Well I was bored waiting for the American numbers today so I decided to check out if there were any trademarks for the game.  So I looked it up and it turns out that this game is owned by... Nintendo.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=o3vbj4.2.1

Was registered May 13, 2003.  Now what does this mean?  Well it doesn't necessarily mean Nintendo owns the property but they have the name trademarked.  Meaning legally, Silicon Knights can't use the title in any game without permission from Nintendo themselves.  Thus if they were ever to create a game like this and didn't want it to be on a Nintendo console they would have to call it something completely different.  Unless, of course, Nintendo agreed to let them use the name but that's doubtful knowing Nintendo.

Also we do know that Nintendo owns the patent to the game's main feature called the Sanity meter:

Link

So in my boredom I hope that clears up a few things.  What we know now is that Ninty is the owner of the name and more than likely the property.  Also we know that if Silicon Knights were to ever start development on such a title, Nintendo would have to be a direct partner with them to even get the name and the Sanity meter in the game.  Thus its more than likely this title would hit as a Nintendo only game if it was ever ported or expanded upon.

I guess everyone's daydream has happened. Nintendo owns a M rated IP.

they need to get the ball rolling on a sequel already

Silicon Knights is in need of money.. they had to lay off 25 people because of Too Human..  I'm sure just developing this will help them financially if only because Nintendo would pay them to develop this.

well ive solved the Title problem. they can name it Darkness Eternal. i havent decided how they can get around the sanity meter yet.

Well there is still the licensing issue to worry about.  All we know from this is that Ninty has the trademark of the franchise name and the key component of the gameplay patented.  However who's licensed to develop the property is another story.  Meaning even if they called it another name, characters within it would be apart of that licensing. 

Personally I don't think Silicon Knights could get around it.  They would have to have Ninty involved in some way.

i know silicon knights, said they want too make another game in the series and nintendo does own a portion of the company and with thier money troubles in wouldnt suprise me if they asked or started talks with nintendo about buying them.

Yea I forogt to mention that.  Ninty still owns a decent amount of stocks in the company.  Guess that helps haha.  So even if the property of Eternal Darkness was owned by them, it would still be partially owned by Ninty.  And without the name or main gameplay aspect, wouldn't be the same thing haha. 

But I doubt we'll see a sequel anytime soon.  Silicon has got their hands full with a project with Sega.  Dont' expect to see the full Too Human trilogy anytime soon either.

They could introduce the sane meter.

Given the messed-up things they managed to pull out of the GameCube, I shudder to think what these guys could pull off with the power off the Wii Remote.

You're walking through a dark, foreboding chamber. You examine the pristine oil paintings of a magic ritual gone wrong, trembling as you walk. A door slams open, and a large group of bloodthirsty monks swarm in and knock you down. As they crowd over you, You punch and swat with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, desperately, futilely trying to bat them away. You hit the list one, get up, and shoot them all down. As the last one falls, he disappears in a flash, and as you realize that nothing was there, your sanity level drops down to nothing...

*shudders with glee



Also, if Nintendo owns the sanity meter couldn't they make a case against Quantic Dream for the depression meter in Indigo Prophecy?