14 DAY TRIAL // Sony has just filed two new names for trademark in Europe, one for the 'PlayStation Vita' and the other for the 'PSVita' designation, which all but confirm that this will be the official name of the Next Generation Portable.
Sony has been working hard on refining the design of its new portable console, codenamed the Next Generation Portable, which was presented to the world at the beginning of the year.
A few weeks ago, a shaky report said that the NGP's official name will be the PlayStation Vita, going against the preconception that Sony would just release it as PSP 2, like it's been doing with the PlayStation home consoles.
The report wasn't all that believable, even if it had a leaked image showcasing the NGP with the new name under its big, 5-inch screen.
Now, it seems that the rumor was dead on the money, as a NeoGAF forum member discovered a new filing at the Trademarks and Designs Registration Office of the European Union, put forth by Sony and covering two new names, the PlayStation Vita and the PSVita.
Alongside the names, a stylized logo, similar to the one we saw in the image that accompanied the original report, was also included, which uses the same type of font we saw when PlayStation 3 Slim edition was released.
Basically, this new trademark filing means that the NGP has a 90 per cent chance of getting the PlayStation Vita name, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Sony trademarking the designation in order to prevent other companies from using it on their own devices and using the fame of the NGP in order to promote them.
All will be known later today, when Sony kicks off its pre-E3 2011 press conference, at 5pm PST, in Los Angeles.