Joystiq

Microsoft files 'Glacier Blast' trademark

Mike Suszek — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST

A trademark for "Glacier Blast" was recently filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office by Microsoft. While no other information about it exists, the trademark was filed as game software. Microsoft also registered the domain glacierblastgame.com in late March, according to WhoIs records. The URL currently points to a Bing search.

Using our refined detective skills, we think it's possible that this piece of "game software" is a video game currently in development by Microsoft. With a name like "Glacier Blast," we'll be disappointed if the final product isn't an arctic naval combat game in which large icy masses shoot lasers at an enemy called "Global Warming."

Microsoft files 'Glacier Blast' trademark originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA registers 'Plants Vs Zombies Adventures' domains

Mike Suszek — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST

EA recently registered domain names related to its undead botanical tower defense series with the name "Plants Vs. Zombies Adventures." Domain squatters lost out on registering PlantsVsZombiesAdventures.com, PlantsVsZombiesAdventure.com and pvZadVentures.com before EA got to it, as each URL was registered on March 6.

As usual, domain names mean nothing without an actual game announcement to accompany them. Plants Vs. Zombies 2 was announced back in August 2012, with a late Spring 2013 release window. Whether the "2" is replaced with "Adventures" in the game's title remains to be seen.

EA registers 'Plants Vs Zombies Adventures' domains originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix host registers Wolfenstein, Legacy of Kain domains

Mike Suszek — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST

Two domain names were recently registered by CSC Corporate Domains, a URL registration service used by publishers such as Square Enix to mask their upcoming projects while avoiding dreaded URL squatters.

So while we can't say with any certainty that Square Enix and ZeniMax ordered the domain registration, "wolfenstein-spiel.com" and "WarFornosGoth.com" now exist. The latter likely refers to the fictional land the Legacy of Kain series is set in, Nosgoth. The former is, well, you know.

Square Enix host registers Wolfenstein, Legacy of Kain domains originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four new Skylanders domains: Kaos Alliance, Nano, Super, Swap Force

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST

The Skylanders franchise has become a beast of its own, bringing Activision $500 million in US retail sales since its launch, and there's more still to come. At least, that's according to four domains registered by MarkMonitor's DNStination, all to do with the Skylanders brand. MarkMonitor handles Activision's other Skylanders domains.

The new domain registrations, uncovered by Fusible, went live on January 30 and are SkylandersKaosAlliance.com, SkylandersNanoForce.com, SkylandersSuperForce.com and SkylandersSwapForce.com. We detect a hint of classic Power Rangers spin-off names within these domains, but no more information about them exists so far.

Activision registered the Skylanders Giants domains at the beginning of 2012, and that timing seemed to work out pretty well.

Four new Skylanders domains: Kaos Alliance, Nano, Super, Swap Force originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix snaps up domains for 'Blood Masque,' remains mysterious

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST

Square Enix has picked up two domains for a mysterious project called "Blood Masque," each of the .com and .net varieties, Fusible finds. There is no official word or hint as to what Blood Masque could be, though we have a suggestion, if Square Enix is open to it.

The vampire route is fairly obvious, so we'd steer clear of that genre. What the industry really needs is a game based on classic literature, most notably Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. Imagine an introspective, gruesome horror game where the protagonist must navigate rooms of different colors - and different Hells - with the goal of infecting snobbish partygoers with lethal disease. Now that sounds fun. Think it over, Square.

Square Enix snaps up domains for 'Blood Masque,' remains mysterious originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Arkham Universe,' 14 more Batman domains registered

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

It looks like Warner Bros. isn't through with Arkham yet. Domain manager MarkMonitor, which handles Warner Bros. properties, has registered a slew of Arkham-related sites, including "Arkham Universe," "Batman Arkham Arises" and "Batman Arkham Legends."

There are 15 domains in total, ranging from the standard fare listed above all the way to "DC Arkhamverse." There's no word if these relate to a film endeavor or a game, but considering the previous two Batman games from Warner Bros. were Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, they certainly fit the gaming pattern.

Check out the complete list of domains below.

