This morning I got that tingle in the back of my brain - it was an idea. It nudged and pulled and wouldn't let go until I paid attention to it, and usually when that happens, it's a good idea. So I looked into it by heading over to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
Banjo-Kazooie: Just to see if this was the right way to satisfy my idea that had now become a headache, I searched for Banjo-Kazooie's trademark. Sure enough, it popped up. Banjo-Kazooie's trademark was filed on May 23, 1997 and registered on December 29, 1998. Registered in December? Banjo-Kazooie was released on June 30, so this one roused my curiosity. Perhaps Rare should have filed for the trademark earlier to ensure registration before the release date. As for Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge or Banjo-Threeie, no results were found. I also tried every variation on the two names that I could think of, and still nothing.
Banjo-Tooie: Next, I searched for Banjo-Tooie and two entries popped up. One trademark was still live, so I clicked that one. Banjo-Tooie's trademark was filed on March 17, 1999 and registered on May 29, 2001. The other Banjo-Tooie trademark was dead, but also for the game. This trademark, also filed on March 17, 1999, was never registered, and abandoned on February 9, 2001. The only major difference between these two trademarks is the description. The description of the live trademark was small and related to video games, but the dead trademark encompassed many categories such as "golf balls, mattresses and pads for recreational use, rubber action balls, toy key chains with and without sound device, and water squirting toys." Strange. Could it be that this one was abandoned because it couldn't deliver what the trademark promised? The Attorney for Record for the Banjo game entries is Jerald E. Nagae. Nagae is undoubtedly an attorney for Nintendo because he is cited in many of Rare's (while it developed for Nintendo) games and also filed for most Nintendo products.
Conker: This may have began as a Banjo inquiry, but my curiosity peaked and I needed to check out other games. I searched for Conker and found numerous entries. It seems that while Conker's Bad Fur Day has been registered, Conker: Live and Uncut has not been. Defunct games such as Conker's Other Bad Day, Twelve Tales Conker, and Conker 64 also have trademarks, but only COBD remains live.
Kameo: I also searched for Kameo to see if its newest sequel for X-Box had been registered yet. I found five entries: one from late 2002 by Nagae, but the rest were filed on March 20, 2003 by a William O. Ferron, Jr. (Ferron is undoubtedly an attorney for Microsoft, the now rightful owner to Rare's franchises). This is optimistic for Kameo: Elements of Power because all of these entries are live.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies: The final bit of interesting information regarding Rare's E3 2003 games has to do with Grabbed by the Ghoulies. The game doesn't look particularly interesting to me (of course I don't own an X-Box), but what I found was intriguing. Ferron, our Microsoft man, filed four trademarks for Grabbed by the Ghoulies on March 18, 2003. That's no surprise, but remember Rare's attorney? Nagae? He also filed a trademark for Grabbed by the Ghoulies, but on February 1, 2001. 2001? How long has this game been in the works (and if really since 2001, why does it look so mediocre)?
Diddy Kong Pilot: Intent on discovering the future of more Rare games I searched for Diddy Kong Pilot. This brought up three entries for me, two of which were dead. The first dead trademark was filed on May 14, 2001 and abandoned on December 19, 2002. The second was also filed on May 14, 2001 but abandoned just this year on February 7, 2003. The last trademark for Diddy Kong Pilot was filed on May 14, 2001 and, though it hasn't been registered yet, it is still live. Nintendo and Rare may have had a few rows over Diddy Kong Pilot, but hope still remains in that third entry.
Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers: I can't be as optimistic for Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers, another GBA game from Rare that involved puzzles and looked worthwhile. There were three entries for DKCC and each one had the same dates: filed on May 14, 2001 (the same date as Diddy Kong Pilot) and abandoned on December 5, 2002.
Sabreman Stampede: By this time my mind began giving me games to search for on a stream of consciousness basis, so my next inquiry was for Sabreman Stampede. Sure enough, there were about five entries, all of them filed by Ferron on May 30, 2003. I searched then for Sabrewulf, and I found one entry by Nagae for Rare that was filed on May 11, 2001. It's still live, so maybe Sabrewulf will still release for GBA.
Dinosaur Planet: I also checked out Dinosaur Planet, Rare's precursor to StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet. It became the latter when Nintendo noticed a striking similarity between Dinosaur Planet's hero and Fox McCloud and decided it might be good to have a sequel to the awesome game that was StarFox 64. Nagae filed the trademark for Rare on May 4, 1998. One funny part of the entry is the disclaimer: "No claim is made to the exclusive right to use "Dinosaur" apart from the mark as shown."
