods [official site], the crowdfunded surive-o-action game heavily inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, is now named Praey for the Gods. It’s a rubbish name but it is a trademarkable one. Developers No Matter Studios have made this change because Zenimax, the owners of Bethesda, thought Prey for the Gods was too close to their trademark for Prey. Rather than spend their limited funds on battling Zenimax’s lawyers, No Matter agreed to change the name. The Suits didn’t object to Praey for the Gods, a title close to one No Matter had originally considered anyway, so here we are. Here ends the threat of people mistakenly thinking Prey for the Gods is, I don’t know, an ultra-exclusive limited edition of Prey reserved for religious leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

More trademark bullshittery is taking place, this time targeted at Oculus Rift. The 3D goggles are being taken to court by a company you’ve never heard of called Oculu, for “false designation of origin, trademark dilution and unfair competition”. So what 3D virtual reality hardware do Oculu make? Oh, wait, hang on – they appear to be a business-oriented video streaming service.

Read the rest of this entry »

Markus “Notch” Persson, creator of Minecraft, is currently in dispute with Bethesda over the trademark for “Scrolls”. Mojang’s next game is called Scrolls, which Bethesda says is too similar to The Elder Scrolls. A lack of hilarity ensues. Except now Notch has struck upon a potential solution. A Quake 3 match. He suggests three from Mojang take on three from Bethesda, pick a map each, and compete for the name.

Read the rest of this entry »