The trademark 'Zii' has been patented by in Japan, the name presumably a spin on 'Wii'.

The Zii trademark was filed on the 30th of October, the filing spied on the Japanese trademark database as noted by Kotaku.

The new trademark covers "video games and electronic devices", but details are pretty much non-existent, so it is unclear if Nintendo are just reserving the name, or whether they have specific plans.

We'll keep you posted on Zii as we learn more.

By Luke Guttridge