Continue reading 'Arkham Universe,' 14 more Batman domains registered

'Arkham Universe,' 14 more Batman domains registered originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix registers domains and trademarks for 'All the Bravest'

Mike Suszek — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST

Square Enix registered trademarks and domain names named "All the Bravest" Thursday. According to WhoIs records, allthebravest.com and allthebravest.net belong to the game publisher now, while the trademark (number 011386349) was filed in Europe.

A search for "All the Bravest" in the US patent and trademark records turns up nothing, and both registered URLs are empty. Our first thought is that this could infer a possible localization of Japanese 3DS RPG Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, but the only thing we can gather from this with any certainty is that Square Enix isn't interested in only "some of the bravest."

Square Enix registers domains and trademarks for 'All the Bravest' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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League of Legends developer wins another porn domain case

Mike Schramm — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST

Riot Games has finished up another legal dispute regarding a website domain name related to its popular League of Legends title. LeagueofLegends.co was previously awarded to the company by the World Intellectual Property Organization from the clutches of a domain squatter, and now LeagueofLegendsPorn.com has been reclaimed by Riot for its own use. The case actually closed in late September, but the ruling came online earlier this week.

Those looking for some racy pics of Miss Fortune or Akali getting it on, however, will be disappointed: The site never actually hosted any adult material, and now that Riot owns it, probably never will. But Riot is slowly securing its various domain name holdings online, making it easier for the company to connect players up to big company events like the recent World Championships in LA.

League of Legends developer wins another porn domain case originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Riot games reclaims LeagueOfLegends.co domain from adult site

Mike Schramm — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:30:00 EST

Riot Games has secured the LeagueOfLegends.co (no "m") website after filing a complaint earlier this year, saying that a domain squatter had grabbed the name and redirected it to a porn site. The case on the World Intellectual Property Organization website has been terminated, and the domain is currently listed as owned by Riot Games, the company behind the popular MOBA game of the same name.

Those looking for illicit material on a League of Legends-related website will presumably have to go elsewhere. Like, for example, LeagueOfLegendsPorn.com, which is another (currently empty) domain that Riot has another standing complaint against. Because Riot does own the "League of Legends" trademark, that case will probably see a similar result soon. And now that Riot has secured the URLs we know about, are they going to tell us what Supremacy is anytime soon?

Riot games reclaims LeagueOfLegends.co domain from adult site originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft obtains 'Xbox 8' domain names

JC Fletcher — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST

Through the National Arbitration Forum, Microsoft has won the rights to a series of Xbox-related domain names formerly owned by Cheng Juan of China. The disputed domains include things like xboxcompanion.com, xboxlivetv.com, xboxphone.com, and xboxtablet.com, but also xbox8.org and xbox8.us.

Microsoft was likely most interested in regaining these just to protect its own IPs - and the immediate use of things like xboxlivetv.com and xboxphone.com seem apparent.

It's tempting to suspect Microsoft is eyeing "Xbox 8" as the next console name due to the two domains that reference it; however, Microsoft already began integrating Xbox Live, and the "Xbox" name, into all its consumer products, including Windows 8. Also, it would be really weird if a domain squatter guessed the name.

Microsoft obtains 'Xbox 8' domain names originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Riot Games registers URL for 'Supremacy'

Mike Suszek — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST

League of Legends developer Riot Games was caught with its hands in the domain name cookie jar this week when it registered the URL supremacy.com, WhoIs records revealed.

Companies will often use means of privately registering domain names related to as-yet-announced projects, making confirmation of upcoming projects difficult. So while URLs such as leagueoflegendssupremacy.com and its variations are listed as owned by private domain companies, supremacy.com is now registered to Riot Games.

Riot Games recently dealt with security breaches on EU League of Legends accounts, though billing information on accounts went untouched.

Riot Games registers URL for 'Supremacy' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft registers series of Smart Glass domains

Mike Suszek — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST

Microsoft was seen running away from the Internet recently with several domain names in hand, all pointing to the company's as-yet-announced AirPlay-style app, Smart Glass. The app, for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices, is said to enable push-style media functionality with the Xbox 360.

Of the domains in question, Microsoft registered a series of "Microsoft smart glass" and "Xbox smart glass" addresses. Well, except for xboxsmartglass.com, which was snatched away by someone with faster fingers in China. That rascal! Here's hoping that the company unveils Smart Glass and its hot .info web addresses in the coming days.

