Tag: Halo: Combat Evolved

Microsoft Corporation privately registers slew of “Halo: Infinity” domain names

Post author By J.B.
Post date April 4, 2012
11 Comments on Microsoft Corporation privately registers slew of “Halo: Infinity” domain names

Microsoft has made some interesting domain name registrations this week, picking up several “Halo Infinity” domains like HaloInfinity.net (Whois) and HaloInfinityMultiplayer.com (Whois) through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor.

Microsoft didn’t stop there either.

Additional domain names that were registered include: HaloInfinity.org, HaloInfinity.co.uk, HaloInfinity.mobi, HaloInfinity.de, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.net, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.org, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.co.uk, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.mobi and HaloInfinityMultiplayer.de.

Infinity was a popular multiplayer level exclusive only to the PC for Halo: Combat Evolved, so it’s possible Microsoft will be offering it as a multiplayer map for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Other domains that were registered the same week through MarkMonitor include SpartanOps.org (Whois), SpartanOps.net, and MorethanJustamap.com (Whois). These too, were privately registered.

Microsoft hasn’t officially been confirmed as the buyer of the Halo: Infinity domains since the registrant of each name is hidden behind Whois privacy, but the names were registered through MarkMonitor, and Microsoft is among their high-profile clients. Microsoft’s own Microsoft.com is registered through MarkMonitor.

I won’t speculate on what Microsoft is planning, but to register this many names means something is on the way.

None of the domains resolve to a web site at the time of this story going online, and Microsoft has not announced anything official.

[Updated Apr 5, 2012 at 9:50am EST:. Microsoft registered additional domains including: SpartanOps.in, SpartanOps.jp, SpartanOps.tw, SpartanOps.co.uk, SpartanOps.mobi, SpartanOps.de, HaloInfinity.in, HaloInfinity.jp, HaloInfinity.tw, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.in, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.jp and HaloInfinityMultiplayer.tw.]

Discussion: GameSpot, Joystiq, N4G, IGN, VG247, Game Rant, Geek, tweakers.net, MCV, NOW Gamer, G4 TV (blog), Cinema Blend, This is Xbox, Xbox 360 The Official Xbox Magazine, Computerandvideogames.com, Xbox 360 Achievements, Shack News, Gameranx, Game Revolution, Complex.com, GamingBolt (blog), Capsule Computers, Halo Waypoint, iNSIDE, Softpedia, NeoGAF, Videogameszone, Geeky Gadgets, juegosDB, PlayNation, Buddha Gaming and GameZone

Tags featured, Halo, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Infinity, Halo: Infinity Multiplayer, MarkMonitor, microsoft, Microsoft domains, xbox

News Video Games

Microsoft launching a Halo Monument for its Combat Evolved remake [UPDATED]

Post author By J.B.
Post date November 1, 2011
6 Comments on Microsoft launching a Halo Monument for its Combat Evolved remake [UPDATED]

In mid-October I wrote about Microsoft registering the domain names HaloLivingMonument.com and HaloLivingMonument.net.

I suggested that Microsoft might be launching a website having to do with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, which is set to be released on November 15th for the Xbox 360.

Well, today Microsoft temporarily put a website together (pictured above) on the web address halolivingmonument.com for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, but it’s currently not operational.

None of the links are active and the Windows Live sign in in the top right is disabled.

I took a screen shot before the site was taken down by Microsoft, which occurred while I was writing this post.

It appears the website is part of the online marketing campaign for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary as I suspected, similar to the Remember Reach website it released for Halo: Reach. Remember Reach had visitors create a “living monument” of lights to honor Noble team members.

While details are limited, according to the source code pictured below, it appears visitors will enter their birth date when entering the site in order to view the multimedia. The same way it works for Remember Reach. .

Apparently, Microsoft has been working on the site at halomonument.cloudapp.net (which I also noticed in the source code), but neither halolivingmonument.com nor halomonument.cloudapp.net resolve to a web page.

The look-and-feel of the site is much like the product page for the game and has the exact same background.

With the game’s release only 2 weeks away, one would imagine the site will be back online within days, if not sooner.

[Update 1, Nov. 2, 5:00am EST: Halolivingmonument.com has been officially confirmed. A commenter on the Joystiq article who goes by MrGreenCastle points to The Halo Fan of The Decade Contest, where one winner will receive a chance to be immortalized. All entrants will have their photos uploaded to the interactive Halo living monument beginning on November 13.]

[Update 2, Nov. 3: Microsoft has now posted a teaser page on HaloLivingMonument.com that displays nothing more than the launch date of 11-13-11, as shown in the picture below.]

[Update 3, Nov. 13: HaloLivingMonument.com has gone live.]

Discussion: Joystiq

Tags featured, Halo, Halo Fan of the Decade, Halo Living Monument, Halo Monument, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, microsoft, xbox

News Video Games

Microsoft may launch a living monument online for Halo: Combat Evolved remake

Post author By J.B.
Post date October 19, 2011
2 Comments on Microsoft may launch a living monument online for Halo: Combat Evolved remake

[Updated, Nov. 1, 2:40pm EST: The Halo Monument website went online, temporarily. I took a screen shot before the site was taken down by Microsoft.]

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is set to be released on November 15th for the Xbox 360.

Earlier this week, Microsoft registered the domain names HaloLivingMonument.com and HaloLivingMonument.net.

So is Microsoft planning to launch a website as part of its marketing campaign? In 2010, Microsoft launched the Remember Reach website as part of its online marketing campaign for Halo: Reach. The site had visitors create a “living monument” of lights to honor Noble team members.

Or better yet, is Microsoft planning to launch a “living monument” online for players who achieve legendary feats in the game?

It appears as if the “Living Monument” domain registrations may have something to do with the achievements that can be unlocked in the game.

The achievement list was recently unveiled by Xbox who reported: “…you can now get an achievement if you complete The Library on Legendary in 30 minutes or less. No small feat but if you pull it off, you will then gain a monument to all your sins. I mean, a virtual monument for surviving the experience.”

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

Registrant:
        Domain Administrator
        Microsoft Corporation
        One Microsoft Way
         Redmond WA 98052
        US

Domain Name: halolivingmonument.com

Registrar Name: Markmonitor.com
Registrar Whois: whois.markmonitor.com

    Administrative Contact:
        Domain Administrator
        Microsoft Corporation
        One Microsoft Way
         Redmond WA 98052
        US

    Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
        MSN Hostmaster
        Microsoft Corporation
        One Microsoft Way
         Redmond WA 98052
        US

    Created on…………..: 2011-10-17.
    Expires on…………..: 2012-10-17.
    Record last updated on..: 2011-10-17.

At the time of this story, neither the .com or .net resolve to a web site.

Discussion: Halo.Bungie.Org

Tags Halo Living Monument, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: Combat Evolved Remake, HaloLivingMonument.com, microsoft, Microsoft domains