A new trademark for something called "WB Play" has led to speculation Warner Bros. could be preparing to launch a digital distribution service along the lines of EA Access or Steam.

The trademark filing was first submitted at the tail-end of last month and covers a range of things, including "online retail store services," "audio and video broadcasting services," and "entertainment service." The one that's really got people talking however is the "downloadable virtual goods" portion.Up to this point we've seen Warner Bros. games appear on Steam and various other digital distribution services, but this could mark a change in policy. Whether the speculative platform would be a subscription service focusing on games like EA Access or a straightforward store for both games and movies like Steam, or perhaps even be something more akin to Uplay, we don't know right now... but we may not have to wait too long to find out. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is the next big title to launch from the publisher on September 30, and there's a strong suggestion it could be the first title to support the system. Heading over to the game's official site and shifting your eyes to the top-left corner reveals the WB Play logo is already there. As you can pre-order the title on Steam, it doesn't seem WB Play will be an exclusive distribution platform, but it certainly makes you wonder.With films, music, TV and games all available under the Warner Bros. umbrella in one form or another, this could be a really interesting development. With the news that an audio and video component is coming, a distribution platform is likely. Of course, it could just be an online storefront. Time will tell.We reached out to Warner Bros. for comment but were told the company didn't comment on rumour and speculation.Thanks, The Escapist

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter