FIRST @ TSSZ: Sonicthehedgehog4.com Registered to Sega
Tristan Oliver | January 30, 2010
And We Can Prove a Sega Employee Helped Register It
About Sega not being able to keep a secret…
TSSZ News has independently verified and confirmed that the domain Sonicthehedgehog4.com has been registered within Sega–likely affirming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be the official title of Project Needlemouse.
The most damning evidence of a Sega link is simply typing the domain name into your address bar. Popping Sonicthehedgehog4.com in or otherwise linking to the domain offers a redirect to Sega’s front page. For most, that would be enough to confirm a link–but it could also be an outside prank, done without Sega’s knowledge. And as others in community forums have pointed out, domains such as Sonicthehedgehog5 all the way up to Sonicthehedgehog10 also point to Sega’s main website.
So, we decided to dig a little deeper. This particular domain is a bit different.
A quick WHOIS lookup of Sonicthehedgehog4.com not only reveals the .net and .org equivalents haven’t been scooped up and that it was first registered January 21 of this year–but it also reveals a lot of personal details on who registered.
The WHOIS search–all public record, as of the time of this article’s publication–reveals a man by the name of Brandon Klein allegedly scooped up the domain, left an address based in San Francisco, and left a cell phone number based out of New York. TSSZ News will not publish that phone number.
This is where it begins to get complicated, because not all of the information exactly lines up. Most glaring in the inconsistency is the address, which does not match with Sega of America’s current San Francisco locations. A quick Google Maps search indicates that SoA holds two separate locations in the Bay Area, but a spot on Mission Street isn’t one of them. In fact, as best as we can tell, that specific address leads to a law firm. It’s possible Sega had some attorneys do this on their behalf, but it’s unlikely.
The name Brandon Klein and the corresponding telephone number lead to a New York based business consulting and strategy firm known as Collaboration King–owned by Brandon Klein. It is entirely possible, as they did with the initial trailer for Project Needlemouse, that Sega is calling on some outside resources to help get the next Sonic off the ground. But we’re not convinced Klein himself registered the domain on Sega’s behalf, especially since as far as we can tell, Collaboration King doesn’t have a presence in San Francisco.
So, the basic inconsistencies between Name, Phone, and Address may all be red herrings. But one telltale sign remained, and it was from another Brandon.
Digging deeper into the WHOIS information, we found under an administrative and technical contact a GMail address coming from Brandon Laurino. We cross-checked that named with the database on LinkedIn, a social networking forum for professionals. As it turns out, Brandon Laurino is Sega’s Community and Online Director–a position he has held since August.
Previously, Laurino worked at Konami for 21 months, and at Sony for more than 2 years. In fact, if you Google his name, you may find a few blog pieces by him on the US Playstation blog from last year, within his duties as a Konami employee (note the “Konami Online” part of his byline.)
Laurino’s LinkedIn page contains several glowing recommendations, including one from Square Enix producer Shuhei Yamaguchi, who said in part that Laurino was “a very excellent businessman, as well as a creative professional.”
Excellent businessman? Sure. Creative professional? Great. Smart for putting his E-Mail address in public view? Maybe not. We’ve put an E-Mail into Brandon Laurino for comment on this matter.
And what about those Sonicthehedgehog5 through 10 domains? A WHOIS check of all of these domains show a perfect matchup of information–which, interestingly enough, doesn’t disclose much at all, including whether Sega actually registered those domains. The only one in the remaining pattern that doesn’t is Sonicthehedgehog2.com. The registration appears to be Florida based, and accessing that domain does not refer you to Sega. That there remains this exception to an assumed rules indicates a Sega motive that may not entirely be protectionist. That the current information for the Sonicthehedgehog4.com domain compared to others is so different indicates something much more is at hand.
Until we get word back from Laurino, consider this the most credible evidence yet that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 may not just be Sega’s internal name for the next Sonic. With the registration of this domain, it is all but certain the name is here to stay.
Filed Under Gaming News, Sega, Sonic Scene, The Next Sonic
Oh god damnit here we go. My anticipation just shot through the fucking roof.
Damn dude, you put out their name, address, history, everything!
You’re like, online tabloids or something XD
I don’t know… To many inconsistances to consider this completly confirmed. Someone else could have posted that name afterall.
…not good.
@OSM I know me too. I am borderline jizz in my pants.
uh-oh
shit’s just hit the fan
@Aquaslash: This is publicly available information. It’s not like this stuff is secret information only we have access to. You can just as well run a whois check on Sonicthehedgehog4.com yourself. We’re just bringing it to light, is all.
And before anyone gets on my case about it, it appears anything SonicthehedgehogX.com related—anywhere from SonictheHedgehog5 to SonictheHedgehog10—is also directing to Sega’s main website.