Microsoft registers series of Smart Glass domains originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft registers 'Just Dance Floor' domains

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST

Ubisoft's big pre-E3 press conference is roughly 48 hours away, and while common sense dictates that the announcement of a new Just Dance game is as likely as tomorrow's rising sun, nothing official has happened quite yet. There are intriguing clues, however, such as JustDanceFloor.com and Just-DanceFloor.com, two new Ubisoft-owned domains uncovered by the intrepid detectives at Fusible.

The trouble with URLs is that they generally divulge very little in the way of context, especially when it comes to titles. Are these addresses for Just Dance: Floor, or Just DanceFloor? Just Dance: Floor would be a really terrible play on words, since the next Just Dance game in the series would be the fourth one. But, if it's Just DanceFloor, why is "Floor" capitalized?

Okay, now the word "floor" just looks weird.

Ubisoft registers 'Just Dance Floor' domains originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smattering of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Vita domains registered by Sony

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Hey, in case you didn't know, that Smash Bros.-esque PlayStation 3 game, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, is very likely also heading to PlayStation Vita. How likely? Pretty freakin' likely, especially considering the recently discovered group of domain registrations from Sony Computer Entertainment of America tied to URLs like "PlaystationAllStarsVita.com," "PS-AllStarsVita.com," and "PSAllStarsBattleRoyaleVita.com."

As with so many of these discoveries, Superannuation spotted the URLs - URLs that pretty clearly identify a Vita-based version of the brawler. We'll be saying this a lot this week, so get used to it: we've reached out to Sony for more info, but only got "we don't comment on rumor or speculation" in return. We expect more info next week during E3.

Smattering of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Vita domains registered by Sony originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft registers domains for 'Rayman Legends'

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

There's nothing we like more than a good, mysterious domain registration. This latest batch of URLs with undisclosed purposes comes courtesy of Ubisoft, which has registered both RaymanLegends.com and Rayman-Legends.com.

This maneuver - spotted by Fusible - follows rumors that Ubisoft has already been pitching a sequel to last year's 2D platformer, Rayman Origins, in an online marketing survey. According to leaked concepts, the game might see Rayman tussling with legendary creatures like ghosts and dragons. Ubisoft, of course, is opting not to comment on "rumors or speculation."

Ubisoft registers domains for 'Rayman Legends' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo registers 'Super Mario 4' domain

JC Fletcher — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Nintendo of America registered "supermario4.com" early this month, as discovered by an IGN reader. IGN speculates that this title could be related to the as-yet nameless side-scrolling 3DS Mario game announced late last year. Of course, Nintendo is aggressive about picking up domains for names it might use, so this isn't exactly ironclad proof of the next game's name.

There's also the little matter of there already being a Super Mario Bros. 4. Super Mario World was subtitled just that for its Japanese release. Are we to believe that there could be two Super Mario games with the same title? That's just too confusing to be plausible.

Nintendo registers 'Super Mario 4' domain originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Halo Infinity' domains registered by Microsoft brand manager

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST

It appears Microsoft has registered a handful of domains containing the phrase "Halo Infinity" and "Halo Infinity Multiplayer," leading us to believe that Microsoft is planning to reveal a new line of anti-aging skin-care products in the near future.

The names are registered through domain manager MarkMonitor, who handles a few of Microsoft's other franchises, including Microsoft.com, Fusible reports. MarkMonitor grabbed most "dot" iterations of "Halo Infinity Multiplayer," including .net and .org, but Haloinfinity.com is already in use as a Japanese site to help people cope with baldness, Google Translate reveals. MarkMonitor also registered spartanops.org and morethanjustamap.com this week, Fusible finds.

"Infinity" is a map exclusive to the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved. So far Microsoft hasn't made any announcements about the potential map or its SPF 72 moisturizing cream.

