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Microsoft scores xbone.com domain name

The domain taps into a nickname given to Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One, though at least one person doesn't like it.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
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Microsoft has won control of another domain name for its Xbox One.
Microsoft has won control of another domain name for its Xbox One. James Martin/CNET

Microsoft is now the papa of a domain name dubbed xbone.com.

A search of the Whois database confirms the company as the domain's administrator to firm up control of names associated with the Xbox One.

Microsoft had already secured the domain names XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net following a reported complaint with the National Arbitration Forum over domain squatters. The folks in Redmond may have had to fork over a healthy amount of cash to win custody from xbone.com's previous owner, speculates blog site Fusible.

For now xbone.com simply defaults to a Bing search on the name.

Why xbone? The moniker has turned into an unofficial nickname for the upcoming gaming console. But not everyone is crazy about it.

Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson, chimed in on an online forum earlier this week with his opinion.

When asked what he thought of the nickname, Hryb responded: "I don't like it...it disrespects the teams that have put in thousands of hours (already) into the development of the product. Sure, it's cheeky but I don't care for it myself."