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Disputes National Arbitration Forum News Video Games

Ahead of rumored E3 reveal, Microsoft goes after XboxMusic.com [UPDATED]

Xbox Music E3 reveal

UPDATE 1 July 5, 2012:. Microsoft has won the domain dispute for XboxMusic.com.  A National Arbitration Forum panel has ordered the domain name transferred from Wang Shiguo to Microsoft Corporation.

ORIGINAL STORY:. Last month, The Verge reported that Microsoft will offer a sneak peek at its Zune replacement (codenamed “Woodstock”) during E3 2012.

With E3 right around the corner, it appears Microsoft is somewhat planning ahead of its new Xbox Music service reveal, by filing a complaint (Case Number 1445087) with the National Arbitration Forum over the domain name XboxMusic.com.

The domain name dispute proceedings commenced this week along with a separate case over xbox8.org, xboxcompanion.com, xboxlivetv.com, xboxphone.com, and xboxtablet.com.

Microsoft Corporation also filed another complaint (Case Number: 1445084) against the owner of xbox8.us which currently hosts a Chinese-written blog that even discusses the xbox8.org domain dispute.

Xboxmusic.com (Whois) does not resolve to a web page at the time of this story.

Insiders told The Verge, “Woodstock will be a cross-platform play, available to Windows 8, Android, iOS, and Xbox users — playable from a browser”.

(Image of E3 2011 via Xbox.com)

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News

Lucasfilm Entertainment files “Star Wars 1313” video game trademark [UPDATED]

Star Wars 1313

UPDATE 1 May 31, 2012: Lucasarts has unveiled the Star Wars 1313 website (screenshot above).  Starwars1313.com now re-directs visitors to www.lucasarts.com/games/1313/.  The official Facebook page can be found on www.facebook.com/StarWars1313. While there is nothing more than an image on the home page, more will be revealed at E3.  But according to a video interview, the game is about bounty hunters as I first speculated when I reported about the domain name registrations and trademark filing.

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ORIGINAL STORY: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. has filed a trademark application (Serial Number: 85613835) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Star Wars 1313”.

The filing covers a variety of goods and services including interactive entertainment software, books, toy action figures, online social networking services, and interactive video games.

After I spotted over a dozen registrations earlier this week for Star Wars 1313 domains like StarWars1313.com, I had speculated the project could be related to a potential Boba Fett movie.  It wasn’t a strong argument and was based on the fact that CT-1313 was once an alias used by Boba Fett and last summer director Joe Johnston said he was trying to get George Lucas to make a movie featuring the bounty hunter.

While “Star Wars 1313” now looks less likely related to a new film, apart from the trademark application filed on May 1, 2012, not much else is known including which platforms the game will be available on.

The goods and services listed are similar to previous video game trademark filings by Lucasfilm.

Below are details from the trademark application which appeared on the USPTO website today.

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

As of today, Lucasfilm has yet to announce anything official.

Talking about this story: G4TV, Kotaku, Game Informer, Gamespot, Joystiq, IncGamers, The Escapist, Gameranx, Neoseeker, Gamed, NeoGAFGamereactor Sverige, Tweakers.net, Ubergizmo, Game Rant, Ars Technica, Lazygamer and Buffed.de

(Image of Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

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News Video Games

Nintendo Wii U announced at E3 without the domain name

Wii U

Nintendo has named its next game console to be released in 2012 the Wii U, but strangely enough, the company announced the successor to the Wii at E3 2011 without owning the domain name.

Up until a couple days ago, wiiu.com was a parked page, but after the announcement the owner of the domain has switched from a parked page to a Shopping.com affiliate site.

The .com domain name was first registered in the late nineties according to Whois history.  Wiiu.net was recently up for sale at Sedo, but has moved to a Parked.com page. 

Nintendowiiu.com was registered June 7th, but it too, isn’t owned by Nintendo.

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News Video Games

Trion Worlds unveils $90,000 domain Defiance.com, open-world shooter MMO

Defiance by Trion Worlds

In mid-April, the domain name Defiance.com sold for $90,000 USD via Sedo.

This week the website was revealed in advance of E3, where it will be getting its first real showing reports Joystiq.

What’s so groundbreaking about it?

Matt Daniel for Joystiq writes why.

“Three years ago, Syfy announced that it would be teaming up with RIFT creator Trion Worlds to construct the world’s first MMO that would actively intertwine with a live-action TV series. This project became Defiance, which will be making its debut at E3 2011. The groundbreaking project will create a shared universe for the game and TV series, with each influencing the other through actions the characters and players take.”

Trion Worlds released RIFT in March 2011, but despite paying out almost six figures for Defiance.com, the company hasn’t been successful in acquiring the domain rift.com.  The official website for RIFT is riftgame.com.