'Halo Infinity' domains registered by Microsoft brand manager originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rampant Speculation Theatre presents: Microsoft registers XboxFL.com

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:40:00 EST

Microsoft has registered XboxFL.com and XboxFL.net, according to whois records unearthed by the bloodhounds at Fusible. At the moment, both URLs redirect to Bing, though we highly doubt that will be the case forever. As is our way here on Rampant Speculation Theatre, we've got some ~~wildly unlikely~~ totally plausible guesses regarding the domains' potential purposes:

"XboxFL" actually stands for "Xbox Football League." The service will be a browser-based fantasy football simulator with heavy integration into both the console and Windows Phone versions of Xbox Live.
Alternatively, "FL" could stand for "Featured Losers," which would mean that XboxFL.com is an embarrassing hall of shame for Xbox Live users that performed far, far below average in that week's most popular games. Avatars are bound to wheels, Hunchback of Notre Dame style, while site visitors play sponsored flash games to pelt them with rotten fruits and dead rodents.

Rampant Speculation Theatre presents: Microsoft registers XboxFL.com originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision registers ActivisionNews.com, trying to put us out of work

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

With begrudging loyalty to our duty, we have to inform you that Activision registered the domain name "ActivisionNews.com." While we'd point out that you could always get your Activision news from, say, this handy tag, it looks like Activision may be interested in serving up said news to you directly - that is, beyond social media manager Dan Amrich's current outreach.

As Fusible points out, the URL doesn't resolve a site just yet, and it may never (the URL grab could be little more than a "just in case" action). We've reached out to Activision for clarification, but we're a bit worried that the answer could pop up on ActivisionNews.com first.

Activision registers ActivisionNews.com, trying to put us out of work originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Debunk: Xbox720.com, Playstation4.com aren't owned by Microsoft, Sony

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:45:00 EST

We'll wait while you click these links -- Xbox720.com and PlayStation4.com -- to see that they do indeed redirect to random technology-news pages. We'll even wait a little longer as you open a new tab, type both of those addresses in and see that we weren't lying, and they really do redirect to unofficial sites. Now we'll take a few seconds to get over the fact that you didn't trust us. Without trust there is no love; remember that.

Yesterday Xbox720.com redirected to the US PlayStation website, but it appears the domain owner has used the attention gained from that to open his own blog, Fusible reports. Xbox720.com now redirects to a tech-news aggregation site and was previously monetized via Google's Adsense program; before that it hosted random sites dating back to 2006 at least. In November 2011, the site was registered to Jeremiah Germany, but that information is now protected through Whois Privacy.

PlayStation4.com redirects to a PlayStation news and cheat site.

It appears the redirections aren't as vindictive as the ModernWarfare3.com debacle, in which a Battlefield fan used the domain to convert Call of Duty players to his shooter of choice. We don't even know what the next Xbox will be called -- considering the first Xbox wasn't called "180," it's not set in stone that the third iteration will follow in the 360's footsteps. However, Microsoft's Xbox360.com redirects to the main Xbox site, and Sony's PlayStation3.com heads to the US PlayStation page, so it follows that they would want similar sites to do the same.

[Image credit: Joseph Dumary]

Debunk: Xbox720.com, Playstation4.com aren't owned by Microsoft, Sony originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft files complaint over fake Halo 4 beta domain

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

Believe it or not, there are evil people on the Internet who use misinformation and deception to steal from the innocent and well-meaning. We know, we couldn't believe it either, but it's the truth, as recently demonstrated by an outbreak of fake Halo 4 beta test invites.

343 Industries' creative director David Ellis was quick to debunk the bogus site, but the URL used in the phishing scam (halo4beta dot net) is still out there, tempting fate with its Halo-oriented name and un-Microsoftness. Who knows what nefarious maleficence the domain could be used for if left in the wild, so Microsoft has filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum in order to have the domain name transferred to its ownership.

In situations like this, the company filing the complaint has to be able to prove that the domain in question was registered maliciously in order for the Forum to decide in its favor. Under the circumstances, we feel like global fraud will probably be malicious enough to sway things in Microsoft's favor.

Microsoft files complaint over fake Halo 4 beta domain originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLG moves more than 100 domains in opposition of SOPA

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST

SOPA's presence continues to loom, darkening e-skies across the nation and weighing heavy on the minds and hearts of tech-savvy Americans everywhere. The average citizen, in an attempt to effect what little change they can, has taken to moving their business away from companies that support SOPA; companies such as domain registrar GoDaddy.

This movement, spearheaded by Reddit's Move Your Domain Day initiative, has influenced the business operations of at least one major player in the gaming world; Major League Gaming has announced the transfer of over 100 domains from GoDaddy to rival registrar Namecheap, saying that the gaming organization is "firmly against both the specifics of SOPA and the philosophy behind the bill." They go on to urge everyone curious about the subject to read up and draw their own conclusions, which sounds like a good idea to us.

