Twitter's Broken Account Recovery System

I'm not going to be advertising this post on my Twitter account, @Icystorm9, for one reason: I have been locked out of that account.

On Wednesday, June 14th, I sent a picture of a hedgehog to fellow user @Official_Leda before I headed to town for the day. So I went to town, got some food, and went to the library, which is where I was going to be hanging out that day. When I got there, I logged into the public WiFi so I could read my Twitter timeline. When I tried to open the app, though, I got a big old popup saying that my account had been locked.

No big deal, I'll just prove that it's me by stating my birthdate and some other information that others cannot see. Oh, that's not how I can unlock my account. I have to change my password using either my contact email or my phone number.

Now my phone number was not an option, since I got a new one just a few days prior and I forgot to update it. And the email address wasn't an option, since I forgot the password and the mail.com support team is also the least helpful it could possibly be. I actually tried to change my Twitter account's contact email, but Twitter has this stupid rule that only one account can be assigned to any email address at a time. That's an issue; I have another account assigned to that email (@CPSecretsofCP, my most popular blog's notification account). So I didn't want to bother changing the emails of 50 different accounts. Since I didn't want to, I didn't.

But I could have fixed this if I wanted to. Most of that was my fault, except for Twitter's one account per email rule. That should be fixed. But even that can be forgiven; neither Twitter nor I expect any normal person to have more than one Twitter account, so this shouldn't be too big of a deal.

But do you know what cannot be forgiven? Their support system. They don't have an email address that you could easily contact and have your issue solved relatively simply. You have to file a stupid ticket. Pick a category and describe your issue.

Look at this trash. You can't even talk to support until you pick a category. What happens if your issue doesn't fit into one of these categories? Well, I guess you're out of luck.

So alright, I don't like this method, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, right? Okay. So I'm filling out this stupid ticket, which looks a bit like this.

So I fill out this form. The first question, "Where are you experiencing this issue?", is very vague. The question itself isn't, but the answers are. TweetDeck is not an option. It doesn't ask what type of device. I can't pick "Twitter App for Motorola Moto-G XT1028." I have to pick "Twitter for Android," because I definitely have the latest version of the app. I try not to do that. 

So anyway, I pick Twitter for Android, and now there's a box where I have to describe why I should get my account back, as if I should have to explain why I should have access to my account and I totally didn't click "don't have access to either of these" less than a minute ago. Then I type in my name, my main email (icystorm9here@gmail.com, yall should email me some time), and my new phone number. I'm human, so I click the checkbox. Then I click send. All good. I should get my account back in a matter of hours.

But that's not what happens. I wait. I wait. I wait some more. I wait over 48 hours for Twitter Support to send me an email with how to reset my password. After 2 entire days and then some, I'm tired of this. I send another appeal, making it more clear that I can't access my old phone number or icystorm9here@doglover.com, even going so far as to explain in detail why that is not an option. I then fill out the form again, making sure that everything is exact and nothing can be misread or misunderstood. I click send. I wait another 2 days. Nothing. Well how about another day after that? Still nothing. How about one more day? Nothing. Whatever, I'll just wait a few more hours. My account was locked on Wednesday, June 14th, at approximately 11:30 AM. I sent my first appeal in that same day at 12:13 PM. It is now Tuesday, June 20th, at 9:37 PM. I have yet to get a reply back from support. I am filling out yet another appeal. This is what the "Description of Problem" box reads.

"My account has been locked for 6 days now. Over 150 hours. A little over 9154 minutes. I cannot change my password because I changed my phone number and forgot to edit my settings. I lost access to that email a while ago, but I didn't bother because of your awful rule that only one account can use a certain email address at a time. So now I'm locked out and I have no way to change my password. I've filed 3 appeals so far and I haven't gotten a reply from a single one of them. I can prove that I'm me; the link in that bio (bit.ly/IcystormsIgloo) is a blog that I own. I can post about how I was locked out of my account. Remember, this is my personal blog and only I have access to it. I am writing a post at this very moment about how and why I cannot log into my account via the methods given to me. Go read it. Please. I'm tired of your unhelpful support tickets and ignoring of my appeals."

