Category: Video Games

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News Video Games

Ubisoft Entertainment takes over web address used in Ghost Recon Beta scam

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Ubisoft Entertainment has taken ownership of the domain name GhostReconBeta.com.

The domain, which had been registered in April 2012 by a Netherlands resident, had been used in a beta scam for the video game Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.  Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the latest installment in the series, was released in May for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Beta scams for video games are fairly common online and usually involve a website and web address that are confusingly similar to that of a legitimate well-known brand.  The websites will claim to offer beta keys to upcoming video games, but instead trick users into filling out survey scams and downloading malware to their computers.

Earlier this year, Microsoft took control of the domain names Halo4Beta.biz and Halo4Beta.net, after filing complaints against the owners.

While little evidence of the GhostReconBeta.com scam website can be found online, Ubisoft Red Storm responded to a Twitter message from gamer @BlackDogsUnit back in late May, saying that the website ghostreconbeta.com was not legit and any information about Ghost Recon would come through official channels on GhostRecon.com.

Ubisoft Red Storm

According to Whois historical records, the person who registered GhostReconBeta.com, is no stranger to using the names of well-known companies for the purpose of scam surveys.  At the time of this story, they own and operate websites and domains like SpotifyGiveaway.com (Whois), WarFaceBeta.com (Whois) and HawkenBeta.com (Whois).

Spotify Giveaway scam website

Though it’s unfortunate companies have to deal with these types of sites, it’s surprising they don’t register domains that can be used to trick consumers.

A quick check of other popular titles by Ubisoft, shows several domain names not registered.

Rainbow6Beta.com, SplinterCellBeta.com, and WatchDogsBeta.com are just a few examples of names that are readily available.

Today, GhostReconBeta.com does not resolve to a web page.

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

Activision files ‘Laser Blast’ trademark, Atari 2600 game first published in 1981

Laser Blast

Activision has submitted a new trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that hints that an Atari 2600 classic video game is getting remade.

On September 13, 2012, the video game company filed a trademark (Serial Number:  85728268) for “Laser Blast”.

The goods and services in the application cover, “Computer game software; computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones, handheld computers, and portable and handheld digital electronic devices.”

Laser Blast was originally released in 1981 for the Atari 2600 video game system.

The game was designed by David Crane, one of Activision’s co-founders, who left the company in 1986.  In Laser Blast, “you are a spaceship blasting away at enemy bases, which appear in intervals of three, while they blast right back at you.”

Laser Blast

Activision also has a trademark for “Laser Blast” for video game cartridges, that dates back to April 1981.

In July, it was announced that Activision Leeds, the newly-founded UK studio, was revamping Activision’s first major game Pitfall.

So far Activision has made no announcement as to a remake, but this has all the signs of another Activision Leeds project.

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News Video Games

Microsoft acquires Halo 7, Halo 8 & Halo 9 domains via brand protection company

Halo 4

  • Microsoft hints at future of Halo franchise with Halo 7-9 domain names

  • Halo5.com, Halo9.com domains acquired by Microsoft in Feb/March 2012

  • Halo4.com acquired in 2011 for undisclosed amount after E3 unveiling

  • Halo.com does not belong to Microsoft, belongs to product distributor

With all the Microsoft video game talk about Halo 4 that is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2012, Microsoft is looking to the future and working to protect its Halo brand online.

This week, the company acquired several more domain names centering around its cash cow Halo, hinting that the franchise will be around for years to come.

Through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, Microsoft has apparently acquired the domains halo7.net (Whois), halo7.org (Whois), halo8.org (Whois), halo9.net (Whois) and halo9.org (Whois).

It’s unknown whether Microsoft opened its checkbook to get the names and it’ll likely remain that way.  History has shown that the terms of agreement between Microsoft and private domain sellers is not disclosed publicly.

Each of the newly acquired names is registered to DNStination Inc, a Whois privacy service administered by MarkMonitor.  The change in ownership took place within the last 48 hours.

Halo9.net

Microsoft has had a busy twelve months acquiring Halo-related domain names.

