Sony have renewed the trademark for Psygnosis, the former developer of titles like Wipeout and Lemmings. Since their closure in 2012, most developers from Psygnosis shifted over to the newly acquired PlayStation studio FireSprite, so it’s possible that Sony could be attempting a revival of some of their key franchises.
Recently spotted by Twitter user Roberto Serrano, Sony has filed a new trademark for Psygnosis, who closed their doors in 2012. While the studio hasn’t produced any new titles (as many developers are now a part of FireSprite), it still existed as a legal entity under PlayStation. However, it’s also possible that this trademark is simply a formality for retaining the licensing and trademark, though with FireSprite’s acquisition, it seems too coincidental.
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FireSprite is reportedly handling the Twisted Metal reboot, which recently shifted hands from Destruction AllStars studio Lucid Games to them. There have also been rumours that PlayStation is attempting to revive the futuristic racing series Wipeout, as it would pair well with their upcoming PlayStation VR2.
Psygnosis was last operational as far back as 2000, and were largely responsible for many PlayStation One classics such as the Wipeout series, Lemmings and Colony Wars, among others. They would later rebrand as Studio Liverpool, though remained largely out of operation for game development since then.
Given that Sony is reportedly planning to announce their own Game Pass competitor service soon, which will apparently include plenty of PlayStation classics from across the original three generations, it makes sense that they’d want to retain Psygnosis’ trademark as their older titles could very well be on the line-up. That said, FireSprite is essentially a successor studio to Psygnosis, and it will be interesting to see if they’re actually planning a revival of their older IPs in some capacity. For most fans, Wipeout is definitely on the table.
Source: Robert Serrano
