Gearbox trademarks 'Modern War Hero,' instrument compatibility unconfirmed

Oooh! We get it now. Gearbox wants Infinity Ward to quit making war games so it can get a piece. After the last Brother in Arms made a hasty retreat for the bargain bin, Gearbox looks like it could be deploying a new strategy: the Trojan horse.

A slew of new trademarks suggests the studio might try to sneak future games off of store shelves and into consumers' homes by disguising them as a cross between Activision's growing "Hero" brand and its Call of Duty games. Among the trademarked: "War Hero," "World War II Hero," "Brother In Arms War Hero," and -- saving the best for last -- "Modern War Hero." We can hear the conversation at GameStop already:

Madden Guy #1: Modern War Hero? Hey, bro, this the new Call of Duty?
Madden Guy #2: Yeah, broheim. Definitely.
Madden Guy #1: Sweeeeeet! New Madden ain't out yet -- I'm all over this.
Madden Guy #2: True. I'm not gonna lie, it sounds like you can play with your Guitar Hero guitar.
Madden Guy #1: Dude. Niiiiiice.

Reader Comments (58)

Seriously?

don't know about you, but i'm gonna go move into an underground cave now.

What. The. Fuck.

Gearbox? Moar like TOOLbox, amirite?

But where the fuck do these guys get off calling out developers for being unoriginal and doing to many sequels?

Let's recap. This is GEARBOX, the development studio who's only claim to fame is:

1. Developing an expansion for Half-Life, because the original dev team couldn't be bothered.
2. Developing an expansion for Counter-Strike, because the original dev team couldn't be bothered.
3. Developing one of those sequels in the Tony Hawk franchise.
4. Developing 8,162 games Brothers In Arms games, in the highly original WW2 shooter genre.

Wow, you guys are just indie gods, aren't you? If Jonathan Blow and Jenova Chen had a lovechild, it would be Gearbox Software!

I think they're making fun of Activision with these trademarks, and doubt they will ever use them. Though I wonder if this counts as abuse of the trademark system or something. Maybe they'll offer them to Activision, which I'm sure Kotick will just eat up.

Not to mention porting Halo to the computer Copa, that was pretty damn original of them.

In their defense some of their games (Opposing Force, the second Brothers in Arms) were somewhat well-received by critics.

FINALLY A GITAROO MAN SEQUEL!!!!!

Kitaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's pretty scummy.

http://www.audiogrid.com/guitar/hondo_M-16.jpg

Windmill strumming and killing action confirmed!

No. Wait. THIS ONE. http://media.photobucket.com/image/guitar%20gun/frethand2/KaneRobertsGunGuitar.jpg

I wonder how those things sound.

Like Death. Or Iron Maiden turned up to 11. Either way....pretty fucking good I'd imagine.

Guitar Gunblade?

Or just Guntar

I can't wait to shoot people online while playing "AMERICA FUCK YEAH" on my guitar controller at the same time

is america fuck yeah from team america world police?

You are correct.

Comin' again to save the mothafuckin' day, yeah!
America! FUCK YEAH!
Jesus is the only way!

This makes my head hurted.

I dont get it..?

Um... guys... you know... a War Hero... as a person who performed heroic acts during the war. I guess that's the sense of the trademark... Joystiq just tries to mindfuck you into getting a permanent "plastic instrument" reference, every time you hear the word "hero".

I think it's a textual version of this:
http://files.getdropbox.com/u/808987/1243417820088.jpg
Once you make the connection in your brain, you cannot unmake it.

GOLDEN EYE WHYYYYYYY!!!!!!?????!!! You've ruined my childhood.

So you're saying that once I see that Goldeneye box art as "Oh shit, we totally stretched his mouth out! - Just put a gun there, it looks like his fist anyway.", we'll always perceive it that way?

Don't know about you Storm Eagle, but it worked for me. And, judging by the comments above me, it (the 'Hero' bit) worked for Joystiq audience too.

007 would be amazing at Modern War Hero, as long as it isn't Roger Moore.

A war of notes and sounds.

AND GUITAR RIFFS!!!!

Comment Hero

TOP SCORE!!

I guess that means Shag is Downvote Hero

Maybe this was actually an attempt to stand behind their previous statements. I see tomorrow's headline running along the lines of "Gearbox sells "Modern War Hero" name to Activision, Infinity Ward team found dead from seppuku".

I bet Kotick is mad that he didn't think of this himself, as he probably envisions a future where every game Activision publishes ends with Hero. Racing Hero, Temple Hero, Football Hero, etc.

Probably just being sarcastic.

Yeah, they totally trademarked those out of sarcasm.

HURR HURR HURR LET'S BLOW EVERYTHING OUT OF PROPORTION BASED ON TITLE ALONE HURR HURR

Seriously, guys?

Is that really what I sound like? With the "hurr hurr"s and everything?

Chill dude. We're just having a little fun with the title. I'm sure no one here actually expects this to be a WWII Game that you play with a guitar. It's not being publised my Activision for Christ's sake!

Not unless you're one of the people who're being stupid about this.

I dunno, Storm. I've heard some pretty whacked ideas lately...

I think that if anyone actually put this idea on the table, they would immediately be fired......and then possbily tared and feathered. Ideas as bad as this deserve the most ancient and brutal of punishments.

What-the-what!?

Sounds just like a bunch of wii games too me...

! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?

This is truly pathetic. Along with yesterday's "Bungie and IW need to do something different" from the Gearbox CEO.

What else is pathetic? The use of "off of." I know this isn't a newspaper, but come on.

I'd buy it.
Killing terrorists with your phat beats. I'll buy two.

I'm pretty sure Gearbox is just doin the troll

Just doin the troll stroll....

Gimme the DESPERADO guitar case machine gun/missile launcher XD

http://www.girlpants.org/manpants/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/guitar-gun2.jpg

Headshot...followed by victory solo!

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Gearbox trademarks 'Modern War Hero,' instrument compatibility unconfirmed

Reader Comments (58)

Posted: Jun 24th 2009 1:20PM DWells55 said

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Posted: Jun 24th 2009 1:33PM Dark Archon PSN Archonik XBL Dar said

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Posted: Jun 24th 2009 2:19PM Dark Archon PSN Archonik XBL Dar said

Posted: Jun 24th 2009 5:55PM Gib said

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