Microsoft-Sony game venture in the works?

Software juggernaut Microsoft hinted at a partnership with consumer electronics giant Sony after it registered this week two web domains bearing both firms' names. A gaming site reported Microsoft registered Microsoft-Sony.com and Sony-Microsoft.com on July 13 and 14, and speculated it could mean a joint game console. "The Internet is already rife with rumors as to what it could mean with a lot of people thinking that a joint console between the two companies is on the cards and let’s face it, a combined Microsoft/Sony console would be one hell of a gaming machine," reported ZoKnowsGaming.com. Microsoft presently makes the X-Box gaming console while Sony is behind the PlayStation consoles. Tech site TheNextWeb said it verified the two domain registrations and confirmed Microsoft does now own both of those domains. But Microsoft’s lead corporate communications Frank Shaw downplayed this, saying this is "just a defensive domain hold." "Sony = great MS partner. No scoop here, this was just a defensive domain hold. Let's move on to weekend, kay? :)" he said in his Twitter account. Meanwhile, TheNextWeb said that this could mean that Microsoft is holding the domains against acquisition by domain squatters or opportunists, or that the Microsoft is simply protecting the domains from being snagged by parody accounts. "It is worth noting that the account used to post the original message on the NeoGAF forums was only 1 day old, leading some to speculate that this actually may be some type of PR move," it explained. Also, TheNextWeb noted Sony and Microsoft, while highly competitive in the gaming space, have a long history of partnership in the PC space. Sony is a large licensor of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Windows powers most Sony Vaio PCs. — TJD, GMA News