Microsoft Gets Rights to “Xbox8″ Domains

A post on Fusible today reports that Microsoft has secured the rights to a raft of Xbox-related website domains, some with more obvious implications than others. The domains in dispute—XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com, Xbox8.us, and Xbox8.org—were being held by a resident of China, the post, says.

Two panels with the National Arbitration Forum have found in favor of Microsoft, finding that the man who was holding the domains “had n o rights or legitimate interests in the domains, and that the domains had been registered and are being used in bad faith.” Microsoft is also pursuing complaints against the owners of XboxLiveRewards.com, XboxSports.com, XboxSmartGlass.com, and XboxMusic.com, the post notes.

While many of these domains seem to hold relatively apparent meaning for the company and its slate of products, the two “Xbox8”-related domains are intriguing because they deviate from the commonly held assumption that their next console would be called Xbox 720. It should be noted, of course, that “720” is just a doubled “360,” and that there’s really nothing outside of a brief cameo in Real Steel to point to this being the system’s actual name.

Not only that, but the “360” didn’t make a whole lot of sense, either. I mean, a “360” is a complete revolution—and while the phrase “complete revolution” sounds fancy when it comes to a next generation console, it also puts whatever is revolving in exactly the same place it started. Then there’s PlayStation and its sequential numbering of systems, which, while uncreative, has been pretty easy to follow.

The “8” likely comes from the forthcoming “Windows 8,” its next PC operating system, which itself is a sequel to “Windows 7,” which, obviously, was the follow-up to “Windows Vista.” And that one followed “Windows XP,” which followed “Windows 2000,” “Windows 98,” “Windows 95,” and “Windows 3.1.”

What I’m saying here is that Microsoft doesn’t give a shit about numbers—at least not when it comes to naming its products—and that the batch of domains they’ve grabbed are more likely just about copyright and trademark protection than any actual websites they’ll make. It’s likely that the company will just pull any old number out of its ass and hope you buy it. And you probably will.

So, with that said, I can’t wait to buy Microsoft’s next system, Xbox Peanut Butter 13z (the “13” is because it’ll come out in 2013, the “z” makes it sound cool, and “peanut butter” is delicious).

Via Fusible