Sega of Japan has filed an updated trademark for the term "Dreamcast" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, leading to speculation that the third-party publisher may be plotting a return to the hardware market.

Another popular theory is that the updated trademark represents Sega's protection of the brand, especially as the emulation of former Dreamcast titles, perhaps via digital download, is possible on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, or another unreleased dedicated platform.

The Dreamcast was Sega's last venture into the realm of hardware. It launched on 9/9/99 in North America and was axed less than two years later as Sega announced it would be focusing on publishing software across multiple platforms.

It has long been rumored that the company would return to hardware manufacture once it built up enough capital to do so. Sega fans somewhat jokingly point out that 9/9/09 would be a fitting launch date for a new Sega platform.