In March of this year, it secretly acquired Halo5.com and Halo9.com from their previous owners using Corporation Service Company’s Name Rally.

In 2011, Microsoft acquired Halo4.com for an undisclosed amount from its previous owner.

So, what does Microsoft’s Halo dotcom scorecard look like?

Here’s a look.

Halo.com – active website owned by HALO Brand Solutions, not Microsoft.

Halo1.com – active website owned by HALO ONE, not Microsoft.

Halo2.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.

Halo3.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.

Halo4.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.

Halo5.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.  Privately registered.

Halo6.com – parked by Colby Thiesen, not owned by Microsoft.

Halo7.com – active website, not owned by Microsoft.

Halo8.com – active website owned by Halo 8 Productions, not Microsoft.

Halo9.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.  Privately registered.

Halo10.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.

Talking about this story: Computerandvideogames.com, Capsule Computers, EGMNOW, elotrolado.net, Eurogamer.pt, FOK!, Game Informer, Game Rant, Game Revolution, Gameranx, GameZone, IGN, MCV, MeriStation, NowGamer, playm.de, Shack News, Strategy Informer, Tecmundo, VG247 and Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine

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News Video Games

Riot Games (League of Legends maker) builds mobile team, gets RiotGames.mobi

Riot Games Dublin Office

Riot Games may dominate the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) market in the PC universe with League of Legends, but today, it has yet to enter the mobile MOBA market.

A market that is very small but has big possibilities.

Though League of Legends may not be ready for gaming on the go, Riot Games is ramping up its mobile development teams as shown by job openings posted online.

This week, the company even acquired the domain name RiotGames.mobi (Whois).  Dotmobi is the top-level domain introduced for the mobile web.  Of course, while obtaining the name may be nothing more than a move by the company to protect its intellectual property, there are plenty of signs that Riot is focusing efforts in the mobile arena.

In late August, Riot posted a job for a Mobile Product Manager in Santa Monica.  The listing says the company is building a dynamic, fast-moving Riot Mobile team to help the company develop and create mobile solutions.

Riot Games mobile product manager job listing

The website RiotGames.mobi is currently a parked web page at the time of this story.

It’s unknown whether Riot had to fork out cash to get the name or if it simply had its legal department contact the previous owner.  The domain was acquired through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor.  According to Whois history, the name was originally registered anonymously in 2010 and changed ownership to Riot Games this week.

There are developers in the mobile MOBA market.

This October, Gameloft will be releasing the mobile game Heroes of Order & Chaos.

Heroes of Order & Chaos
As Pocket Gamer points out in a recent story, Gameloft will be copying the League of Legends tactic of making six characters free for a week at a time, with the option to buy them outright with real money should they take your fancy.

There hasn’t been much news out of Riot regarding its mobile game plans, but with all the mobile job openings being posted, it may not be too long before more is known.

And in case you’re wondering, Riot Games does own the domain leagueoflegends.mobi.  The company has owned the web address name since 2008.  Today, the web address redirects users to LeagueofLegends.com.

Talking about this story: Kotaku

(Image of Riot Games Dublin offices via RiotGames.com)

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

Star Wars: First Assault trademarks filed for “interactive video games” [UPDATED]

Star Wars: First Assault

Last week, Lucasfilm (the parent company of LucasArts) secretly registered several “Star Wars: First Assault” domain names like StarWarsFirstAssault.com.  It was suspected that the names had something to do with a yet-to-be announced video game project.

More information has surfaced in recent days in the way of two new trademark applications submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  On August 23, 2012, Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. filed trademarks for “First Assault” (Serial Number: 85711610) and “Star Wars: First Assault” (Serial Number: 85711618).

Both applications cover the same goods and services which, among other things, includes “Entertainment services provided on-line by means of global and local area networks, namely, providing interactive computer games and interactive video games.”

