Connect with us

Technology

The takeover of Twitter by Musk could spell disaster for those who have blue ticks

blank

Published

on

blank

Only a few days into Elon Musk‘s leadership, Twitter is apparently considering charging users for the right to display the verified blue tick. Some even think that current blue tick holders will be forced to pay more or lose their status.

On Sunday, Musk announced through Twitter that “the entire verification procedure is being rebuilt right now.”

Platformer, a technology news blog, reportedly learned more details on the scheme from anonymous “insiders.” The pivot is based on Twitter Blue, a paid subscription service that adds extra functionality to users’ tweets.

Verification blue ticks are currently available to public persons like celebrities, politicians, and public figures. Journalists’ tweets are frequently verified with blue checkmarks so that readers can verify their veracity.

Only those who subscribe to Twitter Blue and pay its monthly charge of $4.99 will be able to display the coveted blue check mark of verified status. Anyone can have it if they are willing to pay for it. There is a 90-day grace period after which a person’s blue tick rights will be revoked if they have not paid the monthly fee.

Insufficient information is currently available, and there is no assurance that the plan will be implemented. Nonetheless, there have been rumblings in the crowd at the mere mention of the proposition, with some observers fretting over how it could alter the nature of the social networking site.

“Hilarious thing is, I’m a current twitter Blue subscriber, but I’ll need to unsubscribe if they make verification conditional to having a Twitter Blue subscription because paying for a checkmark is 100 percent cringe,”science blogger and educator Hank Green tweeted this.

“The thing about Instagram, YouTube, and especially TikTok is that you only ever see the most-upvoted responses to what you create. While on Twitter, you can easily see them all rolling in. This causes us all to give way more weight to unpopular opinions than we should,” he added.

The idea is a direct outgrowth of Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which was completed late last week following a roller coaster of court fights, controversy, and intricate negotiations. Speculation has been rampant regarding his ownership’s potential effects on the platform, and there have even been whispers of layoffs.

We’ll have to wait and see how Twitter develops in the Musk age for now.

As Editor here at GeekReply, I'm a big fan of all things Geeky. Most of my contributions to the site are technology related, but I'm also a big fan of video games. My genres of choice include RPGs, MMOs, Grand Strategy, and Simulation. If I'm not chasing after the latest gear on my MMO of choice, I'm here at GeekReply reporting on the latest in Geek culture.

Gaming

Players of The Condition of the Outer Worlds on PS5 are requesting refunds

blank

Published

on

blank

The RPG The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition was recently published on the PS5, but even in its specialized performance mode, it performs poorly. As a result, several players have already requested refunds in threads on the game’s subreddit.

Even though problems probably aren’t to blame for the game’s performance issues, customer service has told affected players (who appear to all be PS5 users) to report bugs to the publisher, Private Division, which is having trouble.

The parent company of Private Division, Take-Two Interactive, announced layoffs on Monday, citing the need for “another long period of success” as the reason. The Twitter account for The Outer Worlds sent players looking for information to the troubled publisher, Obsidian Entertainment, which is now owned by Microsoft.

It is unknown if Sony or Private Division will offer refunds. It’s true that it’s not the complete disaster that Cyberpunk 2077 was at first, but we’ll monitor the situation as it changes. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition on the PS5 bothered you?

Continue Reading

Gaming

Sony was worried Call of Duty on PlayStation could be ruined by Microsoft, whether they know it or not

blank

Published

on

blank

It’s time to talk about everyone’s favorite ongoing story in games: the war of words between Microsoft and Sony over Microsoft’s plan to buy publisher Activision Blizzard. In the latest turn of events, Sony has said that it is worried that, if the acquisition goes through, Microsoft could break future Call of Duty games for PlayStation, either on purpose or by accident. This could make players lose faith in the PlayStation as a place to play Call of Duty.

Eurogamer said that in a new document, Sony listed several ways it thinks Microsoft could hurt Call of Duty or “harm PlayStation’s competitiveness.” These ideas came from the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK.

Sony says that Microsoft’s options include raising the price of Call of Duty on PlayStation, lowering its quality and performance (including by ignoring DualSense-specific features), limiting or not prioritizing investment in multiplayer on PS5 or PS4, or just making the game a Game Pass exclusive.

But Sony’s accusations about technical performance parity are the worst. They say that, “For example, Microsoft could make a PlayStation version of Call of Duty where bugs and errors only show up on the last level or after later updates. Even if these problems could be found quickly, it’s likely that any fix would come too late. By then, gamers would have lost faith in the PlayStation as a place to play Call of Duty.”

Sony goes on to say that any kind of “behavioral commitment” from Microsoft “would be hard,” and it also says that Microsoft “has moved slowly, only gotten involved when they thought the regulatory outlook was getting worse, and preferred to negotiate in the media over working with SIE.”

In a statement given to Eurogamer, Microsoft answered Sony’s claims: “Since the CMA released its provisional findings, we have offered solutions that address its concerns and make the deal better for UK players and game developers. These include a promise that access to Call of Duty will be the same on both Xbox and PlayStation and a promise that Call of Duty will be available to at least 150 million more players on other consoles and cloud streaming platforms once the deal is done. Now it’s up to the CMA to decide if it will block this deal to protect Sony, which is the market leader, or if it will look for ways to get more games to more players.”

How do you feel about Sony’s fears? Would you believe that the PlayStation version of Call of Duty would be just as good as the Xbox version if Microsoft paid for it?

Continue Reading

Consoles

Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe, Collector’s Editions Play PlayStation 5 72 Hours Early

blank

Published

on

blank

In what is becoming an industry standard, gamers who buy the Deluxe or Collector’s Editions of just-announced-for-PS5 CRPG Baldur’s Gate 3 will get access to the game three days early, on August 28th instead of the 31st worldwide release.

Tempting. But what are a few more days for veterans of the ‘Gate, who have been waiting almost two decades for a sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, one of the finest RPGs ever?

So, it’s fortunate that the physical Collector’s Edition’s extras are so enticing. Those who pay £224.77, or $269.99 USD, will get early access and the following:

  • A digital copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition
  • Custom sticker sheet
  • 25cm Mind Flayer vs. Drow battle diorama
  • 160-page hardcover art book
  • Cloth map of Faerûn
  • Set of D&D-inspired origin character sheets
  • Metal tadpole keyring
  • Magic: The Gathering booster pack
  • Custom-engraved metal d20, plus a
  • Certificate of authenticity

The Deluxe Edition includes 72 hours early access, a playable Bard Song Pack, In-game Dice Skins, an Adventurer’s Puch with consumables, and downloads for the soundtrack, artbook, and character sheets.

Lastly, the Collector’s and Deluxe Editions will include a Divinity: Original Sin 2 content pack.

  • Mask of the Shapeshifter: Allows you to change race and appearance on the fly, inspired by Fane
  • Cape of the Red Prince: Cloak inspired by the Red Prince
  • Lute of the Merryweather Bard: Playable instrument inspired by Lohse
  • Needle of the Outlaw Rogue: Dagger inspired by Sebille
  • Bicorne of the Sea Beast: Headgear inspired by Beast
  • Paintings from Rivellon: Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms

blank

We’re psyched to play Baldur’s Gate 3. Are you?

 

Continue Reading

Trending