[Freyr]

ok, from having read all the dire warnings I get the feeling that this may not be such a good idea, but...

Having read the posts about Volition being quite quiet about a certain product that everybody here has a degree of intrest in, I decided to go and have a quick look for some info. My first little stab seems to have  turned up something,  

There is a Freespace 3, 4 & 5 (.com), registererd by Volition, Inc. on the first of December 2004 which seems to be an slightly different to the  registration date (and name address etc.) shown on freespace2.com

http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/results.jhtml;jsessionid=AD5MTK3NC2SDICWMEAQSFEY?whoistoken=0&_requestid=332460

I was just wondering, after a quick search of the board I couldn't see anything about anyone else having looked for any info- Does anybody  else know anything about this?

 Don't kill me? Please?

[Taristin]

...









Wow.

Interesting.  I don't think I know anything else to say...

[MatthewPapa]

hmmm...u actually may have a point.
Good job,
but ur one out of thousands tho...

So at least they still consider it a possiblity.......

[Taristin]

Coming in 2012!
FreeSpace 5: The Last Great War![/b]

[Andreas]

Definately interesting, but Freespace 5? Mmm...okay.

[Flipside]

Well, it was the same for Bullfrog and Dungeon Keeper, they kept sites for DK3, 4 and 5 for years after they cancelled DK3. I also think much the same thing exists for Homeworld and a few other games. It's not so much 'planning ahead' as 'covering all eventualities'.

It was because of that spate of people buying sites like 'ManchesterUnited.com' etc so they could sell them to the actual clubs, businesses etc at vastly inflated prices.

[Moonsword]

Still, very, very interesting.  Good investigative work.

[Freyr]

it was registererd two months ago though?

Actually, if you take a look there are (UK) legal precedents against people that register a domain name with the intent to sell it on to a company at an inflated price, on the basis that the only reason for possessing it is to basicially blackmail someone as they can't tolerate the domain not being in there possession. With the precedent it would be fairly simple to get a court order to release a domain.

[EDIT] @Moonsword, aww thanks I feel welcome now. I was kind of expecting to be burnt alive...[/EDIT]

[MatthewPapa]

Wow, this happened such a short time ago...after the DS incident. They might be talking to THQ. 's website isnt very informing on what they may be up to though.

[EDIT] @Moonsword, aww thanks I feel welcome now. I was kind of expecting to be burnt alive...[/EDIT] [/B]

Well you dont get burnt alive if you have something credible for us to listen to. Go see what else you can find since you obviously have a knack for this kind of thing.

[Carl]

i remember a few years ago i checked out www.freespace5.com, and it was a PXO squadron's website.

[WeatherOp]

Wierd but cool, good work finding that out.

[Flipside]

I hope yoiu're right, but it may just be that the registration was renewed 2 months ago. I'm not trying to shoot you down in flames btw, I just want to make sure we don't get over-excited

Oh, and I forgot last time...

[Gai Daigoji]

I really want to say something about this but I am forbidden to

Anyways welcome to the HLP forum!

[Freyr]

The records show that Volition registererd the domain, and it shows that they only did it in december.

It has hasen't been there for years because searching for freespace2.com does show that it was registererd years ago,

freespace2.com

Record expires on 23-Nov-2008     
Record created on 24-Nov-1998
Database last updated on 07-Jul-2004

freespace3.com

Record expires on 01-Dec-2009     
Record created on 01-Dec-2004
Database last updated on 01-Dec-2004

Feel free to take a look yourself:-
http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/

I am not to sure about what else I can do that could get anything, as someone noted a while ago Volition is not exactly giving out lots of information.

I suppose the obvious thing to do is to sit and type in common filenames into those domains to see if there is a website minus a index page, that seems unlikely to do anything though, which leaves the weakest element in any security system, the human.

Does anyone have any contacts at Volition? it may be possible to use the presense of the domains to knock something loose from the solid wall hiding everything, like ask for comments on the rumor that they are in the final stages of talks with THQ about getting a contract for 3 FS games to continue the FS story. If you play your cards right they might phrase the reply e-mail in such as way it unintentionally gives you some information.

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by Flipside
I hope yoiu're right, but it may just be that the registration was renewed 2 months ago. I'm not trying to shoot you down in flames btw, I just want to make sure we don't get over-excited

Well, they seem to be registered for 5 years at a time.  So if it was in fact renewed, then it was first registered on December 1, 1999... which was right around when FS2 came out.  Crap.

EDIT @ Freyr: "Record created" isn't guaranteed to refer to the original registration.  It could also refer to a renewal.

[Freyr]

you need a smiley shaking his head as well as nodding...

The domain record was created in december, hence december was the first they knew of it. The Record is like a file, it was created on the "created" date, adding another couple of years onto it would be shown under "database last updated".

[EDIT]@Goober5000 Someone said that they visited freespace5.com a few years ago and a fan site had it registererd, hence it couldn't have been registererd by V before whenever that was[/EDIT]

[aldo_14]

Interesting enough.... maybe they were renewing the domain names partly to piss off a certain oxy-moronic games developer?

However, as an aside;
[q]Descent4.com
   
      Registrant:    Make this info private
      Volition, Inc.  (YCCWPFOWAO)
      2004 Fox Drive Suite B
      Champaign, IL 61820
      US
      Phone: 217-355-0320
      Fax: 123 123 1234
     
      Domain Name: DESCENT4.COM
 
      Administrative Contact , Technical Contact :    
      Muller, Mark **
      (MM17235)
      Email removed (in case of spam-spiders)
2004 FOX DR STE B
      CHAMPAIGN, IL 61820-7336
      US
      Phone: (217) 355-0320
      Fax: (217) 355-0767
     
      Record expires on 19-Apr-2008    
      Record created on 20-Apr-1998
      Database last updated on 07-Jul-2004[/q]

[Freyr]

which was registererd in 98, instead of like a month ago.

[Taristin]

Notice how FS2's contact is Mark Muller, while FS3's contact is some roryp guy. Yet the decent 4 guy is Mark Muller, too. Interesting.

[Ghostavo]

Originally posted by Goober5000
EDIT @ Freyr: "Record created" isn't guaranteed to refer to the original registration.  It could also refer to a renewal.

http://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=FreeSpace3.com&type=domain

   Domain Name: FREESPACE3.COM
   Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
   Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
   Referral URL: http://www.networksolutions.com
   Name Server: NS43.WORLDNIC.COM
   Name Server: NS44.WORLDNIC.COM
   Status: REGISTRAR-LOCK
   Updated Date: 01-dec-2004
   Creation Date: 01-dec-2004
   Expiration Date: 01-dec-2009

I'm afraid Freyr has a point, the updated date is indeed the renewal date, check with other domains if you want.