Slightly Mad Studios moves away from Mad Box branding after trademark dispute

Earlier this year, Project Cars developer Slight Mad Studios debuted its own high-end gaming console, dubbed the Mad Box. Aiming for a release no earlier than 2022, the device has already undergone a major redesign and will now have to change its name after the studio withdrew its ‘Mad Box’ trademark.

Slightly Mad Studios filed for trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on January 3^rd, just one day after it originally announced the then-unnamed console. Although the name was mostly cemented later in the month, French video game company Madbox understandably took issue with the filing.

The dispute didn’t come until March 25^th, where Madbox stated that there “exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public,” according to PCGamesInsider.biz. It isn’t certain whether Slightly Mad Studios was obliged to change its name, but it looks as though this will be its chosen course of action after withdrawing its trademark application on April 5^th.

CEO Ian Bell seems to stand by his promise of support for 4K resolution and virtual reality at 60fps, but it will likely be housed under a brand new moniker. The firm has plenty of time to come up with something new however, as the console isn’t slated to land on shelves until 2022-23.

KitGuru Says: While Mad Box was certainly a catchy title, I would argue that this is a blessing in disguise as Slight Mad Studios will be able to further craft its own identity beyond the similarly-sounded Xbox name. What do you think the studio should dub its console efforts?

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