Psygnosis to Return as Online Broadcaster?

Liverpool once had a marvellous studio of game developers. These Scouse supermen produced WipeOut and Lemmings to name but two classics. They were then placed in the employ of Sony, which ditched the name: Sony Liverpool arose and was closed but it now seems that Psygnosis could be coming back.

Why? Well, Sony has renewed its ownership of the name 'Psygnosis' via a document lodged with the European Union's Trademark Office (see an image here). Of course, given that Sony already owned it, but the description given in the TM document makes interesting reading:

"Delivery of digital content by telecommunications; broadcasting of music and videos, providing access to digital entertainment web sites on the internet; streaming of audio and video material on the internet; streaming of video material on the internet; providing access to digital music websites on the internet; providing access to MP3 websites on the internet; webcasting services; audio and video broadcasting; broadcast services; music broadcasting; video broadcasting; video on demand transmissions;

"Video broadcasting; narrowcasting; podcasting; interactive narrowcasting; music narrowcasting services; video narrowcasting services; music on demand transmissions; video on demand transmissions; providing access to digital entertainment content websites on the internet;

"Communications services, namely, transmitting streamed sound and audiovisual recordings via the internet; electronic transmission and streaming of digital media content for others via global and local computer networks; streaming of audio material on the internet;

Streaming of audio, visual and audiovisual material via a global computer network; audio and video broadcasting services over the internet; transmission of sound, video and information; communications services, namely, transmitting streamed sound and audiovisual recordings via the internet and matching users for the transfer of music, video and audio recordings via communication networks;

"Providing on-line chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages relating to computer and videos games among players of computer and video games; providing on-line access to computer networks, computer databases, the internet, virtual worlds and libraries of text, graphics and audio-visual and multimedia information all for the purpose of playing computer and video games."

Obviously this is a massively open-ended and general description of the services offered under the name Psygnosis. More detail is offered:

"Publication of on-line journals, namely, blogs featuring user-defined content; electronic publishing services, namely, publication of digital media in the form of electronic magazines via global computer and communications networks; entertainment services, namely, providing temporary use of non-downloadable interactive multiplayer and single player games played via global computer and communication networks.

"Design and development of computer hardware and software; providing search engines for obtaining data via the internet and other electronic communications networks; electronic data storage services; cartography and mapping services; hosting on-line web facilities for interactive game play; computer services in the nature of customised web pages for featuring game player information, including information regarding a player's identity and the player's preferences; hosting video and computer games or parts of video or computer games created by others on a computer service for a global network."

Thoughts? Could this be a new online service for PS4? Tell us in comments, on Facebook or in The Forum.

Read more about Psygnosis here.

Source: EU Trademark Office