Has long awaited PS3 game "The Last Guardian" been cancelled? Trademark loss suggests so…

Few games during this console generation have been as hotly anticipated or talked about than Team ICO’s The Last Guardian. From the developers of Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus, two of the PS2’s most well-loved titles, The Last Guardian was set to be an ambitious project following a young boy who befriends a gigantic, dog-like monster. However, after a fraught development cycle, there’s now suggestion that long-awaited game may now have been cancelled altogether.

According to Trademarkia, “on Monday, August 6, 2012, status on the The Last Guardian trademark changed to Abandoned – No Statement of Use Filed.” Does this suggest that Sony have given up on The Last Guardian? No trademark update would certainly make publishing the game a difficulty, unless significant changes to the game (most notably a name change) are under way.

Things certainly haven’t been easy for the development of The Last Guardian. Originally revealed back in 2009, it’s seen repeated release dates pushed back, from winter 2011 to the limbo it now sits in.

This was followed by high-profile departures from senior executives for the game. Executive producer Yoshifusa Hayama left Sony and was soon followed by creator Fumito Ueda. Though Ueda has said he is “committed to completing” the game in a freelance role, it now seems as though higher powers are pulling the plug on the project.

We sincerely hope not. Team ICO’s games are shining beacons in a sea of cookie-cutter game ideas. The Last Guardian looked to push their reputation to even more stratospheric heights.

Via: PlayStation LifeStyle