Microsoft on Domains & Used Games

Microsoft on Domains & Used Games

Microsoft has filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Form over the domain names XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net. As the Xbox One was showcased over two days ago, many thought Microsoft would have all domains secured already. This is how speculation surfaced of the new Xbox being called Fusion or Infinity, as Microsoft had secured domains related to both names earlier in the year. However, after not registering the Xbox One domains, Microsoft kept the element of surprise in the new Xbox’s name, but will have to fight to obtain the websites. Both XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net are owned by a resident of the United Kingdom and are parked by Go Daddy. Previously, XboxOne.com was dedicated to Xbox news and stories, back when the Xbox 360 first released in the early 2000’s. Microsoft has had many successes when it comes to domain disputes, so many will expect them to obtain both XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net domains very shortly. XboxSmartglass, XboxPhone.com and XboxFitness were all transferred to Microsoft recently, while Microsoft has obtained other Xbox domains such as XboxMusic.com, XboxSports.com and XboxVideo.com. It’s unsure who owns both websites but this latest case of domain disputes will most likely bend in Microsoft’s favor, as usual.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking forward to Gamestop and Gamefly going the way of the Dodo.

According to some “retail sources”, trade publication MCV is reporting that stores can sell used Xbox One games for any price. Speculation earlier in the year suggested that both the PS4 and Xbox One would attempt to abolish used games, as it wasn’t good business for Microsoft, Sony or the games publishers and developers. The catch to this ‘any price’ conundrum is that both Microsoft and the game’s publishers will receive a percentage of each sale, meaning they’ll lose far less money than before. Microsoft executives and representatives have contradicted each other since the reveal last week, which only creates more uncertainty within the community of what will happen to the used games market. Some have thought the console wouldn’t play used games, while others believed that used games will become ridiculously priced.  This report suggests that a middle ground has been made between the two, making sure everybody gets a piece of the action. In a response to the used games policy, Microsoft said “Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete”. As always, they have been vague and unhelpful, although sooner or later they will have to tell the consumers, as a console that doesn’t play used games is significantly less appealing to many gamers.

(Editor’s note: I second the above statement. The used game market generates a lot of interest in gaming, especially from frugal gamers and even parents that shy away from buying games at full MSRP. How this affects the gaming community as a whole remains to be seen, but big S and king M should take heed to consumer demands if they expect to remain a viable competitor in the future. Who knows…gamers might even shift to the PC market; at least Steam sales generate a lot of cashflow by selling new and old games at drop rate prices. Maybe both MS and Sony should adopt this practice as well; it would definitely lessen the bite from impending used game policies).