So I guess I'll see what happens next. I may have to call their support phone number in a few days, but the wait is supposedly 18 minutes, and that takes up a good amount of PagePlus credit. Just please, Twitter, give me access to my account again. 

E3 Wishes and Expectations - Capcom

Hey, here's a pic that I stole from the trailer for the Mega Man Legacy Collection, which makes sense, because that game is in this post.

I hope Capcom can bring some cool things to the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

First of all, I want more info on the Mega Man bundle that's coming out. I'm hoping they announce ports for the Wii U, Switch, Vita, and 3DS, with the 3DS being the least important to me of the 4.

This smart fellow right here agrees with me.

I also hope Resident Evil 7 is announced for the Switch. That would be great. I don't expect any extra features, but just being able to play that game wherever would be great.

Speaking of Resident Evil, if Nintendo talks about the Switch Virtual Console, Capcom should announce that Resident Evil 2 for the N64 (or possibly even the GameCube version) will be available. That would be neat.

Also, they need to announce a new Capcom vs. SNK game, for all 3 major platforms and the Vita. That would be amazing. I would buy that 50 times over. Actually, no I wouldn't; but you get the point. Capcom, make a new Capcom vs. SNK.

I actually have no idea what to expect from Capcom. There's so much they could do. I think they'll talk about the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 a bit, but other than that, I don't have a clue. I guess I'll just wait to find out.

E3 Wishes and Predictions - Electronic Arts

I wish Electronic Arts would go out of business, but that's not happening, so here's what I want from them at E3.

Electronic Arts should clarify if Fifa 18 on the Switch runs in Frostbite or not. That's very important information to state. I hope it does run in Frostbite, but I don't know.

Then I want more information on Star Wars Battlefront 2, so I know if it's worth buying or not. I also want a port to the Switch, but we'll see.

Here's the cover of Battlefront 2 from the Battlefront series that people actually like.

And finally, Mass Affect Andromeda for the Wii U. Even if it's a cut down version, it's at least something. And the Wii U can definitely run graphics like that; heck, the OG Xbox probably can.

But what do I expect from Electronic Arts? Well, let's see.

The Switch version of Fifa 18 is running in the Xbox 360 engine. Battlefront 2 is only on Xbox One and PS4, not the Switch, and it's not as good as the original Battlefront 2. Mass Affect Andromeda is being forgotten; nobody will even mention it.  They'll probably talk about Madden and some other boring sports games or something. That's about it.

I don't like Electronic Arts; but I hope they can at least have an interesting show.

E3 Wishes and Expectations - Ubisoft

So Ubisoft is going to be at E3. What do I want from Ubisoft?

First of all, I want to know more about Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition for the Switch. I want to know what's different from the original for the Wii U and the Vita. 

I also want to hear if there's a new Just Dance game coming out. I probably just disappointed a bunch of hardcore gamers, but they're fun at parties. They shouldn't be 40 bucks, though.

I also want Ubisoft to announce the Switch version of Fractured But Whole. I wouldn't buy it, but the more games on the console, the better. Wii U and Vita ports wouldn't hurt either.

And I hear the company is making a brand new series, and that game is going to be announced at E3. I hope it's a story-heavy adventure type game, like Uncharted or The Last of Us. If it is, I hope it's on all 3 main platforms, like I do with a lot of 3rd party games. If it's a reasonable price and on the Switch, I might buy it.

But what do I expect from this company? Well, it turns out that there's already a lineup that looks something like this.

I have never heard of The Crew, much less The Crew 2.

So it looks like there's a new Assassins Creed game (which is easy to predict). Those are released every year.

I've never heard of The Crew 2, so I don't know what that is.

