File this under “Konami is probably making another Pachinko machine,” but just in case they aren’t: The much-maligned publisher re-upped its previous trademark on the long-defunct man vs. beast vs. man-beast fighting game Bloody Roar, opening the door for much speculation. According to a search listing on the United States Trademark and Patent Office the Japanese publisher filed a new trademark holding on March 23, 2020 with the applicant listed as none other than Konami Japan. The news came to light after a dedicated Bloody Roar aficionado–which immediately brings to mind the Arrested Development “There’s dozens of us! Dozens!” gif–discovered the patent during a search.
What could the patent be for? Honestly, who knows anymore as Konami is out here in the year 2020 outright denying that they even make video games anymore, let alone making one of a franchise that died on the PlayStation 2 and is mostly a holdover from the time they ate Hudson Soft in 2011. For what it’s worth the patent is a continuation of their original filing in 1997 and reads as being used for “downloadable video game programs; recorded video game programs; downloadable video game software; recorded video game software; downloadable computer game programs; recorded computer game programs; downloadable computer game software; recorded computer game software.”
The Bloody Roar franchise is one long in remission but stands alongside the likes of other 3D-arena fighters on the original PlayStation such as Tobal, Battle Arena Toshinden, and Ehrgeiz. What made Bloody Roar stand out among its peers was a mechanic that allowed its fighters to transform into half-human, half-animal monstrosities, Dragon Ball-style. The last entry in the franchise was Bloody Roar 4 on the PlayStation 2 in 2003, which received less than glowing reviews.
Logic says that with fighting games experiencing somewhat of a boom period and Konami looking to change directions that there may be no better time than now to revive the franchise. At the least, I hope Konami gets SonicFox on speed dial, as they could always use another fighting game to dominate.
