Ugly new Playstation logo discovered

by Scott Jon Siegel { Oct 4th 2007 at 6:30AM }

German gaming news site GameFront has uncovered a Japanese trademark filed by Sony, which features the familiar four Playstation shape buttons mapped around the surface of a sphere. It's doubtful that this could be the logo for the inevitable Playstation 4 (after all, where's the Spiderman font?). More likely is that the logo is an icon to be displayed in-game or on game boxes -- perhaps advertising a worldwide connectivity feature. Equally likely is that the symbol could ultimately become nothing, and be one more paranoid trademark made during a creative meeting.

We're hoping for the latter, as the logo looks like a early-90s design reject, on par with that awful Sega Channel logo. Any other ideas?

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Tags: logo, patents, playstation, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Egster @ Oct 4th 2007 6:35AM

Since when are nintendo fanboys writing articles for PS3fanboy?

d-pad @ Oct 4th 2007 8:41AM

So now anybody that recognizes a shit logo is a Nintendo fanboy?

You guys need some new material.

Neptune @ Oct 4th 2007 6:39AM

That looks something taken directly from clipart.

Michael @ Oct 4th 2007 6:45AM

I like it. Looks like some badass grafiti.

Negativecool @ Oct 4th 2007 11:24AM

It looks like a design straight out of the early 90's when people hadn't quite discovered what cool looked like yet...They figured if it words like "rad" in it or "tubular" or "bodacious" and looked graffiti-esque it was good marketing. (for references watch any TMNT movie/show)

Jesus they need to hire someone from Microsoft marketing...these shitheads don't know their assess from a hole in the ground.

Jon @ Oct 4th 2007 7:10AM

That is not a patent. It is a trademark.

Scott Jon Siegel @ Oct 4th 2007 9:52AM

Yeah, apparently I don't know the difference between the two. Thanks for the tip; I made the changes above (even though it killed my awesome alliteration "paranoid patents")

Tim Marman @ Oct 4th 2007 10:54AM

Thanks... I was coming to post the same thing. It's my pet peeve.

The easy way to remember this:

* Copyright protects expression ( e.g., books, music )
* Patent protects invention ( e.g., products & processes )
* Trademark protects symbolic information ( e.g., brand names, logos, etc )

http://slashstar.com/blogs/tim/archive/2006/01/02/2286.aspx

Sir SpankalotUK @ Oct 4th 2007 7:12AM

Must be the same company that made the 2012 olympics logo for London. User created logo's FTW

FOXHOUND @ Oct 4th 2007 7:16AM

The logo isn't that damned bad. :p Hell, if they were contemplating using it eventually for the PS4; they could easily "luminate" the bottom left of the logo(the part featuring the square and X button logos)to form a "4".

Hollywood Ron @ Oct 4th 2007 9:34AM

It must be nice to be blind. I'd say that logo looks like barf, but barf is more pleasing to the eye, as it contains several colors and textures.

FOXHOUND @ Oct 4th 2007 10:09AM

This is why the internet is both fun and ridiculous all at the same time; because comments like yours couldn't be read anywhere else but in a truck stop bathroom wall. However, thanks to the information super highway, your George Bush-inspired content can be read(and eventually forgotten)by all.

Emceay @ Oct 4th 2007 10:47AM

...This is kind of the bathroom wall of the internet. There's just really insightful people in the stall some days. Thoughtfully urinating on whatever Joystiq posts.

Korova @ Oct 4th 2007 1:37PM

trademark filings in general dont have color and are black and white. i dont know why, just because its government i guess.

anyway, it would most likely be used with all kinds of colors and lighting effects etc.

that's just my two drops :p

James @ Oct 4th 2007 7:26AM

First the London Olympics logo now this! urgh.

Wait, first the 80's, then the Olympics logo then this!

marcandrer @ Oct 4th 2007 7:30AM

wow.. I realy thought joystiq couldn't go any farther in their playstation hating but they just proved me wrong. great job guys ! :)

rivaldi22 @ Oct 4th 2007 8:16AM

Either you're joking, or you're mistaking playstation-hating with ugly-hating.

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 4th 2007 9:02AM

Nnnno...that's just a really, really awful logo design. Don't let your fanboyism blind you to fugliness.

mfed3 @ Oct 4th 2007 7:52AM

lol sony. you cant see me but i just had the sudden urge to do a hole digging motion in the air

WiNG @ Oct 4th 2007 7:54AM

I like it, it could just use some color.

It kinda looks like the logo of some evil cyberpunk corporation from bad fanfiction of something, though.

edhe @ Oct 4th 2007 8:39AM

And? sony *are* an evil cyberpunk coorporation:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/03/sony-calls-world-plus-dog

Systematically trying to remove the rights people have in using *their* media. Sony are fighting for DRM, regioning & against copying your own music to your own mp3 player whilst MS is about to flood the zune marketplace with a million DRM free, watermarked, tunes... and people wonder why Sony's image is eroding faster than the polar icecaps.

Phranctoast @ Oct 4th 2007 9:01AM

Why should MS care? Its not like they have a music company that loses money from pirated music. For the same reason MS doesnt care about pirated movies either
Anyone can find 10 asshole things that MS has done for every negative that has come from Sony.

polar ice caps eroding? lol. Are they wearing away?

ThisGuy @ Oct 4th 2007 8:03AM

I too like it. Though could use some color or any type, but still I think it is a great logo.

Brian @ Oct 4th 2007 8:12AM

I like it... it's actually quite cool, it's more 'fun' than the serious 'I'm a computer not a games console' line that sony having been taking since ps3.

fraxyl @ Oct 4th 2007 8:13AM

In terms of design, it's not bad or ugly, ugly being a subjective matter anyway, but this looks more interesting than the current PS combination, in my opinion.

James @ Oct 4th 2007 8:30AM

Spoken like someone who isn't a designer, congrats.

p-diddy @ Oct 4th 2007 9:33AM

ok, smartypants, what specifically is so bad about it, design-speaking-wise? Use of negative space? What?

-p-

fraxyl @ Oct 4th 2007 10:07PM

I am a designer, maybe not a professional one, but I know about the C.R.A.P. Way to assume, James. :) Be as pretentious as you like, by all means.

Danny @ Oct 4th 2007 8:14AM

What's wrong with it? I quite like it as n icon for a network feature of some sort.

Brian @ Oct 4th 2007 8:24AM

...yep, networking is pretty much what I think they've got in mind.

mikeshea @ Oct 4th 2007 8:19AM

its too young? in my opinion.
This new generation of gaming has more elegant and simple logos.
not logos from the 60's

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 4th 2007 8:54AM

I LOVE the upside-down cross. Very Satanic. Almost guaranteed to piss off religious nutjobs.

Otherwise, in my (professional) opinion, that thing is really ugly. As was said earlier, mid-90's is rather apt. And it's not going to get any better when (if) they color the shapes the color of the PlayStation controller's buttons.