Sony abandons The Last Guardian

On August 6th it was discovered that Sony is abandoning The Last Guardian trademark. The game which has seen an embattled development process appears to be no more, despite statements from Sony to the contrary.

This trademark issue is just the last of the signals that have pointed to problems with Team ICO and The Last Guardian. The game has missed numerous public showcases, despite being planned for 2012. The lead developer on the game became a freelancer in midst of the development process, but reassured fans that development on the game would continue. Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida has also commented on numerous occasions that Sony is not giving up on the game.

Sony is making any comments on the situation, claiming that this is just rumor or speculation at this point. Of course this could just mean an accidental lapse for the trademark, or that Sony may be applying for a separate trademark for the game altogether.

According to the United States Patent Office:

“Although federal registration for this particular filing is inactive, the mark may still enjoy common law rights, or may have been applied for again in a separate application. Further research may be warranted to determine where this mark is truly abandoned in commerce.”

Update: Sony has confirmed The Last Guardian is still in development

According to a statement from Sony’s Ron Eagle: “We can confirm that The Last Guardian is still in development, and [Sony] will be publishing the title.”