Microsoft Goes After Halo 4 Phishing Site

[vansau]

Microsoft Goes After Halo 4 Phishing Site

Surprise, surprise: Microsoft isn't happy about the fact that a website encouraging users to sign up for the Halo 4 beta is, in fact, a phishing scam.

While <a href=http://www.amazon.com/Halo-4-Xbox-360/dp/B0050SYX8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327966417&sr=8-1>Halo 4 is a real game that's in development by 343 Industries, a website that's been advertising sign-ups for the game's beta is definitely a fake. A couple of weeks ago, developer David Ellis <a href=https://twitter.com/#!/DavidEllis/statuses/159345910747369472>tweeted that the site wasn't real. Now, Microsoft's going after the site Halo4beta.net, seeking to get the domain name taken down.

After Ellis tweeted the note, the folks who operate Halo4beta.net took the site down. However, Microsoft has filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum, which will probably order the domain name transferred over to Microsoft. The case is still pending, but it seems safe to assume that it won't take long before a ruling is issued.

Halo 4 - as well as Halo 5 and Halo 6 - was announced at E3 2011. The first title in this new trilogy is set to hit stores this Holiday season, though a specific date has yet to be revealed.

Source: Fusible

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[Dalek Caan]

They'll probably get the domain in the end. Yet even though I know this is a scam the Halo player in me wants to sign up for this.

 

[MercurySteam]

Saw something like this for a ME3 Beta. As soon as it asked me to answer a quiz I thought 'screw this'.

 

[Solo-Wing]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

 

[Terminate421]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

I was hoping they'd give it about 10 years before making a new one. (Anniversary was an acceptable entry)

But Microsoft won't learn. We can hope that they are as good as previous entries, but they need to make them 'feel' like the Halo games we've come to know and love.

If they do learn, they will make Halo 4 a launch title for the 720

 

[Baron_BJ]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

Bungie left because Activision offered more money and because Microsoft wasn't willing to give up a lucrative brand like HALO. I don't know what you think the reason was.

 

[Awexsome]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

Bungie left because Activision offered more money and because Microsoft wasn't willing to give up a lucrative brand like HALO. I don't know what you think the reason was.

They also left because the Activision partnership gave them independence again rather than being owned like they were by Microsoft when they were producing Halo. (Step 6, stage bloody coup of new parent company)

Although I'm one of the biggest Halo fans out there I would've been fine with them taking their time with the Halo series. A new trilogy is fine and dandy but it's popularity had died down with Reach feeling like a good farewell to the series. It would've been great to reboot after some downtime but they're giving it a real CoD-release schedule feel especially since Microsoft said they'd like to release Halo games more frequently.

I really appreciated Bungie's 3 year cycle with their games in the main series. Got a lot out of each one.

 

[I-Protest-I]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

Bungie left because Activision offered more money and because Microsoft wasn't willing to give up a lucrative brand like HALO. I don't know what you think the reason was.

They also left because the Activision partnership gave them independence again rather than being owned like they were by Microsoft when they were producing Halo. (Step 6, stage bloody coup of new parent company)

Although I'm one of the biggest Halo fans out there I would've been fine with them taking their time with the Halo series. A new trilogy is fine and dandy but it's popularity had died down with Reach feeling like a good farewell to the series. It would've been great to reboot after some downtime but they're giving it a real CoD-release schedule feel especially since Microsoft said they'd like to release Halo games more frequently.

I really appreciated Bungie's 3 year cycle with their games in the main series. Got a lot out of each one.

2 thumbs up to this comment, hard to show with an actual comment on the internet though.

 

[Baldr]

As far as I know the breakup was very beneficial to everybody. Those developers that were passionate about Halo went to 343 Industries, those who wanted to work on a new series stayed with Bungie. No horrible legal battles. No bitter feelings.

 

[Valagetti]

I just want them to make Oni, please I loved the first one. With the awesome overall gameplay with guns and melee, the story was retarded, but somehow engaging. The voice acting was so bad that it was funny. And most of the all the protag was original... ish.

 

[Varrdy]

Surprise, surprise: Microsoft isn't happy about the fact that a website encouraging users to sign up for the Halo 4 beta is, in fact, a phishing scam.

Erm...is it me or do I detect a hint of disproval? Surely anyone looking to bring down a phishing scam is to be lauded? Quite frankly I am with Microsoft on this one!

 

[Korten12]

real CoD-release schedule feel especially .

They aren't releasing them year after year and Halo 4 has been in production since like... 2008? Since after the release of 3. So it's hardly that they want them to rush it.

Plus while they did announce 5 and 6, they didn't say when at all they will be releasing.

 

[Akisa]

They also left because the Activision partnership gave them independence again rather than being owned like they were by Microsoft when they were producing Halo. (Step 6, stage bloody coup of new parent company)

Wait what? Activison and more independence?

 

[Legiondude]

Wait... Halo 5 AND 6!?

WHAT THE FUCK MICROSOFT!?

This is one corpse that should be left buried! Bungie left it for a reason!

Hahaha, you're so behind on Halo news it's almost not funny

But seriously, that's old news. It was announced as a trilogy from the start so they could plan it as one. Also Bungie didn't "leave" it as you describe(IE: Let it rest), they wanted to make other games besides Halo. Microsoft wanted to keep Halo going so they transitioned the reigns over to 343i in Reach, while Bungie goes off for their own thing.

And it's pretty obvious Microsoft will not let Halo die anytime soon, as 343 have been expanding the universe(read: retcon) like there's no tomorrow. Nope, it's just a new phase of the franchise.

 

[Awexsome]

They also left because the Activision partnership gave them independence again rather than being owned like they were by Microsoft when they were producing Halo. (Step 6, stage bloody coup of new parent company)

Wait what? Activison and more independence?

Yeah. Technically Bungie is as independent as Mojang or Valve now. They used to be owned by Microsoft like how Bioware is owned by EA. However Bungie is now owned no less than a studio like Valve is. I'm sure their partnership details are a little different then when someone like Valve works with Activision but I'm optimistic that this will mean there will be no corporate meddling to screw things up like Microsoft did overpricing ODST when it was intended to be an expansion.