MLG moves more than 100 domains in opposition of SOPA originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision wins ruling, regains control of ModernWarfare3.com

Mike Schramm — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:15:00 EST

The issue of the web domain ModernWarfare3.com, originally spotted thanks to a (presumably unofficial) Battlefield 3 promotion and later outed by DNS service GoDaddy, has been settled. You guessed it: Activision and its lawyers have prevailed. The National Arbitration Forum has decided unanimously in favor of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 publisher, saying that the three criteria necessary for a domain name transfer (that the name is confusing, the holder has no real interest in the domain name, and the name is "being used in bad faith") have all been met. The three-member panel has ordered that the domain name be transferred back to Activision.

Currently, the domain name appears to be offline, but we presume it'll redirect right into the official Modern Warfare 3 site as soon as Activision is done.

Too bad for Battlefield 3 fan and Florida resident Anthony Abraham, who tried to argue both fair use, and that the term "modern warfare" was generic enough to have a life outside of the video game world. Hopefully he's still got ElderScrolls5.com sitting in his back pocket, just waiting for a competitor to promote.

Activision wins ruling, regains control of ModernWarfare3.com originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision registers domains for 'GoldenEye 007 Reloaded'

David Hinkle — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST

Internet sleuth @supererogatory discovered some recent domain name registrations made by Activision, which point at a potential re-release of 2010's Wii exclusive, GoldenEye 007. "GoldenEyeReloadedGame.com," "GoldenEye007GameReloaded.com," "GoldenEyeReloaded007.com" and "GoldenEye007Reloaded.com" were the four URLs the Santa Monica-based publisher snagged.

Now, while the possibility of a new and improved Wii game isn't out of the question, we're inclined to think that Activision is thinking about consoles other than the Wii -- specifically, PlayStation Move functionality. Of course, fans have been clamoring for a remake of the original GoldenEye 007 on N64 since they looked up the word clamor and realized it was what they were doing; unfortunately, with original developer Rare now owned by Microsoft, that path is legally perilous.

Activision has not made any announcements concerning these domain names.

Activision registers domains for 'GoldenEye 007 Reloaded' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo secures Wii U-related domain names

JC Fletcher — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:40:00 EST

Nintendo went on a domain shopping spree recently, grabbing a few domain names related to Wii games (like rhythmheavenwii.com and kirbywii.com) as well as a lot of domain names related to Wii U, referencing things like New Super Mario Bros. Mii and several unannounced games and items like "Wii Zapper U," "Wii Fit U," "Wii Party U," Wii U Balance Board, and even "Wii Music U," most with variations like "Wii U Music." All redirect to nintendo.com at the moment. Check the full list after the break, as reported by Nintendo World Report.

While we'd love to say that we had an early look at, like, the entire software and peripheral lineup for next year's console, this looks a lot more like Nintendo just registered everything it could think of, just in case. The duplicate registrations for name variants support this theory. Take that, thwarted domain squatters!

Continue reading Nintendo secures Wii U-related domain names

Nintendo secures Wii U-related domain names originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two registers Grand Theft Auto-esque domains, GTA V shows up on stuntman's resume

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST

Take-Two recently registered a batch of speculation-rousing web domains, each of which sound like possible online extensions of the Grand Theft Auto series' parodic brands and businesses. These include gems like CashForDeadDreams.com, SixFigureTemps.com, LifeInvader.com, StopPayingYourMortgage.net and HammersteinFaust.com. Unless the publisher is trying to earn a few extra bucks by getting into the domain-squatting racket (time to pay up, Six-Figure Temps!), it seems plausible that Rockstar's thought up some gags for the next GTA.

Another piece of evidence for a new installment in Rockstar's crime-filled franchise also appeared in the resumé of Declan Mulvey, who apparently did some motion capture stunt work on "Grand Theft Auto V." For what it's worth, Mulvey tells CVG that the listing was simply a "typo," missing the single Roman 'I,' though a little further sleuthing on IMDB.com turns up plenty of video game work and not a single mention of 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Sure, that only lends itself to further speculation, but we think we can confidently confirm that, at the very least, the game is almost certain to contain stunts.

