Category: Video Games

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Take-Two Interactive registers HungoverX.com domain name [UPDATED]

HungoverX

Take-Two appears to have made an interesting domain registration in late July.  On July 25, the video game company registered HungoverX.com, according to WHOIS records.

Though the name was privately registered through Network Solutions, the WHOIS record clearly shows Take-Two.  The information that is marked private is contact information like the email address.

HungoverX.com also switched domain servers to TAKE2GAMES.com in the past 24 hours.

It’s unknown what, if anything, the video game company has planned for Hungover X.

Maybe it’s related to the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto V.?  It’s just speculation, but in both Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and GTA IV, drinking was an activity.

Here’s a look at the WHOIS record for HungoverX.com.

HungoverX.com WHOIS

No announcement has been made by Take Two and the domain currently does not resolve to a website.

Take-Two doesn’t seem all that interested in related domains, as the .com was the only name registered at the time of this story being published.

The company will be attending GAMESCOM 2013 later this month.

UPDATE 1 August 6, 2013: HungoverX is a Bureau: XCOM Declassified mini-game, reports Joystiq. The website is now live, having gone online in the past 24 hours.

Talking about this story: Game Informer, Joystiq, Examiner.com, GameSpot, NowGamer, VG247, VGChartz, Blogocio, Eurogamer and PSX Extreme

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Microsoft secretly registers Halo Spartan Assault domains [UPDATED]

Halo: Spartan Assault

There is a lot of buzz about Halo with E3 less than two weeks away.  Microsoft is expected to reveal Halo 5 but is not expected to share anything more about Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Halo TV series, of which little is known about.

It does appear however the company is up to something related to Halo ahead of E3 that is called Halo: Spartan Assault, according to several domain names Microsoft privately registered through the brand protection company MarkMonitor.

Among the latest names Microsoft registered in late May, are SpartanAssault.net (WHOIS), HaloSpartanAssault.com (WHOIS) and Halo-SpartanAssault.com (WHOIS).

Also registered were Halo-SpartanAssault.net (WHOIS) and HaloSpartanAssault.net (WHOIS).

Each of the newly acquired names is registered to DNStination Inc, a Whois privacy service administered by MarkMonitor.  Microsoft is a well-known client of MarkMonitor and over the years has acquired many Halo-related domains through the company like Halo 7, Halo 8 and Halo 9, to name a few.

Back in 2009, a short fan fiction piece was written online by a fan who titled the story Halo Spartan Assault.

Halo Spartan Assault Fan Fiction

Of course, there is always the chance that Microsoft is doing nothing more than protecting its IP, but it’s highly unlikely with E3 right around the corner.

Although it’s only speculation at this point, you can bet Microsoft has something in the works for Halo: Spartan Assault.

Is it the title of a live action series? A video game? Something else? Who knows?

It’s obviously too early to say what exactly Microsoft has planned for Halo: Spartan Assault, but we should know more soon.

UPDATE 1 June 4, 2013:  Halo Spartan Assault has been revealed.  Below is the debut trailer.

Talking about this story: VG247, Joystiq, Game Informer, TheSixthAxis, Neowin, Game Rant, Cinema Blend, GameFocus, Metronieuws.nl, gamesblog.it, Videogameszone, VicioJuegos, playm.de, PC Games, Gamenguide, ComputerAndVideogames.com, Eurogamer.net, Polygon, Videogamer.com, AusGamers, Spong, Xbox 360 Achievements, MeriStation, Eurogamer.se, Gamers.fr, gamona.de, GameSurf, 411mania.com, Attack of the Fanboy, GamingBolt, VR-Zone, gry-online.pl, StickSkills, Gameranx, ScreenCrush, EGMNOW, Gematsu, Softpedia, NeoGAF, VGChartz and Examiner.com

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Lucasfilm registers slew of domains for Star Wars Alliance, Bothan Spies, Order 67, Star Wars Rebels, many more

Star Wars

It was announced this week, that Electronic Arts and The Walt Disney Company signed a multi-year video game agreement which allows them to create Star Wars games.

Now Lucasfilm, which was acquired by Disney last year, has registered a slew of new domain names that include titles like:  Star Wars Alliance, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Wolf Pack, Wolf Pack Adventures, Order 67, Bothan Spies, Gungan Frontier 2, Gungan Frontier 3, Gungan Frontier 4, and Wookie Hunters.

Here’s a the list:

http://whois.domaintools.com/gunganfrontier2.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/gunganfrontier3.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/gunganfrontier4.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/order67.net
http://whois.domaintools.com/starwarsalliance.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/starwarsrebels.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/starwarswolfpack.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/wolfpackadventures.net
http://whois.domaintools.com/wookieehunters.com

While it’s unknown what will become of Star Wars: 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, it looks like more plans are already in the works for other titles.