Perfect Dark: Hmm...what about Perfect Dark? So, I punched the keyboard furiously got several entries. Perfect Dark was obviously listed, but also Perfect Dark Evolution, Shot in the Dark, After Dark, and the much anticipated Perfect Dark Zero. Nage filed the trademark for Perfect Dark on March 25, 1998 and registered it on January 9, 2001. He also filed another for Perfect Dark on September 2, 1999. As for Perfect Dark Zero, Nagae filed that one on June 13, 2002. Then there's Perfect Dark Evolution. Ferron filed this one on April 21, 2000. This is where it gets a little mucky. Why would Ferron, Microsoft's attorney who has registered about all of Microsoft's X-Box games, be filing for Rare in 2000? Rumours of Microsoft Gaming Studios came much later and GameCube wasn't even out yet. Two other defunct Perfect Dark games, After Dark and Shot in the Dark were both filed by Nagae in 2000 and later abandoned in 2000 (After Dark) and 2002 (Shot in the Dark). Joanna Dark, Velvet Dark, and DataDyne's entries were insignificant, only that Joanna's disclaimer mentions something about how "the name does not identify a living individual."
It's Mr. Pants: I checked out this last one on a whim. I searched for Mr. Pants, and got one result. Ferron (more confusing) filed a trademark for "It's Mr. Pants" on November 9, 2001 for Rare. Could this have been for a possible Mr. Pants video game? What system would it have been on if Ferron was doing the registering? What kind of gameplay would it feature? One very interesting addition to the trademark was the date of a publishment for opposition (basically where someone opposes something getting a trademark); July 8, 2003. If someone had thought to oppose the trademark this recently, maybe "It's Mr. Pants" is still viable.
Random Stuff: After all this searching, I finally wised up and searched by owner - so I searched for Rare. Most games that appeared were those that I have already mentioned but some names popped up that I had never heard of. "Gnomeman" was filed for Rare by Ferron on June 24, 2002 and "My Garden" was filed on September 6, 2002 for Rare by Ferron. I also searched for Nagae's trademarks and this just reinforced that he is a Nintendo attorney. This guy registered about everything Nintendo has ever done including some obscure names (that you might have heard of) like: StarCube, Gameboy Ensemble, GBA TV, Nintendo Ultra 64, Gamewatch Boy, Time Boy, Handy Boy, Cassette Boy, Work Boy, Demo Boy, Mega Boy, Giant Boy, PC Boy, and Radio Boy. Apparently Nintendo wanted to go beyond just Game Boy, but never got around to it. And, of course, there's everyone's favorite turtle, Tip Tup. His trademark was filed on September 5, 1997 and abandoned on December 30, 2000.
http://jinjomatrix.t35.com/jinjomatrix/misc/trademark.html
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I think, it's an interesting article, but why did Ferron register Perfect Dark Evolution in 2000? Or It's Mr. pants in 2001? Isn't it Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers?
Banjo-Kazooie: Just to see if this was the right way to satisfy my idea that had now become a headache, I searched for Banjo-Kazooie's trademark. Sure enough, it popped up. Banjo-Kazooie's trademark was filed on May 23, 1997 and registered on December 29, 1998. Registered in December? Banjo-Kazooie was released on June 30, so this one roused my curiosity. Perhaps Rare should have filed for the trademark earlier to ensure registration before the release date. As for Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge or Banjo-Threeie, no results were found. I also tried every variation on the two names that I could think of, and still nothing.
Banjo-Tooie: Next, I searched for Banjo-Tooie and two entries popped up. One trademark was still live, so I clicked that one. Banjo-Tooie's trademark was filed on March 17, 1999 and registered on May 29, 2001. The other Banjo-Tooie trademark was dead, but also for the game. This trademark, also filed on March 17, 1999, was never registered, and abandoned on February 9, 2001. The only major difference between these two trademarks is the description. The description of the live trademark was small and related to video games, but the dead trademark encompassed many categories such as "golf balls, mattresses and pads for recreational use, rubber action balls, toy key chains with and without sound device, and water squirting toys." Strange. Could it be that this one was abandoned because it couldn't deliver what the trademark promised? The Attorney for Record for the Banjo game entries is Jerald E. Nagae. Nagae is undoubtedly an attorney for Nintendo because he is cited in many of Rare's (while it developed for Nintendo) games and also filed for most Nintendo products.
Conker: This may have began as a Banjo inquiry, but my curiosity peaked and I needed to check out other games. I searched for Conker and found numerous entries. It seems that while Conker's Bad Fur Day has been registered, Conker: Live and Uncut has not been. Defunct games such as Conker's Other Bad Day, Twelve Tales Conker, and Conker 64 also have trademarks, but only COBD remains live.
Kameo: I also searched for Kameo to see if its newest sequel for X-Box had been registered yet. I found five entries: one from late 2002 by Nagae, but the rest were filed on March 20, 2003 by a William O. Ferron, Jr. (Ferron is undoubtedly an attorney for Microsoft, the now rightful owner to Rare's franchises). This is optimistic for Kameo: Elements of Power because all of these entries are live.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies: The final bit of interesting information regarding Rare's E3 2003 games has to do with Grabbed by the Ghoulies. The game doesn't look particularly interesting to me (of course I don't own an X-Box), but what I found was intriguing. Ferron, our Microsoft man, filed four trademarks for Grabbed by the Ghoulies on March 18, 2003. That's no surprise, but remember Rare's attorney? Nagae? He also filed a trademark for Grabbed by the Ghoulies, but on February 1, 2001. 2001? How long has this game been in the works (and if really since 2001, why does it look so mediocre)?