Take-Two registers Grand Theft Auto-esque domains, GTA V shows up on stuntman's resume originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SSX 'Descent' sites registered

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:20:00 EST

With Shaun White now taking it to the streets, perhaps there's an opening on the slope for EA's snowboarding franchise, SSX, to reemerge from hibernation. A mess of newly registered domains points to the possibility of a reboot of the series, which has been sidelined since 2007's pedestrian Wii release, Blur.

Professional domain registration outfit Corporate Domains, Inc. (what a gig!) has locked down URL variations of "SSX: Deadly Descent," plus an "SSX: First Descent" domain -- suggestive of the popular reboot motif: the origin story. While none of this activity is confirmation of a new SSX game, EA has worked through Corporate Domains in the past in advance of public announcements, most recently to secure web real estate for potential Need for Speed names (though Hot Pursuit was ultimately recycled) and The Sims Medieval.

As for SSX, it's been more than a year since EA Montreal's Alain Tascan left open the possibility for a new entry in the series, saying in September 2009, "If the market is there and is ready for a new one, then we'll consider it." Perhaps through Move and Kinect, EA Montreal sees its ready market and an opportunity to build on the motion-controlled framework established in its Blur effort. Of course, fans of the last-generation games might prefer to see the series' original developer, EA Canada, stage the comeback. And what a meta-comeback story it could be! (The studio could use a big win following the NBA Elite 11 fail, after all.)

Still, all this domain fuss could just as easily be over the naming of the SSX iPhone game, which has been -- quietly -- in the works for too long.

SSX 'Descent' sites registered originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Sims 'Medieval' web domains registered

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST

A fan site of all things Simlish, called Infinite Sims, recently uncovered a handful of web domains registered by the ever-stealthy, third-party outfit Corporate Domains, Inc. These reserved addresses could be an indication of an upcoming expansion to the Sims universe -- one that could take the bright, cheerful world of Sunset Valley back into the Dark Ages.

The reserved domain names all include some variation of "thesimsmedieval" or "thesimsgetmedieval," which might hint at the subject matter of the next batch of content for the highly successful franchise. Hey, we wouldn't mind trying to move up the Sim caste system. Maybe learn how to joust? Perhaps go pheasant hunting in the northern wilds? Learn how to relieve ourselves properly in a sturdy waste bucket? No, wait. That last thing sounds terrible.

The Sims 'Medieval' web domains registered originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We should be set on Need for Speed subtitles for a while

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:27:00 EST

Superannuation recently did its thing and uncovered a whole slew of newly reserved domain names associated with the Need for Speed franchise. The subtitles suggested by the registered domains are (deep breath): Boost, Drift Kings, Eliminator, Lightning, No Limits, Overdrive, Proven, Redline, Showdown, Street Kings, Takedown, The Run, Time Attack and Underground East. One of these many names could potentially (hopefully!) be the title of the next, possibly Criterion-developed installment in the series -- but then again there could always be a need for more domain registrations yet to come from EA.

Actually, the registered domains were reserved by Corporate Domains, Inc. (CSC), an intermediary company that manages web real estate in order to protects its clients' "brand identity." So, it's technically possible that these acquisitions weren't made with EA's blessing, and that this collection is really just a massive prank executed by one of CSC's various corporate clients. A jealous publisher then? That's far from the most likely scenario -- but it would definitely be the most hilarious.

We should be set on Need for Speed subtitles for a while originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 May 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision registers several 'Call of Duty: _ Warfare' domains

JC Fletcher — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:00:00 EST

Superannuation has spotted a series of domain names registered by Activision, for variations on the names "Call of Duty: Future Warfare," "Advanced Warfare," "Secret Warfare" and "Space Warfare," as well as those same names with "2" and "3" appended to the end.

These don't all necessarily refer to future Call of Duty games. The fact that all of these were registered makes it likely that Activision is securing domains for potential future projects, even before those projects exist in any form, to avoid having to pay domain squatters later. Or, one of these could be a real game, and the rest a clever smokescreen by Activision, to prevent us from knowing which is real. It would be smart on Activision's part to use at least one of these -- after all, they all have most of the same words as "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," which we understand to have been rather successful.