Far Cry 5 will have more details released. I personally don't care too much about that game, but a lot of people do, so I see why they include it.

I still hope that Mario + Rabbids crossover isn't real.

There's Fractured But Whole information being released. I don't think it will be on the Switch at launch, but maybe a bit later.

And there's the untitled new IP. I think it will be pretty cool and interesting, but I frankly don't know at this point.

So it sounds like Ubisoft will have a pretty neat show. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Come back to this site later to read about what I want from Electronic Arts. Yuck. 

E3 Wishes and Predictions - Activision

Here's what I wish for and expect from Activision at E3 2017.

So what I hope for is that Call of Duty WWII is announced for the Switch and Wii U, and then we get a bunch more info on it.

I also want some more info on Crash Bandicoot, although I have a feeling that's in PlayStation's set.

That's really all I hope for from Activision. This is going to be a short post.

I expect more on Call of Duty WWII, but I don't know if it will be released for the Switch, and I'm 100% sure that it's not coming to Wii U. That's a shame.

I think we'll get something on Crash Bandicoot, be it from Activision or Sony.

This may be the most promising company in this series based on what I want compared to what I get. We'll see.

Gee, that was short. Come back later to read about Ubisoft, I think. Bye.

E3 Wishes and Predictions - Sega + Atlus

Oh boy, it's my favorite company in the gaming industry, Sega. I'm going to talk about what I want from them and what I expect from them. Oh, and Atlus is there too.

So there are 3 "tiers", in a sense, of what I want Sega to announce at E3, each one being more believable than the last.

The thing I want the most is for Sega to announce a new console that's as powerful as the Scorpio with internal support for Dreamcast, Saturn, and Sega CD games, with the original controller ports and VMU slots on the side. The Saturn would need original hardware (since it's pretty hard to emulate Saturn hardware), but the Dreamcast and Sega CD games would run through emulation. It would also support Genesis and Master System cartridges, but you need to buy an adapter that plugs in through USB 3.0. This console would be just as popular as the PlayStation 4 (or at least the Xbox One) and feature some amazing first party titles within the first year. Jet Set Radio 3, Crazy Taxi 4, Space Channel 5 Part 3, Sonic Unleashed Remastered (both the PS2 and PS3 versions together), a new Panzer Dragoon, and Yakuza. Nearly all multiplats would appear on it; it would have tons of 3rd party support. It will be wildly successful and Sega's back in the hardware business; the price will be $409.99.

I drew one of these in the first post of this series. Go look at it if you want to see it.

So that's the most unbelievable of the 3.

If that doesn't happen, I'll settle for this. Sega announces a new console that's about as powerful as the PS4 Pro and supports Sega CD games through emulation, but you need to buy a new controller that looks like a Saturn controller, but wireless; there are no ports on the side for original contollers. It has a few Genesis games in the store and some of the Sonic games and Crazy Taxi 1 & 2 at launch, as well as Phantasy Star Online 2 and a bunch of 3rd party games as launch titles. It will be super popular and everyone will buy it.

I frankly think Project Dream is poorly designed, but I don't have a better design scanned to my computer right now. This one is the closest to what the lesser of the 2 planned consoles would be like.

That's more likely to happen, but it's still very unlikely.

Or, I'd be fine with this.

Sega announces a new Sonic and All Stars Racing game for the Vita, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. They also announce Jet Set Radio 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. There's more about Sonic Forces, and Sonic Mania has a playable demo. Phantasy Star Online 2 is getting a western release for PS4; Xbox One, Switch, and PC versions are coming some time later. I would be fine with that. That would be alright.

But what do I expect from Sega? More on that later.

And remember, Sega and Atlus share a booth at E3. So what do I wish from Atlus?

To be honest, I don't know a thing about Atlus. I hope for stuff from them and that's all I can say.

