In one of the more amusing updates to the Japanese patent and trademark database (reported lately by Quiter), Nintendo has submitted trademark applications for some nine total sets of three initials. In each case, two of the intials are G and B -- standing for Game and Boy, of course -- while the third varies.

The selection suggests that Nintendo is trademarking some of its proposed names for the dual-screened DS handheld, since it's generally assumed that "Nintendo DS" is only a working designation for the hardware. Alternatively, if you're of a conspiratorial mind, Nintendo has already settled on a name, and it's submitting multiple trademark applications to camouflage its choice.

The initialisms, the applications for which all went in on March 19, are as follows:

DGB EGB GBD GBE GBN GBY TGB WGB XGB

For fun, try coming up with the names that might be compressed down into those initials -- "DGB" might be "Dual Game Boy," while "XGB" might be "Game Boy XTREME~!" In the meantime, we'll continue to bring any and all updates on the progress of the DS project.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in 1UP.