The Killer Instinct series is coming back--we think. Microsoft has announced that it has "renewed or refiled a trademark application in various jurisdictions."

Whereas most trademark renewals are done under the radar, Microsoft has been surprisingly upfront about its intentions. Unfortunately, the announcement reveals little of substance. Could it be a brand new game in the series? Or, will it be an HD remake a la Rare's Conker's Bad Fur Day?

"There wouldn't be a halfway house," Rare studio manager Mark Betteridge said about the franchise in 2008. "If we did Killer Instinct, it would look like and play like Killer Instinct coin-op. If there were a new Killer Instict, it would be completely new."