But what do I expect from Sega? What about Atlus? Well according to Sega Bits, it's going to be a boring E3 for the both of them. It's mainly stuff we already know about. There's stuff about Yakuza 6, Sonic Forces, Shin Megami Tensei, and Radiant Historia. You can read about that by clicking this link.

So what's next? Activision? Oh well. Show up later to read all about what I want and expect from Activision. Or don't. I don't really care all that much.

E3 Wishes and Expectations - Nintendo

Nintendo is currently my favorite out of the 3 console manufacturers in the industry. Supposedly, their E3 booths are pretty big. I expect they'll have some amazing things to show.

So first, what I wish for.

It would be really cool if Nintendo could show off what Retro Studios is supposedly working on. Be it Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong Country, or some new Nintendo IP, I'll likely be excited.

I hope they'll have some sort of New 2DS XL booth that shows off what the newest iteration of their handheld can do and why it's cheaper. (Speaking of handhelds, did you know that 2014 is the only year that we didn't get some sort of new Nintendo handheld since 2008? 2009 had the DSi, 2010 had the DSi XL, 2011 had the 3DS, 2012 had the XL, 2013 had the 2DS, 2015 had the New 3DS XL, 2016 had the standard-sized New 3DS, and 2017 has the New 2DS XL. I expect next year we'll get the standard new 2DS.) I want to know what processor the 2DS uses. I want to know if it's compatible with both 3DS and Nintendo DS games. I want to know if the camera is better than older models. How does the internet work compared to the others? Does this one come with a charger? What about faceplates? There's lots of information I want to know before I go out and buy a new system for 150 bucks; E3 would be probably the best place to show it off before it's released, especially if they livestream their event.

I hope they'll talk about Skyrim on the Switch, discussing mod support and such. This would normally be at Bethesda's booth, but this is a port of a game from last year; I think they would rather focus their time on their newer games like Doom and whatever new game they're likely to be showing off.

I hope they announce some really cool new IP that they've been working on that everyone wants to play. I have no idea what that might be.

I hope they spend a bit of time talking about the Virtual Console. I've actually been thinking about the Switch Virtual Console for a while and I think I have a good idea on what to release.

NES
Super Nintendo
Nintendo 64
GameCube
Sega Master System
Genesis
Saturn
TurboGrafx-16
Neo Geo AES
Arcade
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Game Boy Advance
Sega Game Gear

So that's just a little wishlist of mine. I don't think any of these systems will have a large library to begin with; I wouldn't doubt if Saturn and GameCube had only 2 or 3 titles each if they are released. But basic confirmation would be nice.

I plan to make another post about this later; maybe next week, maybe in a year; who knows.

I hope they talk about Pokken Tournament DX a bit; I never played the original and the Direct wasn't as informative as I had hoped.

Finally, I hope they'll talk about the last batch of Wii U games being released. It would feel very coldhearted (for lack of a better word) to not even mention the Wii U only 5 years after its release.

What do I expect from Nintendo though?

I expect more on Super Mario Odyssey, since they've clearly stated that's happening.

I expect they're going to announce some new game; I hope it's not that Mario RPG: Rabbids Invasion thing that the internet seems to think is totally confirmed.

I expect a bit about the Virtual Console, but not much. They may announce, NES, SNES, N64, and Genesis support; and we're lucky if we get even that.

I think we'll get a small amount of info on the New 2DS XL, but nothing on the Wii U. I disagree with any decision to do that, but it does make sense to focus more on the Switch and 3DS.

I guess that's all from me. Show up tomorrow for stuff on other companies.

Reminder: If you're interested in getting a Wii U, Nintendo is selling refurbished ones for 175 bucks with Nintendoland. It's available by clicking this link.

E3 Wishes and Expectations - Sony

Oy, welcome to my blog. So this is part of my series on the Electronic Entertainment Expo. This is what I really want from Sony and what I expect from Sony.

