Geek Culture
Nintendo and Valve, among other video game businesses, have bogus accounts as a result of Twitter’s paid “verification”

Following the rollout of Twitter’s new paid-for verification system, well-known people and organizations, such as Nintendo and Valve, are being impersonated on the social media platform.
Twitter independently verified and awarded specific accounts, denoted by a blue checkmark, based on them meeting certain standards prior to Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the site.
These accounts were considered to be noteworthy, authentic, active, and of general interest, but there is now a different route for anyone to get “confirmed,” which has led to possibly negative outcomes.
Anyone can pay to have the blue checkmark on their account without being verified as meeting the active, significant, and legitimate criteria thanks to the new $7.99 per month Twitter Blue membership service.
Although Musk had previously asserted that the new system would serve as a deterrent to spammers and con artists, it was discovered a few hours after it went live on Wednesday that it was also being used to spread lies.
An unreleased Super Mario Galaxy game was recently promoted by a fraudulent but legitimate Nintendo of America account. Additionally, a picture of Nintendo’s mascot giving the middle finger was published.
Can't imagine why all the advertisers are pulling out of Twitter lmao pic.twitter.com/pg55WXkxhS
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 9, 2022
Ricochet: Neon Prime, described as the “next competitive platform” from the studio behind the Half-Life series and the top digital game retailer Steam, was also “announced” using a legitimate Valve account.
Despite being a hoax, it nonetheless started its own topic on the well-known gaming community Resetera before users exposed it for what it was: a fraud.
this announcement is fake, created with purchased twitter blue checkmark, real account @valvesoftware pic.twitter.com/D3B3D8guYq
— Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) November 9, 2022
A “confirmed” Twitch account received hundreds of retweets elsewhere after purportedly “announce[ing]” new revenue splits for creators.
Others have gained verification status for fake profiles for sportsmen, politicians, Jesus Christ, and even Musk himself using the new technique.
https://twitter.com/twitchparody/status/1590494139065733120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1590494139065733120%7Ctwgr%5Ec31346761a56156094b3fd71265e34e0172a72a9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.videogameschronicle.com%2Fnews%2Ftwitters-paid-verification-leads-to-fake-accounts-for-game-companies-including-nintendo-and-valve%2F
For posterity pic.twitter.com/mWa4DlenN2
— Brian Whelan (@brianwhelanhack) November 9, 2022
Evidence that the new checkmark system has purportedly been used to effectively spoof Twitter and swindle users of money may be even more concerning for the network.
Twitter temporarily implemented a new measure on Wednesday to help users distinguish between Blue subscribers with blue checkmarks and accounts that it had verified as official ones in an effort to prevent Twitter Blue’s relaunch from leading to widespread confusion over which accounts were authentic.
The new check mark system has resulted in Threat Actors successfully impersonating Twitter and defrauding users out of money
Although the account is now suspended, it rapidly got 35,000+ retweets and 4,990 likes.
A simple $8 investment can result in thousands of dollars stolen. pic.twitter.com/uz7DHwflf6
— vx-underground (@vxunderground) November 10, 2022
Some accounts, including those for specific government institutions, business enterprises, significant media outlets, and some prominent individuals, were given a temporary “Official” title that wasn’t available for purchase; however, this system was abruptly abandoned hours later.
The Twitter Support account stated on Wednesday that although “We’re not currently putting a ‘Official’ designation on accounts, we are aggressively going after impersonation and deceit.”
In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Musk summarized the current state of affairs by stating: “Please note that Twitter will do a lot of stupid stuff in the coming months. What works will be kept, and what doesn’t will be changed.
Consoles
New PS5 firmware is available for download!

A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?
Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:
- We updated system software security
- We improved system software stability and performance
- Some screens now have better messages and usability
That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.
Gaming
Embracer Job Losses Continue as New World Interactive is Hit

New World Interactive, the developer of the Insurgency series of tactical first-person shooters, has laid off an unknown number of employees as part of Embracer Group’s comprehensive restructuring plan.
Saber Interactive, which acquired New World in 2020, told Eurogamer that the studio had not closed. However, it confirmed an unknown number of layoffs.
Embracer says it is “actively working to fill existing open roles” with impacted employees and will provide severance packages. “Saber also assures that development will continue on Insurgency: Sandstorm, as well as on unannounced future projects,” it said.
Over 900 employees were laid off in an “agonizing” but “necessary” process. As always, we hope all victims recover.
Gaming
Sony: We Need Non-Gamers to Access Our Content

Sony wants non-console owners to access its content beyond its PlayStation-walled garden. This strategy has been slowly implemented: the company has commissioned TV and movie adaptations of its biggest franchises, ported select software to the PC, and launched a mobile gaming division.
In an interview with Nikkei, head Hideaki Nishino explained how this strategy can boost console sales: We want to use movies and dramas to get non-gamers to try PlayStation games. Sales of The Last of Us increased during the live-action drama.
When HBO’s adaptation aired, our The Last of Us content skyrocketed, so we can understand its impact. As a PlayStation fan site, we support this strategy because we want to reach as many people as possible, so if Sony can appeal to non-console owners, that’s a win-win.
More PlayStation users is better, in our opinion.
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