That noted, everything from 1-3, 5 and above has MUCH different WHOIS information, and also looks to have been registered at a different time, and in a different country. Were Sega doing this as a protectionist scheme, I would think all the info would line up between 4 and the rest—especially since it lines up so perfectly within the remaining registrations.
That the WHOIS on Sonicthehedgehog4.com was so specific and different from the others tells me there is something planned for this particular domain soon, and perhaps the others later.
So, yes, I am sticking with this story. I may amend with the above information reflected, but that’s all–that there are other domains like it that do the same thing doesn’t change the very specific and telling nature of this particular one.
-T
Doubt it means much:
http://sonicthehedgehog1.com
http://sonicthehedgehog2.com
http://sonicthehedgehog3.com
http://sonicthehedgehog5.com
http://sonicthehedgehog6.com
http://sonicthehedgehog7.com
http://sonicthehedgehog8.com
and so on do the same.
Great research. Too many arrows point to this being the name of the game, but, it’s always going to be a mere theory till SEGA goes out of the light and makes their announcement.
I’m 95% assured it’s going to be called Sonic the Hedgehog 4. In which case, I will now go wash my pants. BRB.
If this thing does end up being called “Sonic 4,” there’s going to be so much nerd rage all around. It’s going to be hilarious, considering the reasons they’d be angry in the first place are a complete crock of chao droppings.
If it’s Sonic 4, (which is pretty likely) get over it. Just saying it now, getting it over with so my words aren’t lost in the raging posts of disappointment and mild discontent.
(Also, First@Retro, Second@SSMB, Third@TSSZ.
)
(TRISTAN EDIT: You need to get your chronology straight, Indigo Dude. ;-D
We carried the story first, the post OSM had on Retro minutes later actually LINKED to my story first before an edit, and then the people at Sonic Stadium started to hate on me and it appears a few of them now hope I get sued for this story. It’s science.)
…balls. Well, my statement above still stands.
Sorry, Tristan. -.-
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Tristan, you’re amazing
Briefly translated into Russian: http://sonic-world.ru/news.php?item.270.1
Indigo: Everyone makes mistakes. =)
Elektrik_Sonik: Thank you!
-T
Hey, this is good news, now that its called Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega couldnt possibly fuck this one up, to much is riding at stake.
What the Bacon?! if this is true and this is the 4th game it better be good, and i’m talking about my beloved pinball physics and momentum-based gameplay. It also better destroy NSMBW in every single aspect, well at least i’m sure it already has done it in both graphics and music, but it is the gameplay that worries me the most at this very moment (please no boost button, you’ve got to earn speed by playing good and keeping momentum)
.
Also no more item hunting, no shitty new boyfriend, no story whatsoever (who needs one? i’m here to kick ass and rape the levels at mach 1, not to listen to drama)
Until this game proves to be what i expect Sonic Advance 1 will continue to be the closest thing ever to the Megadrive games. Don’t screw on this Sega…
dang. you guys pull off that CSI stuff XD
In order for it to be Sonic 4 the intro better have Sonic riding on Tails’ plane coming back from the ocean.
….wait a minute. The first zone is a beach right?
Every sign this past month has been pointing to the game being Sonic 4.
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I’ll be fine if the game is called sonic 4, but PLEASE don’t let this be the episode system DLC! I want a full 2D sonic game, don’t make it a download sega!!!
Sega better not fuck this up keep the music raw like the older ones for genesis I been waiting 13 fuckin years for this no stupid baby shit no story no hunting just zone 1 and act 1 if they turn this into garbage like sonic adventure 2 battle I’m done
I ment to say 18 years I’m 23 I been waiting since sonic 3 came out back in the day sega better not fuck up for the love of god all mighty father
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Could be yet another code name… personally I was hoping for something a little more glaring and loud than ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4′.
Hehe, awesome.
…
he lives on Mission Street? :V
I’m wondering why, if all the other domains have been registered by random people like you said, why would they just forget about 4? Seems odd to me.
Well, let’s consider this confirmed…wait a minute, wasn’t Mission Street the name of one of Tails’ levels in SA2?
Yes, and its also a street in San Francisco.
@Blazingtails: Good find, I doubt that this is the actual name of the game because back when Pokemon Platinum was just a speculation, being reffered to as “Pokemon Opal” you could do the exact same thing with it to take you directly to nintendo’s home page… AND YOU STILL CAN!
http://www.Pokemonopal.com
The same goes for some of the 100% FAKE pokemon games too.
http://www.Pokemontopaz.com
[...] The folks over at TSSZnews have uncovered a stirring tale about the registration of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 website in relation to the Project Needlemouse announcement and SEGA in general. Check it out. [...]
I couldn’t help but smile at “Mission Street.” =]
I hope that they don’t forget about underwather levels just like the old times hehe
Oh snap! Now things are getting interesting.
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