Tag: Xbox 360

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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.

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News Video Games

Ubisoft registers several ‘Assassin’s Creed Initiate’ domain names

Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed Initiate

With all the Assassin’s Creed buzz focused on the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed III, Ubisoft has registered a slew of domains for another project in the franchise called “Assassin’s Creed: Initiate”.

On August 21, 2012, Ubisoft went out and registered names like AssassinsCreedInitiate.com (Whois), AssassinsInitiate.com (Whois) and ACinitiate.com (Whois) – a dozen in total.

The full list of domain registrations includes:

ac-initiate.com
ac-initiates.com
acinitiate.com
acinitiates.com
assassins-initiate.com
assassins-initiates.com
assassinscreed-initiate.com
assassinscreed-initiates.com
assassinscreedinitiate.com
assassinscreedinitiates.com
assassinsinitiate.com
assassinsinitiates.com

At this point, it’s unknown what the exact plans are for “Assassin’s Creed Initiate” or “Assassin’s Creed Initiates”, whatever the official title may be.

Could it be for a new videogame? A tie-in to the launch of Assassin’s Creed III? Or some other media or event?

Ubisoft has made no official announcement, so we’ll have to wait and see a little bit longer.

On a domain-related note, Ubisoft also registered GhostReconfuturesoldierravenstrike.com (Whois) for the next DLC pack for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, which was announced just yesterday.

Talking about this story:  Computerandvideogames.com, Cinema Blend, Curse.com, Escapist Magazine, Gamed, Game Informer, Game Rant, iDigitalTimes.com, IGN, MeriStation, playm.de, Playstation Universe, VG247 and Tecmundo

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News Technology Video Games

Microsoft registers “Xbox Smart Glass” domains amid E3 rumors [UPDATED]

Xbox Smart Glass

UPDATE 2: Microsoft has unveiled Xbox SmartGlass.  Engadget writes, “SmartGlass brings Airplay-style wireless technology to Xbox and Windows 8 by letting you send video from your tablet or phone to your TV.  It then turns that second screen into an information window giving you data of the content you’re watching.”

UPDATE 1:  Microsoft also registered microsoftsmartglass.at, microsoftsmartglass.ch, microsoftsmartglass.mx, microsoftsmartglass.in, microsoftsmartglass.pl, microsoftsmartglass.tw, smartglass.ch, smartglass.tw, xboxsmartglass.at, xboxsmartglass.in, xboxsmartglass.jp, xboxsmartglass.mx, xboxsmartglass.pl, and xboxsmartglass.tw.

ORIGINAL STORY: According to the Examiner in a story that appeared on Friday, June 1, Microsoft is rumored to be revealing its “Xbox Smart Glass” tablet at the E3 convention in Los Angeles this coming week.

With all the news swirling around the alleged “reveal”, Microsoft Corporation has registered a slew of domains with “Smart Glass” in the name like MicrosoftSmartGlass.com (Whois) and XboxSmartGlass.net (Whois).  The registrations took place on the same day as the big news began to spread, but not before a resident of China beat Microsoft to XboxSmartGlass.com (Whois).

Microsoft registered many more names through the brand protection company MarkMonitor. Here’s a sample of the domains:

microsoftsmartglass.net
microsoftsmartglass.biz
microsoftsmartglass.org
microsoftsmartglass.us
microsoftsmartglass.info
microsoftsmartglass.co
microsoftsmartglass.co.uk
microsoftsmartglass.tv
microsoftsmartglass.mobi
xboxsmartglass.net
xboxsmartglass.biz
xboxsmartglass.org
xboxsmartglass.us
xboxsmartglass.info
xboxsmartglass.co
xboxsmartglass.co.uk
xboxsmartglass.tv
xboxsmartglass.mobi

Currently, the domains redirect visitors to Bing.

Talking about this story: Engadget, PCWorld, Geeky Gadgets, redOrbit, The Verge, GeekWire, Electronista, Joystiq, Geekosystem and VentureBeat

(Image of Xbox Smart Glass via Examiner.com)

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News Video Games

Creative agency for Microsoft registers Halo 4 Remix, Halo Remix domains

Halo 4 remix

It looks like a promotion or online contest for Halo 4, set for a worldwide release on November 6, 2012, may be on the way.  Roundhouse, a creative agency based in Seattle, WA, who counts among its clients Microsoft, has registered the domain names Halo4remix.com and Haloremix.com.

Roundhouse handles social media work for Xbox, but has yet to reveal what it plans to do with Halo 4 Remix.

Roundhouse has been responsible for several Xbox-related initiatives like last year’s Halo Reach contest.  That contest involved using the forge tool within Halo to assemble and create a work of art using pieces, textures, and other available materials that represent the Halo Universe.

Both domains, Halo4remix.com (Whois) and Haloremix.com (Whois), were registered by Roundhouse’s operations manager Sylvia Nikes on May 30, 2012, only days before the kick off of E3 2012.

At the time of this story, both domain names resolve to a parked page.

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Disputes National Arbitration Forum News Video Games

Microsoft wants XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, more; files dispute [UPDATED]

Halo 4

Who knows what the future holds for the Xbox, but a recent complaint (Case Number: 1445083) filed with the National Arbitration Forum (NAF), may hint at things to come down the road.

The domain dispute appeared on NAF’s website today and includes xbox8.org, xboxcompanion.com, xboxlivetv.com, xboxphone.com, and xboxtablet.com.

All of the names are owned by a resident of China who goes by the name “cheng juan”.

According to UDRP rules, if more than one domain being disputed is held by the same respondent, all of the names may be included in the same complaint. Rule 3(b)(vi).

At the time of this story, xbox8.org resolves to a Go Daddy parked page, xboxcompanion.com, xboxtablet.com and xboxlivetv.com are listed for sale, and xboxphone.com redirects visitors to a different site.

Microsoft released an Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone users in late 2011.

It’s also been rumored Xbox Live would be coming to other platforms.

Microsoft Corporation has won many of its disputes including two disputes that helped take down fake Halo 4 beta websites.

I wouldn’t expect the outcome in this case to be any different.

Talking about this story: VG247, Videogameszone, NeoGAF, Eurogamer España and GameZone

UPDATE:. Microsoft has won the dispute for xbox8.org, xboxcompanion.com, xboxlivetv.com, xboxphone.com, and xboxtablet.com.  All domains have been ordered transferred.

(Image of Halo 4 Concept art)