Skip to main content

'Deep Down' shows signs of life again as Capcom renews trademark

Way back in early 2013, Japanese publisher Capcom revealed Deep Down, a PlayStation 4-exclusive action role-playing game that draws influence from classic dungeon crawlers as well as From Software’s Dark Souls series. The game has remained essentially missing in action since then, but it appears that the project is still in development, as Capcom renewed a trademark on the name.

Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on February 9, Capcom chose to renew its trademark on the name “Deep Down,” and it is listed as “computer game software” on the office’s website.

Recommended Videos

This exact same process played out in 2016, with Capcom filing last February to renew the trademark on Deep Down without actually offering any more concrete information on the game.

The game has reportedly undergone some pretty radical changes since it was originally announced, with producer Yoshinori Ono saying that the team was “thinking about showing something that looks completely different from what [was] previously shown, although it might be a while from now.”

What doesn’t appear to be changing, however, is Deep Down’‘s commitment to an online and free-to-play business model.

“When it comes to the service of online games, it’s a long-term challenge, so we must make sure to do the necessary parts correctly at the launch of the service,” Ono said in 2015.

Free-to-play Dark Souls-like games aren’t unheard of, however. Let it Die, the latest game from Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, used the model to great success recently, though other games in the genre such as Nioh and Lords of the Fallen have opted for more traditional, full-priced releases instead.

What remains a mystery with Deep Down is its relation to Capcom’s previous fantasy role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma. Aside from the alliterative names, the two seem to share thematic elements that suggest they could take place in the same universe.

Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The best games that are (probably) older than you that are still worth playing
The colorful main cast of characters in Chrono Trigger.

It's no secret that there are tons of amazing games coming out every day, plus an endless list of upcoming video games across all genres. We all love getting the latest and greatest games, which tend to have the best graphics, tightest gameplay, and maybe even cross-platform support to play with friends online. But sometimes it is nice to go back and see where games were a few decades ago. Those who played games from the early console generations might have their opinions clouded by nostalgia a bit, but there are still some shining examples of games that hold up just as well today as they did back then. Watch me turn into dust as I share a handful of amazing games that are likely older than you that are still worth playing.

Tetris

Read more
Steam delists hundreds of adult games
Steam Games

Why it matters: Vague policies on platforms like Steam risk chilling developer creativity, especially for indie creators tackling edgy themes, while raising broader concerns about content freedom in gaming amid global regulations.

The news: Valve quietly updated its Steamworks guidelines to ban content violating payment processors' rules, targeting "certain kinds" of adult-only material that's not properly labeled or age-gated.

Read more
Loved Expedition 33’s combat? You should try this indie rock RPG
An evil corporate throne room in Fretless.

It's been over a month since I finished everything there was to do in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and yet I still found myself craving more. I had my qualms with what direction the story took in the final act, but the combat had me hooked and never let go. The satisfaction of mastering parry timing and crafting the perfect build with the Pictos and Luminas was more than enough motivation to finish the story and take down every optional challenge the world had to throw at me.

While I could go back and mess with the difficulty modifiers for a new challenge, I instead found a hidden gem of an RPG that scratches that same itch for tactical but reactive combat, but with a few unique twists that have more than filled that void.

Read more