New Trademark Filing Brings Chuck E. Cheese Into the Metaverse
Upon its founding in 1977, Chuck E. Cheese became the first family restaurant to feature animated entertainment and arcade gaming. The franchise enjoyed early success as video games became popular, but more recently, it’s fallen on hard times. A new Chuck E. Cheese trademark filing involving the metaverse, however, could breathe life into the brand.
Chuck E. Cheese Metaverse Entry
The metaverse is an interactive digital world where people control life-like avatars. These avatars spend time in virtual reality environments that feature 3D buildings and holographic avatars, virtual and augmented reality, and essentially an alternative world. The metaverse is growing, and such growth could prove beneficial for companies that have experienced problems similar to those of Chuck E. Cheese.
The entertainment restaurant has had some rough years due to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the company filed for bankruptcy in June 2020. This wasn’t their first bankruptcy, and a combination of failed public offerings, canceled mergers and decreasing revenue weakened the company long before the pandemic struck.
In a virtual world like the metaverse, however, a pandemic can’t cause damage. This might be a major reason why — on February 17, 2022 — the USPTO received four Chuck E. Cheese trademark filings. Two related directly to the metaverse. Both of those applications — “Chuck E. Verse” and “Chuck E. Cheese Metaverse” — requested protection under several classes.
Each application was filed as intent to use.
New Chuck E. Cheese Trademarks — Why Now?
Chuck E. Cheese was hit particularly hard during the pandemic. After all, social distancing seems a bit difficult in an establishment where thousands of children run around playing on the same arcade games. Taking Chuck E. Cheese to the metaverse seems like an obvious choice, but there appears to have been no public discussion about the move before now.
While there’s no guarantee that the two are related, the brand’s filing comes at a time conspicuously close to Super Bowl LVI. It was during this game that Facebook ran a metaverse ad that some called “a dystopian Chuck E. Cheese.” Here’s the ad:
Facebook's Metaverse looks like a dystopian Chuck E. Cheese https://t.co/FfzgDZPxw8
— Adam Mayer (@AdamNMayer) February 14, 2022
The Chuck E. Cheese metaverse application came a mere four days after this commercial aired. It’s unclear if the ad had anything to do with the filing, but either way, the entertainment brand seems poised to enter the virtual world. Other companies have already encountered metaverse trademark lawsuits, but it’s unlikely that any other brand could lay claim to “Chuck E. Verse.”
The restaurant has found a potential new way to succeed after decades of difficulties. Only time will tell if the metaverse and Chuck E. Cheese are a perfect match.
What Happens Now?
The USPTO assigns new filings to an examiner within six months of receipt. The examiner’s decision will dictate whether the application moves forward in the trademark timeline. If there are no problems with the filing, the trademark applications will be published for opposition. As Chuck E. Cheese has established prominence in consumer minds, it’s unlikely this will be a major hurdle.
What comes next for the brand, however, is anyone’s guess. For instance, a recent “rave” held in the metaverse appeared to be a complete failure — while companies like Roblux seem to have found success in the area. The virtual world’s connection to digital currencies, though, may bode well for the Chuck E. Cheese metaverse outing.
After all, few brands have reached the company’s level of success at implementing alternative economies (i.e., game tokens). Whether this translates into success in the metaverse is yet to be seen. If there’s one thing clear from the latest Chuck E. Cheese trademark filings, though, it’s that old Chuck isn’t ready to leave the rat race just yet.