The ‘.game’ domain extension officially opens for business

Good news for game developers around the world — the “.game” domain extension has officially launched for anyone to register.

The Internet has seen a flurry of new top-level domains (TLD) beyond the likes of .com, .net, or .org, a movement that was spurred when ICANN first revealed plans to extend things back in 2011. This has meant that companies can buy their very own unique “closed” TLD, such as what a certain Internet giant did with .Google, but it has also led to a bunch of industry-specific domains, such as “.florist” and “.game.”

Five registrars had applied to operate the new .game domain extension, including the likes of Google and Amazon, but Cayman Islands-based Uniregistry won out last year, with the company’s general counsel Bret Fausett announcing it in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/bretfausett/status/597868734997344256

Uniregistry also owns other notable domain extensions including .audio, .auto, .car, .christmas, .flowers, .help, .hiphop, and .photo.

Before the new .game extension was opened to the public, there were several earlier pre-registration phases allowing brands and trademark-holders to get a head start, and according to Uniregistry, “virtually all” of the high-profile gaming brands had snapped up relevant names. This includes Blizzard Entertainment, which nabbed Warcraft.game and Starcraft.game, while Activision procured CallofDuty.game and Microsoft ensured Minecraft.game and Xbox.game didn’t slip through its grasp. Elsewhere, Apple acquired iPad.game, AppleWatch.game, and AppleTV.game.

“We are especially pleased to see the early adoption of the name by the world’s leading gaming companies,” said Frank Schilling, the managing director of Uniregistry, in a press release. “The broad-based support of .game by the companies that make the world’s most exciting and immersive form of entertainment is deeply gratifying.”

Appropriately, the new .game domain’s landing page can be found at get.game. And although a quick search confirms that many of the popular gaming brands are no longer available, many can still be bought — for example “Mario.game” is yours for a mere $1,430 per year.

Above: Mario.game

At any rate, the new public offering should serve as a boon for software companies and app developers who have found memorable .com domains harder to come by.

“Quality domain names are the ultimate online game, where winning players improve their corporations and lives as they play,” added Schilling. “.Game domain names are where the art of marketing intersects with computer science and the technology of the web. This is a land rush moment in time.”