Microsoft calling up Iron Brigade?

At last year's Tokyo Game Show, Capcom confirmed that it would be reprising its Steel Battalion mech combat franchise on Microsoft's gaming console, swapping out the original's 40-button controller for Kinect support. Now, it appears as if Steel Battalion may be joined on the Xbox 360 by a new game titled Iron Brigade.

This week, a trademark application for the term "Iron Brigade" surfaced in the US Patent and Trademark Office's online database. Microsoft initially filed for the mark on July 26.

While many trademark applications list any number of possible uses for the name, Microsoft's filing leaves little room for interpretation. "Computer game software" is all that Microsoft has listed for how the mark will be used.

Microsoft had not responded to a request for comment as of press time. However, it may be worth noting that during Microsoft's recently concluded fiscal year, the company increased its R&D spend by 12 percent to $119 million.