Bandai Namco wants to own the term 'finishing move'

Bandai Namco has seemingly added its name to the string of ill-conceived trademark attempts that have plagued the gaming and online communities.. According to reports, the video game publisher wants to trademark the Japanese phrase "Hissatsuwaza", which translates to English as "finishing move".

Anyone who has ever played a fighting game will know that the term "finishing move" is synonymous with the genre, used to signify a move that defeats the player's opponent. While "Hissatsuwaza" isn't a term commonly used in English, Geek notes that it's widely used across Japanese video games – including Street Fighter and Super Smash Brother – as well as both in manga and anime.

A Reddit post goes into further detail about the trademark application and the impact it could have on the Japanese gaming industry. According to Redditor Vervy, Bandai Namco's application covers over 28 genres, from video games to trading cards, slot machines and even fishing tackles.

The post continues: "At first, this may not seem to be a major thing to English speakers, but if you're a Japanese gamer or even simply enjoy reading manga or watching anime, you'll probably have realised how big an area this covers.

"To clarify, hissatsuwaza is an extremely commonly used term in Japanese gaming lingo. As common as say, "magic" or "skill" in English. It can come in many forms, in various degrees of power. That is to say, it doesn't need to actually finish the opponent to be called a Finishing Move."

Press 'M' to money grab

Bandai Namco's shameless money-grabbing attempt follows a series of equally naïve efforts to monetise commonly used phrases in the digital sphere. Most notable was Sony's attempt to trademark "Let's Play", as well as YouTube duo Fine Bros' even more idiotic attempt to get the rights to "react". The latter later withdrew their application following fierce backlash from the online community, and while they claimed to have had good intentions, their subscriber base took a hit as a result.

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