A new trademark filing discovered by Patently Apple suggests that Apple may have plans for a stronger push into next-generation gaming technology for its set-top box. According to the report, Apple has updated its logo trademark for the Apple TV to expand its scope into all things related to gaming; Apple’s Trademark filing 87801324 was filed solely under class 028, which specifically covers “video game consoles; controllers for game consoles; video output games, namely, video output game machines for use with televisions; apparatus for electronic games adapted for use with an external display screen or monitor.”
Patently Apple previously reported on a gaming technology patent application by Apple late last year, noting one of Apple’s engineers on the application was a Senior Software Engineer for Sony’s PlayStation division who had also worked at Lucas Arts and Electronic Arts, which combined with this latest trademark filing suggests that Apple has clear ambitions for the Apple TV that go beyond merely being a video content delivery and basic gaming device, and the report suggests that Apple could use these capabilities as another way to differentiate its subscription offerings from competing services such as Netflix and Spotify by including a new level of gaming in the mix. Of course, a legal trademark filing could also symbolize a merely defensive move on the part of Apple’s legal team, protecting gaming in relation to the Apple TV logo.