Movies? Games?  It’s anyone’s guess, what many of these titles like Bothan Spies are destined for.  But given the timing, you can bet many of the titles have something to do with Electronic Arts.

Talking about this story:  Joystiq, Forbes, Kotaku, 411mania.com, GamingBolt, GameSpot, We Got This Covered, /Film, Game Rant, Jeux Video, Comic Book Movie, Buffed.de, ComputerAndVideogames.com, Game Informer, Gamenguide, IGN, SlashGear, TheSixthAxis, Vandal, VG247 and TheForce.net

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Featured News Video Games

Electronic Arts registers domains for Battlefield 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20

Battlefield 19

Call it defensive or call it long-term planning, but Electronic Arts has gone out and registered dot-com domains for Battlefield 13 all the way through Battlefield 20.

On May 2, EA registered each of the names through the brand protection agency Corporation Service Company (CSC), adding to its ever-growing collection of Battlefield-related web addresses which includes its crown-jewel Battlefield.com, a name that EA spent $80,000 USD to acquire.

As of today, EA now owns Battlefield.com, Battlefield2.com – Battlefield9.com, and Battlefield13.com – Battlefield20.com.  Battlefield10.com – Battlefield12.com are owned by other parties, not associated with Electronic Arts.

By comparison to its biggest competitor, Activision, ModernWarfare8.com through ModernWarfare20.com and beyond, are not registered at the time of this story being published.

EA is expected to release Battlefield 4 this fall.

In late April, EA acquired BF4.com from its owner for $9,000 USD.

Talking about this story: Digital Spy, GameSpot, Joystiq, Blue’s News, Strategy Informer, EGMNOW, games.on.net, GameStar, Action Trip, Game Revolution, GameZone, Geek, Eurogamer.pt, Eurogamer.net, Tech2, IGN, Jeux Video, BeefJack, PC Gamer, PC Games Hardware, playm.de, Xbox 360 – the official Magazine, Softpedia, Ubergizmo, VG247 and Rock, Paper, Shotgun

(Image of Battlefield 4 via Battlefield.com)

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Featured News Video Games

Beware: Fake ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ beta websites already springing up online

Call of Duty: Ghosts Beta

Another new video game announcement, and with it comes the scammers.

Activision officially revealed Call of Duty: Ghosts this week, and now a number of fake beta websites are already online promising unsuspecting users free beta keys to the game.

Not only do the sites use the game’s artwork, but the operators of these websites use domain names similar to the title to trick people into believing that they are on an official Call of Duty website.

While these sites are obviously phony, there’s always someone who falls for the trick.

GhostsBeta.com (WHOIS) was registered in early April as rumors of the game spread.  Today, the website (pictured below) tells visitors that beta access is strongly limited and that their site is the only place where gamers can gain access.  All you need to do is tweet a message or publicly recommend the site on Google+ to get your fake beta key.  At of the time of this story, dozens have fallen for the scam.

Ghosts Beta

GhostsBeta.net (WHOIS) was just registered this week and the owner has wasted no time setting up a landing page (pictured below), but it looks like their is still more work to do.  You are encouraged to choose a console, however, when you click the Submit button, you are redirected to a suspended account page located on blackops2beta.com (another fake site that was quickly outed for scamming users).

Ghosts Beta .net

As excitement grows for the game, expect the pace of fake beta sites going live to increase.

Dozens of domain names have already been registered and not by Activision.  Here’s a sampling:

CallofDutyGhostsBeta.com (WHOIS) – parked at Register.com
CallofDutyGhostsBeta.net (WHOIS) – parked at Go Daddy
CallofDutyGhostsBeta.org (WHOIS) – does not resolve to a website
CallofDutyGhostsBeta.info (WHOIS) – parked at Go Daddy
CallofDutyGhostBeta.com (WHOIS) – parked at NameCheap

Believe it or not, Activision didn’t register CallofDutyGhosts.com (WHOIS) or CallofDutyGhost.com (WHOIS) before cybersquatters got to the names first.

CallofDutyGhosts.com redirects visitors to the game’s listing on Amazon.

CallofDutyGhost.com is redirecting visitors to http://www.callofduty.com/ghosts/masks, however, it’s registered to an resident of Illinois who has listed the name for sale on Go Daddy for $2,000 USD.

Activision may not sit idle.

In 2011, the company won a dispute for ModernWarfare3.com.

In the past year, other video game companies have taken legal action against people operating fake beta websites.  Take-Two has filed several complaints over fake Grand Theft Auto V websites and domains — and won.

Talking about this story: SlashGear, play3.de, Examiner.com and Gamezone