Joystiq

PAX Prime registration site officially open, registration opens next week [updated]

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:45:00 EST

It's been almost a month since you attended PAX East, so you're probably ready to start preparing for this August's PAX Prime out in Seattle, no? The folks over at the official PAX website are hoping so, as the registration site officially opened today. What's that, you already had it bookmarked? Well look at you!

Anyway, registration itself hasn't opened just yet, but the site promises it's on the way "soon." By last year at this time, said registrations had already opened, so we expect "soon" to really be "any day now." We've reached out to Penny Arcade for more specific info.

Update: Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo says that registration "should reopen next week" after some technical hiccups earlier today.

PAX Prime registration site officially open, registration opens next week [updated] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:45:00 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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Dota 2 beta registration now open

Mike Schramm — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:50:00 EST

Valve has posted information about "The International" Dota 2 tournament going on at Gamescom this week, but a bunch of news about lucky Gamescom attendees playing the game isn't nearly as exciting as, you know, playing the game yourself. Along with the tourney schedule, Valve has opened up beta registration to the public for Dota 2. To sign up, all you need to do is head over to the Dota 2 page, sign into Steam and then click "Get on the List" to join.

Unfortunately, there's no information about just when the beta will be happening or even how players will be chosen to participate, but since there will likely be a lot of people watching the livestream from Gamescom this week, Valve is likely just grabbing names and Steam accounts of interested parties while it can. Here's hoping you get in and play - but not before we do.

Dota 2 beta registration now open originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB Reloaded beta gets over 100K registrations

Mike Schramm — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

GamersFirst says that more than 100,000 people have registered to play in the APB Reloaded beta, the reboot of the ill-fated Realtime Worlds MMO crime shooter from last year. That's not bad at all -- at its height, APB was hosting 130,000 registered users, and that was after its release and the press that came along with it. Of course, those 130K weren't able to keep the game or the studio afloat, but with nearly as many players eager for the beta as played the original game, it looks like there's some solid interest in the title returning.

Of course, GamersFirst's version of the game will be free-to-play, and those games tend to out-populate their paid competition by leaps and bounds. Reloaded Productions, which is running the game for GamersFirst, says the beta registrations "far exceed the number of people [we] actually expected or even needed for the first Closed Beta," but says that only about half of the registrations will actually get into the beta, which will start at the end of this month.

APB Reloaded beta gets over 100K registrations originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 Expo putting 'caps' on media badges based on site traffic

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:20:00 EST

"Sneaking" into E3 2011 is going to be a lot more difficult for many enthusiasts than it has been in the past. According to an email sent out by the E3 Media Team (i.e., the ESA) and forwarded to us by a tipster, "E3 Expo 2011 show management has placed 'caps' on this year's media badge assignments due to the tremendous number of requests for media badges. As part of the overall qualification process, the Media Team uses Compete.com, xinureturns.com, Quantcast.com and Alexa as the standard measurement/ranking tools in determining media badge approvals for online-based applicants."

Over the years, the ESA has experimented with controlling E3 attendance at the behest of game publishers, but this year's new measures have have raised concerns about promoting a "closed loop." Limiting entry based on site traffic suggests that well-trafficked sites will be the ones to gain increased access to publishers and developers, and, in turn, more traffic, while smaller, independent sites will be stifled by the restriction and unable to grow. Another concern points out that the data generated by sites like Compete can be inaccurate, given "you have to insert code to properly track" for the service.

"We require that sites be fully launched, operational for six months, and that the website receives a minimum of 8,000 monthly unique impressions as a baseline for each media badge issued," adds the email notice (published in full after the break). That means if you haven't started your New Year's resolution to launch a video games site yet, it's too late to "pull a Destructoid." Of course, if you happen to work at Roscoe's, we might be able to work something out ... for a taste of that sweet, sweet unicorn meat.

Continue reading E3 Expo putting 'caps' on media badges based on site traffic

E3 Expo putting 'caps' on media badges based on site traffic originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:20:00 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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PSA: E3 2010 online registration closes this Wednesday

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you're a member of the video game industry who has been lollygagging when it comes to your E3 2010 registration, this should be a wake-up call: Online registration will end this Wednesday, June 9, at 11PM Pacific (a.k.a. June 10 at 2AM ET).

This is the first time E3 online registration has ever been shut down prior to the start of the event. The ESA, which runs E3, explained that the measure is being taken this year because registered attendance is close to hitting the limit. The organization expects between 41,000 and 45,000 industry professionals, analysts, journalists and retailers (and probably a few impostors) to attend.

Qualified industry professionals can still purchase badges on site, but that involves things like ... lines, ewwww.

PSA: E3 2010 online registration closes this Wednesday originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:40:00 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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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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Recent 360 and Live buyers get two free XBLA games

Zack Stern — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online

Microsoft offers two free Xbox Live Arcade games if you bought a 360 and Live account over the past year. Fill out a short registration form and enter code "XBX0807" to qualify. However, the site is cagey about which games you'll get. The terms and conditions state that you'll receive an email code by September 30 to download the titles, but the offer "will be for games selected by Microsoft."

360 fence-sitters still have until September 15 to buy the console and net the games. And the promotion includes buyers as far back as August 8, 2006. The wording sounds like Live account renewals don't qualify, but we still registered. ~~We've contacted Microsoft for clarification but hadn't heard specifics when this post went live. We'll update you when we learn more.~~

[Update: Microsoft told us it hasn't announced which games you'll get and also stated that the promotion is for new Live accounts only. So officially at least, Live renewals get no love.]

[Via Dealnews]

Recent 360 and Live buyers get two free XBLA games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheap ass media pass

Ken Weeks — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: E3

David Abrams of CheapAssGamer amused the inner Beavis of everyone in Denny's last night by managing to get the word "ass" on his media badge. We wondered just how far the names could go before someone in the E3 registration process decides to create a list of dirty words. It's only a matter of time before some dude from Alaska starts a show called the "Scrotum Gaming Hour." By the way, it turns out CheapyD isn't so cheap after all. He picked up the dinner tab.

Cheap ass media pass originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 May 2006 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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