Throughout its many decades in the industry, Sony has both created and shut down a number of first-party PlayStation studios – as have all console manufacturers. It seems the PlayStation creator still holds some reverence for these studios, as it may be bringing one of them back, in one form or another.
As discovered by business analyst Roberto Serrano, Sony recently registered and renewed the trademark for the logo of the now-shuttered studio ‘Psygnosis;’ known for having developed Lemmings, Wipeout, Shadow of the Beast, Formula One (and one of my favourite childhood games – A Bug’s Life for PS1).
Founded all the way back in 1984, Psygnosis was renamed to SCE Studio Liverpool in 1999 following an acquisition by Sony back in 1993. Unfortunately, SCE Studio Liverpool was also fated to die, as the studio was merged into Sony’s XDEV team in 2012.
Interestingly, following the closure, a number of former employees gathered together to form a new studio – Firesprite. Firesprite was announced back in September 2021 to have been acquired by Sony (and is rumoured to be working on Twisted Metal), meaning that in many ways the whole situation has gone full circle.
What this means for the trademark is unknown. It is entirely possible that it has simply been renewed as it is a part of PlayStation history. Alternatively, Sony could be looking to rebrand Firesprite back to its original name – though this is mere speculation. Regardless, the logo is striking, and so it would be a boon for Sony to use it.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the logo? Should Sony revive Psygnosis? Why do you think they renewed the trademark? Let us know down below.