Superannuation speculates that one of these could refer to Sledgehammer Games' new Call of Duty game, which kind of makes sense -- if it's apparently going to be a drastic change in genre, why not a more fantastic, futuristic setting?

Activision registers several 'Call of Duty: _ Warfare' domains originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Faction 'Origins' and 'Armageddon' website domains registered

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST

Internet paperwork bloodhound Superannuation has sniffed out several Red Faction-based domain name registrations by THQ. A series of domains corresponding to would-be titles in "Red Faction Armageddon" and "Red Faction Origins" have been secured by the publisher.

These two potential Red Faction projects would appear to correspond with the current plan for the franchise, which sees SyFy producing a "back-door pilot" for TV (Origins, maybe?) and the next installment of the game series planned for March 2011 (why not Armageddon?). Of course, these things are never so neatly tied together, are they? There are numerous possibilities for the two Red Faction titles used in the new domain registrations.

Anyway, have you played Guerrilla yet? It's a really fun game, we swear.

Red Faction 'Origins' and 'Armageddon' website domains registered originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony secures inFamous 2 web domain

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:59:00 EST

Sony recently made yet another addition to the growing mound of evidence for a sequel to last year's electrifying action title, inFamous. Superannuation has discovered that SCEA has registered the domain: infamous2thegame.com. You can try visiting it now, if you'd like. You're going to get a "Server Not Found" error, though. And then you're going to feel really silly.

As with all web domain registrations, this could just be a case of Sony locking down the name for potential future use and preventing the uncomfortable situation of having to seize it from a third-party registerer. Still, with E3 just over a month away, the timing of the inFamous 2 domain registration could indicate that an official announcement is coming soon. Especially if, before then, Sony registers: infamous2isrealanditwillbeannouncedate3.com.

Sony secures inFamous 2 web domain originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Driver: San Francisco domains registered by Ubisoft

David Hinkle — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:02:00 EST

Thanks to a good catch by Superannuation, we may now know the title of Ubisoft's proposed follow-up to Assassin's Creed 2: "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood." That's the name of a currently inactive domain registered by Ubisoft earlier this year. Additionally, the publisher has scooped up "driversanfranciscogame.com," which could be the name and location of the announced Driver reboot.

"Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" would certainly be a suitable name for what's expected to be the first game in the series with "an online multiplayer mode" (not counting the iPhone game, of course). As for "Driver: San Francisco," what better place to jump start the drained franchise? Some of the world's greatest feats of driving have taken place in San Fran, after all. Ever seen the movie Bullit? Have you played San Francisco Rush? Don't tell us you missed San Francisco Rush 2049!

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Driver: San Francisco domains registered by Ubisoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony downplays meaning of MotorStorm 3 domain purchase

JC Fletcher — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST

SCEE has registered the domain "motorstorm3.com," according to WHOIS data first found by The Gaming Liberty. The domain, which currently redirects to the UK's PlayStation site, would seem to provide a hint that a sequel to the PS3's flagship truck-dirtying simulator is on the way. Or does it?

Sony told VG247 that "It's not uncommon for us to secure the URLs containing the names of our successful IP, and those actions should not be interpreted as an announcement of a new title in a franchise." That leaves only the knowledge that MotorStorm is one of Sony's major PS3 showpieces and of course there's going to be another one.

[Via Eurogamer]

Sony downplays meaning of MotorStorm 3 domain purchase originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls going online? Maybe

Jason Dobson — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Online, MMO, Business

Hot on the heels of a massive investment from Providence Equity Partners in Bethesda-parent ZeniMax Media's newly opened MMO-focused studio, word has reached us that the company has registered the domain name elderscrollsonline.com, throwing some weight behind the idea that Bethesda's popular RPG franchise could someday finally break free from its single player shackles and frolic the n00b-infested waters of the MMO.

It's true that many have often referred to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as an MMO without all the stupid. Still, the truth of the matter is that while we openly admit that The Elder Scrolls works well as a setting for an immersive single player experience, the world itself is nothing short of generic. The last thing the gaming world needs is yet another tepid swords and sorcery MMO, and the idea of having to lead an intricately armored horse to the pond to drink once a month seems more apt to turn our stomachs rather than our wallets.

Elder Scrolls going online? Maybe originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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