Microsoft Claims Domain Name ‘Xbox 8′

Posted by Dan Curtis on Jul 3, 2012 in News | 4 comments

The next generation of Microsoft’s hardware to be called Xbox 8?

Not content with letting us all talk about the PS4 yesterday, Microsoft has now claimed a number of interesting domain names that may – but probably don’t – hint at the future of the Xbox brand.

Microsoft has also acquired a number of other domains in a dispute with a Chinese resident, finally managing to win the domains XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com, Xbox8.us and Xbox8.org.

As soon as anyone sees anything Xbox with a codename it’s easy to get excited  and – given Microsoft’s unconventional numbering strategy with their consoles (let us remember the Xbox 360 is not the third Xbox, but the second)  it doesn’t seem all that unlikely that Xbox 8 is a name that’s being debated.

It also ties in greatly with Microsoft’s big push of Windows 8 and inter-connecting everything in your house into one big sentient machine that’ll probably eventually become self-aware and unleash an army of terminators upon us.

In an interesting note picked up by some clever internet chappies, you can also turn the ’8′ on it’s side to turn it into an Infinity symbol. Xbox Infinity is another rumoured name for the console, but it may be a push to think Microsoft would transform an infinity symbol into an 8. Then again, does anybody really know how to do an infinity symbol on a keyboard off the top of their head? I certainly don’t. It doesn’t come up much in the journo-business.

As well as all the domains listed above such as the Xbox 8, Microsoft is also currently trying to acquire Xboxliverewards.com, Xboxsports.com, Xboxsmartglass.com and Xboxmusic.com. They’re also not trying to get XboxMakesYouACuppa.com and XboxCleanMyCar.com, but those probably should be bought as well. Get on it Microsoft!

It’s easy to get all excited and shout jubilant cries from the rooftops of ‘YAYYYYY XBOX 8!!’, but I’m wielding the bubble-bursting pin of destiny here and saying that you should really take this move with a large quantity of sodium chloride (salt).  It may well be just Microsoft snapping up any domains to do with itself that they don’t want owned by other people, so it may well be nothing to do with the next generation Xbox and may instead be buying out a website with the intention of doing nothing with it.

Alternatively it could also be a new website dedicated to connecting the Xbox 360 up to Windows 8 enabled devices, and will probably tie in in some way with Microsoft’s recently announced Smart Glass technology.

Just to clarify – you haven’t been frozen for 50 years and just arrived to see that the 8th Xbox is coming out.  It’s the third one. But it’s called 8. Apparently.

I’m confused. Going for a lie down now.