"The news of the Gearbox Software 'War Hero' related trademarks exposes a bit about our interests in the development of another original intellectual property," Pitchford say.

The Texas-based developer, currently slaving away on Borderlands and Aliens: Colonial Marines, looks to be getting back in the war game with War Hero. In a statement, Pitchford says in a statement that War Hero "is something down the road for us."

"It's not signed with a publishing partner yet as we haven't even talked to any potential partners about it," Pitchford cautions, "So we're certainly not ready to talk about it publicly at the moment."

"Right now, our attentions are focused squarely on kicking ass with Borderlands and we are *really* excited to be finishing Borderlands up for release this year," he added in his statement. "We're all gaga around here over the way Borderlands is shaping up, so if you want to see the new hotness, definitely keep your eyes on Borderlands."

Also, Borderlands, Borderlands, Borderlands. We look forward to it!

Gearbox Trademarks New "War Hero" Titles [Kotaku] [Image Credit]

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]