Ahead of E3, Microsoft has registered a trademark for something called ‘Phantom Dust.’ It was filed yesterday in Europe, and to some extremely die hard Xbox fans, the name might be familiar, as it is apparently the name of a game directed by Yukio Futatsugi for the original Xbox, and published by Microsoft.
This filing of the trademark could mean anything, really. It could indicate something as banal and trite as the re-release of the game online on Xbox Live, or it could mean a revival of the IP, which would make sense given Microsoft’s (yet again) stated intent to try and break into the Japanese market. A game such as Phantom Dust would certainly help the system’s appeal in the market over there, particularly with the hardcore fanbase.
If this is right, then we might expect to see more on this game come E3 in just over two weeks. Or it might just be a standard trademark filing and therefore, a false alarm. We’ll see soon either way. In the mean time check out our Microsoft E3 2014 preview here.