Microsoft Zone Archive/News & Events/Sign In to Asheron's Call/The Zone and Microsoft(R) .NET Passport

Original Link (now dead) - http://www.zone.com/asheronscall/news/ASHENETpassportmore.asp

The Zone and Microsoft(R) .NET Passport

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On December 11th, the Zone will become a .NET Passport-participating site. Not only will you be able to use your existing .NET Passport for great sites like MSN Chat, MSN Money and MSN Music, you will be able to use the same .NET Passport to play your favorite games on the Zone!

If you do not have a .NET Passport, don't worry; getting one is free and easy. If you are unfamiliar with .NET Passport and would like more information, visit the .NET Passport Web site.

Overview

When you come to the Zone on December 11th, you will need to sign up for a .NET Passport (unless you already have one), and then pick an MSN Nickname (you can also choose to reclaim an old Zone Name, more on this below). In a few short steps, you'll be ready to play!

.NET Passport sign-in/signup

Signing in to the Zone using your .NET Passport will be similar to signing in with your current Zone account.

1. Click on either the Free Signup button or the .NET Passport Sign In button. Both will be located toward the top of your browser's window. (Note: if you are signed in using MSN Explorer and wish to use a different .NET Passport for the Zone, you will need to sign out before signing up for another .NET Passport.)
2. Free Signup takes you to a page that outlines the sign-in/signup process (you will then need to click on the .NET Passport Sign In button to proceed).
3. The .NET Passport Sign In button takes you to .NET Passport Sign-In. If you already have a .NET Passport, enter your information here and click Sign In.
4. If you do not have a .NET Passport, click on Get one now (on the .NET Passport Sign-In page) and follow the steps for setting up a .NET Passport.
5. After setting up your .NET Passport, you will return to the Zone and be asked to pick an MSN Nickname, or reclaim your old Zone Name.

Pick an MSN Nickname

If you are a current Zone member and want to keep your current Zone Name, see Reclaim an old Zone Name below.

Whether or not you already have a .NET Passport, you will need to pick an MSN Nickname. Your nickname will act just like your old Zone Name; it will identify you to other Zoners, and will be tied to your future ratings and subscriptions. If you have current ratings and/or subscriptions you wish to keep, see Reclaim an old Zone Name below.

If you use MSN Chat and sign in to the Zone with the same .NET Passport, your MSN Chat name will automatically be selected as your MSN Nickname. You can change your nickname by clicking on Support then Change your nickname. MSN Chat names follow different conventions from the Zone's MSN Nicknames, so if your MSN Chat name is too long or has characters that are not allowed in MSN Nicknames, you will be prompted to change your nickname for use on the Zone.

1. After you've signed in/signed up, you will arrive at the Pick an MSN Nickname page.
2. Type in a name you like, or select from a list of five automatically generated nicknames that will appear.
3. Click Continue. Your MSN Nickname is now associated with your Zone .NET Passport.
4. Your nickname will then appear in the sign-in button (replacing the "Sign in here" text).

You only need to pick an MSN Nickname once. Thereafter, each time you sign in your nickname will be automatically displayed.

You will be able to change your MSN Nickname at any time by going to Support then Change your nickname. Your current nickname will be disassociated from your .NET Passport and your new one will take its place. However, you can reclaim the old nickname at any time.

Reclaim an old Zone Name

Once you have a .NET Passport, you will be able to reclaim the Zone Name you have been using. This is especially important if you have any subscriptions (to Fighter Ace or Asheron's Call, for example), or ratings you wish to retain.

1. Go to Support, then Change your nickname. You might reach this page automatically after signing in.
2. Click on Zone Name.
3. In the windows provided, enter your old Zone Name and password.
4. Click Submit.
5. Your old Zone Name will be associated with your .NET Passport (and will appear in the sign-in button, replacing the "Sign in here" text).

Any ratings and/or subscriptions tied to your old Zone Name will be retained. Keep in mind, however, that your ratings/subscriptions are tied to your nickname, not your .NET Passport. Therefore, if you change your MSN Nickname you will not be able to see your ratings, and you will not be able to play any premium games until you reclaim the nickname tied to those features.

If you wish to reclaim more than one old Zone Name, you should create a separate .NET Passport for each name you will be reclaiming.

ZoneFriends: Seeing who is online

You are probably used to seeing your ZoneFriends window pop up immediately after signing in to the Zone. ZoneFriends will still exist, but you will not see the window pop up until you go to a multiplayer game room. So, for example, if you sign in and go to the Zone's home page, you will not see ZoneFriends until you click on, say, Checkers.

Once your ZoneFriends window pops up, you can use it as you do today.

Signing out

Close your browser, or click on the .NET Passport Sign Out button at the top of your browser. MSN Explorer should sign out as normal by clicking Sign Out.

Guest accounts

Guest accounts will still be available on the Zone. You do not need a .NET Passport to play as a Guest, though you are limited to those games that are accessible to Guests. For more information, see our Guest accounts article.

Kids accounts

Children under the age of 13 can play on the Zone with their parent's or guardian's consent. They will need to create a Kids Passport, and the parent or guardian will be prompted to sign in with their own .NET Passport to give consent to play on the Zone.