Here’s a look at the full list of goods and services in each filing:

Interactive entertainment software and accompanying instruction manuals sold as a unit, namely, computer game software and manuals sold as a unit, video game software and manuals sold as a unit; video game software, computer game software, and pre-recorded compact discs and DVDs featuring games, films, animation, music, computer game software, and video game software; downloadable video game software and downloadable computer game software; computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones

Books containing puzzles and games; calendars; children’s books; children’s books combined with toys and sold as a unit; comic books; comic magazines; gift books in the field of video games; graphic novels; printed instructional manuals and strategy guides in the field of computer games; magazines in the field of entertainment; markers; non-electronic personal planners and organizers; notebooks; novels for juveniles; pencil cases; pencil sharpeners; pencils; pens; personal organizers; postcards; posters; puzzle books; series of fiction books; sticker albums; sticker books; stickers; temporary tattoos; trading cards; animation cels; lithographic prints; original works of art created from paper; photographic prints; printed art reproductions

Toy action figures; accessories for use with toy action figures; action type target games; balloons; bath toys; board games; card games; cases for action figures; cases for play accessories for action figure, model vehicles and model space craft; connecting links for toy building blocks; construction toys; costume masks; costume masks for dolls; dolls; rubber hi bounce balls; jigsaw puzzles; paper face masks; parlor games; play sets for toy model vehicles, toy model space craft; plush toys; protective pads and padding for skateboarding; role-playing games; toy model space crafts and related accessories sold as units; three-dimensional puzzles; toy action figures; toy building blocks; toy candy dispensers; toy candy holders, namely, plastic candy dispenser designed as a toy; toy coin banks; toy model hobby craft kits for making model spacecraft, model cars and model vehicles; toy model vehicles and related accessories sold as a units; toy modeling dough kits and accessories for use therewith sold as units; toy remote control vehicles, namely, airplanes, spacecraft, boats; toy scooters; toy snow globes; toy vehicles; toy weapons; toy model vehicles and accessories therefore sold as a unit; water squirting toys; wind-up toys; yo-yos; collectible card games; collectible miniature board games, and toy helmets

Entertainment services provided on-line by means of global and local area networks, namely, providing interactive computer games and interactive video games, all on-line by means of global and local area networks; providing news and information in the field of entertainment relating to interactive computer game software and interactive video game software over an electronic network; fan club services

Online social networking services

While little is still known about “Star Wars: First Assault”, the trademark filings offer more insight.

LucasArts has yet to announce anything official.

UPDATE 4 – MARCH 12, 2013:. Kotaku has posted leaked screenshots of the game.  See below:

Star Wars: First Assault video game

Star Wars First Assault screenshot

Star Wars First Assault screenshot

UPDATE 3 – MARCH 11, 2013:. Kotaku reports that Star Wars: First Assault is a downloadable multiplayer shooter that was originally slated for release this spring.  Jason Schreier writes, “First Assault is “step zero” to the heavily-rumored, highly-anticipated Star Wars: Battlefront III. If First Assault sells well—assuming it is released at all—the third Battlefront could be next.”

UPDATE 2 – FEBRUARY 28, 2013:.  Sources familiar with game development at LucasArts have all told Kotaku that development on the game has been frozen or put on hold since the Disney acquisition.

UPDATE 1 – OCTOBER 1, 2012:.  The box art for Star Wars: First Assault for Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) was discovered (via NeoGAF).

Talking about this story:  Game Informer, GameSpot, G4tv, Game Trailers, Joystiq, Computerandvideogames.com, Digital Spy, Escapist Magazine, Everybody Plays, Eurogamer.net, Eurogamer.pt, IGN, Jeux Video.fr, Game Rant, Gamekult.com, Gamed, Gamers.fr, Gameplanet, Blue’s News, Gamespy.com, GameStar, Geek, GMA News, gram.pl, Anakinweb.com, gry-online.pl, Lenta.ru, MCV, MeriStation, Metro, NeoGAF, Kotaku, NowGamer, PC Games, Boa Informação, PlayStation LifeStyle (blog), Shacknews, Shogun Gamer, T3, TheForce.net, tweakers.net, Vandal, Videogamer.com, VG247 and We Got This Covered

(Image of the TIE fighter via StarWars.com)