So what I want from Sony is to announce a bunch of really good exclusives like Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank maybe, as well as discuss Crash Bandicoot Remastered and their exclusive Spiderman game coming out. A new God of War would be cool, a new Twisted Metal game would be cool, and showing off Parappa the Rapper game would make me a bit excited, even though it's not really my thing. 

If Sony could tell us more about Shenmue 3, that would be great, but if that's anywhere, it's in the Sega + Atlus show. But it is a PS4 exclusive, so who knows.

On the Vita side, there are tons of things they could show. If they could encourage Activision to remake just Crash 1 for the Vita, that would be an amazing thing to show off to promote their handheld. A Gran Turismo game would also be cool. I like Gran Turismo. And if they could add more PS1 games to the PSN Store, that would be great; I just don't know how many of PS1 games they could add without running dry or running into licensing issues.

The Vita is amazing, and it's region free, so you should import one of these blue beauties from Japan.

But what do I expect from PlayStation?

I think they'll spend just a bit of time talking about that super cheap gold PS4, which is an amazing $249.99 USD.

And then I think they'll talk about Crash Bandicoot N-Sane, although that might be on Activision's stage. But since the original Crash trilogy is pretty much the mascot of the PS1, I think it'll be on the PlayStation stage.

I expect them to not talk too much about the Vita, if they talk about it at all. Sony doesn't care about the Vita, which sucks, because it's a really amazing platform with tons of potential. Oh well.

Seriously, buy a Vita.

E3 Wishes and Expectations - Microsoft

So the one company I'm most excited to see (and will likely be the most disappointed with) is Microsoft with the Xbox division unveiling the Xbox Scorpio, a new console from Microsoft that includes 4K gaming with a wonderful framerate and the ability to do a lot more than the Xbox One ever could.

What I hope the Scorpio is, is a super powerful console that can play Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games using original hardware. (Okay, maybe emulation for the OG Xbox since I would prefer to play all of my OG Xbox games on the OG Xbox anyway; it has a better controller than the Xbox One.) Aside from that, it's supposed to have an LCD screen on the front. With that, I'm assuming that the Dreamcast emulator for Xbox One will use that for VMU displays, although I'm not sure how well that would work. Then I might finally buy an Xbox One.

That is, if it's just an Xbox One.

If it's a new console for a new generation (which I don't think it is), then I hope it can play a bunch of good games with exclusives that I'd actually care about (which the Xbox One does not have), a few Xbox One games (so I can play the one Xbox One exclusive I care about, Halo Wars 2), and all OG Xbox games. And who knows, maybe some Sega Saturn games through emulation or something.

Either way, I think the controller needs to be fixed. The menu and perspective buttons or whatever they're called need to be changed back to Start and Back. There was no reason to change that. Also, the triggers feel very loose on the Xbox One controller and it makes me uneasy, like I'm going to break them. If they make them more substantial, that would be better.

Ehh, the PS4 triggers would be preferrable. The Xbox One triggers feel very loose, like they're going to break off at any moment.

— Josh (@Icystorm9) April 15, 2017

The D-Pad on the Xbox One controller is also awful. I personally felt that the D-Pad on the original Xbox controller (the one that everyone hates) is the best. And since they can totally do this, they should make it nearly identical to that on the Wii U Pro Controller, which is, in my opinion, the best D-pad on any modern console, and the Saturn D-pad would be a bit unconventional on that type of controller.

But what I think I will get is just a more powerful version of the Xbox One S, which would be a shame. If that's what it is, I would not buy that, probably ever. Oh well.

So next time I'll be talking about Sony, I think. So show up later, or just read that one if it's already posted. Okay bye

What I Expect from E3

Hey guys. This is just a set of blog posts I'll be posting over the next few days discussing what I expect and what I want from a bunch of big companies at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017. 

I plan to talk about the following companies:

Microsoft

Sony

Nintendo

Sega + Atlus

Activision 

Ubisoft

Electronic Arts

Capcom

So I'll get on that now.

This drawing took ~3 minutes to draw, don't kill me for it.