Recently it was bought to our attention that Microsoft recently applied for a trademark for a service called 'Mixplay.' The connection to Microsoft's streaming service, Mixer.com, is fairly obvious, but it gets more interesting as you dive deeper into the trademark listing itself.
Computer software, namely, digital content assets in the nature of files and applications that allow users to personalize content and games to play, download, share, and exchange; computer software for creating, viewing, publishing, producing, broadcasting, and playing animation, video, sound, and graphics; computer software for use as a tool for personalizing, designing, and updating text and animation; video game software.Software-as-a-service (SaaS) that allows users to personalize content and games to play, download, share, and exchange; software-as-a-service (SaaS) that allows users to create, view, publish, produce, broadcast, and play animation, video, sound, and graphics; software-as-a-service (SaaS) for personalizing, designing, and updating text and animation; software-as-a-service for playing video games.
SaaS sounds right up Microsoft's alley, given the success of Office 365 and other products, but the descriptions around "publishing, producing, broadcasting" and graphics, animations, and text, sounds like it could either be a full blown video editor for Xbox gamers like Upload Studio, or perhaps a stream overlay creator, similar to StreamJar or StreamLabs, allowing Mixer broadcasters to enhance their streams with text, images, and other triggers.
We've reached out to Microsoft for comment on Mixplay, and of course, trademarks don't necessarily lead to products (as seen by HoloPet). Additionally, language in trademarks tend to cover as many bases as possible, "Mixplay" could simply be used to reference a smaller feature as part of Mixer, perhaps. However, given the stagnation of Upload Studio, and the lack of overlays for streamers using Xbox, rather than PC, I feel as though Mixplay could be an actual thing. We'll have to wait and see.
Thanks Predator_H20s for the tip!
Jez Corden is a Senior Editor for Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!
