Brothers In Arms and Borderlands developer Gearbox Software is either taking its World War II shooter series into the modern day or has designs on adding Guitar Hero controller support to military shooters. Or both. Or neither.

Whatever its plans may be, Gearbox has protected a quartet of new, heroic trademarks, including "World War II Hero," "War Hero," "Brother In Arms War Hero," and "Modern War Hero." All combine the attraction of the horrors of war with the can't-lose appeal of a phrase with the word "Hero" punctuating it.

Is Gearbox trying to enjoy the fruits of brand recognition, or is the developer simply trying to stop Activision before it goes too far? We know that Gearbox certainly has a lot on its plate right now with Aliens: Colonial Marines, Borderlands and a still-unannounced project or two, but we wouldn't rule out another Brothers In Arms, despite the performance of the last one.

World War II Hero, War Hero, Brother In Arms War Hero, and Modern War Hero [USPTO via superannuation]

Send an email to Michael McWhertor, the author of this post, at mike@kotaku.com.