Diddy Kong Pilot: Intent on discovering the future of more Rare games I searched for Diddy Kong Pilot. This brought up three entries for me, two of which were dead. The first dead trademark was filed on May 14, 2001 and abandoned on December 19, 2002. The second was also filed on May 14, 2001 but abandoned just this year on February 7, 2003. The last trademark for Diddy Kong Pilot was filed on May 14, 2001 and, though it hasn't been registered yet, it is still live. Nintendo and Rare may have had a few rows over Diddy Kong Pilot, but hope still remains in that third entry.
Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers: I can't be as optimistic for Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers, another GBA game from Rare that involved puzzles and looked worthwhile. There were three entries for DKCC and each one had the same dates: filed on May 14, 2001 (the same date as Diddy Kong Pilot) and abandoned on December 5, 2002.
Sabreman Stampede: By this time my mind began giving me games to search for on a stream of consciousness basis, so my next inquiry was for Sabreman Stampede. Sure enough, there were about five entries, all of them filed by Ferron on May 30, 2003. I searched then for Sabrewulf, and I found one entry by Nagae for Rare that was filed on May 11, 2001. It's still live, so maybe Sabrewulf will still release for GBA.
Dinosaur Planet: I also checked out Dinosaur Planet, Rare's precursor to StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet. It became the latter when Nintendo noticed a striking similarity between Dinosaur Planet's hero and Fox McCloud and decided it might be good to have a sequel to the awesome game that was StarFox 64. Nagae filed the trademark for Rare on May 4, 1998. One funny part of the entry is the disclaimer: "No claim is made to the exclusive right to use "Dinosaur" apart from the mark as shown."
Perfect Dark: Hmm...what about Perfect Dark? So, I punched the keyboard furiously got several entries. Perfect Dark was obviously listed, but also Perfect Dark Evolution, Shot in the Dark, After Dark, and the much anticipated Perfect Dark Zero. Nage filed the trademark for Perfect Dark on March 25, 1998 and registered it on January 9, 2001. He also filed another for Perfect Dark on September 2, 1999. As for Perfect Dark Zero, Nagae filed that one on June 13, 2002. Then there's Perfect Dark Evolution. Ferron filed this one on April 21, 2000. This is where it gets a little mucky. Why would Ferron, Microsoft's attorney who has registered about all of Microsoft's X-Box games, be filing for Rare in 2000? Rumours of Microsoft Gaming Studios came much later and GameCube wasn't even out yet. Two other defunct Perfect Dark games, After Dark and Shot in the Dark were both filed by Nagae in 2000 and later abandoned in 2000 (After Dark) and 2002 (Shot in the Dark). Joanna Dark, Velvet Dark, and DataDyne's entries were insignificant, only that Joanna's disclaimer mentions something about how "the name does not identify a living individual."
It's Mr. Pants: I checked out this last one on a whim. I searched for Mr. Pants, and got one result. Ferron (more confusing) filed a trademark for "It's Mr. Pants" on November 9, 2001 for Rare. Could this have been for a possible Mr. Pants video game? What system would it have been on if Ferron was doing the registering? What kind of gameplay would it feature? One very interesting addition to the trademark was the date of a publishment for opposition (basically where someone opposes something getting a trademark); July 8, 2003. If someone had thought to oppose the trademark this recently, maybe "It's Mr. Pants" is still viable.
Random Stuff: After all this searching, I finally wised up and searched by owner - so I searched for Rare. Most games that appeared were those that I have already mentioned but some names popped up that I had never heard of. "Gnomeman" was filed for Rare by Ferron on June 24, 2002 and "My Garden" was filed on September 6, 2002 for Rare by Ferron. I also searched for Nagae's trademarks and this just reinforced that he is a Nintendo attorney. This guy registered about everything Nintendo has ever done including some obscure names (that you might have heard of) like: StarCube, Gameboy Ensemble, GBA TV, Nintendo Ultra 64, Gamewatch Boy, Time Boy, Handy Boy, Cassette Boy, Work Boy, Demo Boy, Mega Boy, Giant Boy, PC Boy, and Radio Boy. Apparently Nintendo wanted to go beyond just Game Boy, but never got around to it. And, of course, there's everyone's favorite turtle, Tip Tup. His trademark was filed on September 5, 1997 and abandoned on December 30, 2000.
http://jinjomatrix.t35.com/jinjomatrix/misc/trademark.html
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I think, it's an interesting article, but why did Ferron register Perfect Dark Evolution in 2000? Or It's Mr. pants in 2001? Isn't it Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers?