Microsoft's next-generation gaming console may be called Xbox 8 rather than the expected Xbox 720.
The Redmond, Washington-based company managed to secure a number of domain names from a Chinese national named Cheng Juan, after bringing two cases to the National Arbitration Forum.
The domains include XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com, Xbox8.us and Xbox8.org, according to Fusible.
On the surface of it, Microsoft may simply be pre-empting any potential future Xbox products it may plan to release and ensuring it owns the relevant domain names. However, the new Xbox would only be the third of its kind, so a literal Xbox 8 would be decades away, making a move to protect its name now a little hasty.
Xbox 720 is a logical extension of the Xbox 360 name, simply doubling the number, but Xbox 8 seems like an odd potential choice for the console, until we take into consideration Microsoft's big investment in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, which will have a shared core.
The number 8 is clearly a big deal for Microsoft over the next year or two, with many considering the next version of Windows to be a potential game-changer and money-maker for the company. Windows Phone 8 is also looking promising, and, of course, Xbox is central to Microsoft's strategy to entice people to its operating systems.
Xbox 8 as the next console name is all about brand unity then, and the gamble could pay off big-time, as it ensure that people think of Microsoft's collective product line when approaching any of the three. Using 720 only differentiates the Xbox console from Windows, while Xbox 8 could be the beginning of a new marketing style for the software giant.
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