Here’s photographic proof. (Click the thumbs to enlarge.)

Bernard, a customer support rep for Activision, proclaimed that if he got more Twitter followers than his colleague, Randolph by Friday, he’d pie Randy in the face. Bernard came up short but carried out the attack anyway. That’s customer service.

Bernard lost by 1400 to 340. I know cowardice when I see it and I point the finger squarely at Randolph, who failed to recognise his insurmountable lead and act pre-emptively.

Obviously the vid is a stab at viral marketing for Activision’s customer support reps on Twitter, but hey, why not. I’ve tried it with other companies (not in video games, though) and my issue was taken care of seriously. And it beats hold music and phone trees.

Facebook and Twitter are, as you might expect, cut-down versions of the social networks, tweaked to cater for the console interface. One nice feature of the Facebook integration is the ability to merge your Facebook and Xbox Live friends lists.

Movies On Demand brings streaming and downloadable movie rentals to the console, with titles available in HD and SD. But be warned: you’ll need a nippy connection to stream in 1080p. Around 100 movies are currently available in the preview, so expect a similar number for the public launch next week.

“We’re delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members,” said Andrew Jenkins, product manager for Xbox LIVE Australia. “The difference for Xbox LIVE has always been our community and we’ve already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It’s the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love.”

One thing we will be missing out on is Last.fm, the music-streaming service launching in other territories as part of this dashboard update. Microsoft has yet to comment on why Last.fm will not be available in Australia.

Speaking to Fast Company, Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten revealed the launch date for the eagerly anticipated dashboard update, which brings console-tailored versions of Facebook, Twitter and Last.FM to Xbox 360 users. With the release day announcement, Whitten stresses that these aren’t merely PC ports of the popular social networking sites, but entirely new entertainment experiences.

“We look at things like Facebook and Twitter as amazing social experiences, but also entertainment. We didn’t want to copy and paste from the PC.”

So who’s excited? I’m actually looking forward to seeing how many of my Facebook friends get converted into Xbox Live contacts. I’ll probably fiddle around with Facebook for a bit, and then turn on Last.FM and leave it running until the end of time.

Facebook and Twitter Come to Xbox Live This Tuesday [Fast Company]

Many have made the comparison of Gearbox’s Borderlands to Diablo. Cliffy B certifies it with this unsolicited Tweet: “Borderlands, I adore you. You’re Diablo for a generation raised on first person shooters. I want a Claptrap statue.”

That can be arranged, Cliff.

Cliff Bleszinski’s Twitter [via Hot Blooded Gaming]

Teens participating in the Xbox Live dashboard preview program have been irked by the fact that there was no way for them to access social networking site Facebook and music finder Last.FM. They couldn’t even Twitter about it, as the update currently contains no parental controls governing those three applications — either you are over 17 and can access them, or you can’t. Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb explains:

As some of you might be aware, those under the age of 18 are not able to access Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm in our public preview. I want to you let you know that this will remain the case when it launches to the world soon. We made this decision because as it stands now, parents aren’t able to use Family Settings to customise which of these applications their children can access. In order to offer an age-appropriate environment for everyone, we decided to turn off these applications for those Gold members under the age of 18.

Being far past the ages of 13-17 but having spent a good five years as a member of that age range, I can imagine the frustration this must be causing. Worry not, my underage friends. Major Nelson reports that help is on the way.

As expected, this has been a hot topic with the preview users. We want to make sure everyone was aware, however, that the development team is working on an update that gives parents the choice of which social applications their children can access. This means that Xbox LIVE members between the ages of 13 and 17 will be able to use Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm as long as their parents approve. The team hope to roll this out several weeks after launch and I will update you on the exact date as it gets closer.

Now all you’ll have to do is make sure your parents approve. My suggestion? Attempt to talk to them about it. They’ll activate it immediately, just to make you leave them alone for five damn minutes.

Twitter, Facebook, Last.FM and Xbox 360 Family Settings [Major Nelson]

“I communicate with our Twitter followers the same way I’d communicate with my office buddies,” Bowling told Develop.

So if something happens I just throw it out there and opinions come in and we converse. Also during development, if we are sitting in a design meeting and we are arguing about something, no matter what it is I can just turn to what is now 60,000 people and post the same question.

Do we think will players like this? Well why don’t we ask 60,000 of them and get a good representation of what we think they may like. Twitter has been fantastic throughout development, and I would recommend many, many more people adapted that into their design schedule.

It’s not a carte-blanche relationship – the feedback Bowling pulls from Twitter must fit with Infinity Ward’s design philosophy. “Typically stuff like: ‘we want more gore.’ That’s against our design philosophy,” he says. “We don’t make gory games. It’s not that we can’t, but it’s not the experience we go for.”

Over the lifespan of this game’s development, tons of news has broken through Bowling over Twitter, so it’s no surprise that channel has affected the arc of Modern Warfare 2, prerelease. It shows Twitter’s not just a pass-through for trivia or hype, as some might dismiss it, but a useful way for both sides to stay in touch.

Infinity Ward Talks Twitter [Develop]

Quick recap: We got sent a screengrab of some files in the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, pointing to “zombiedogs.” I wasn’t aware this was the prototype name of the Hunter’s attack call from the original Left 4 Dead last year. Within about 20 minutes, thanks to your comments, we corrected the post and ultimately the decision was made to take it down, because it didn’t in fact report any news or engage a useful debate to earn its traffic. This isn’t a hard and fast policy or a precedent by the way, just peeling back the curtains on a decision readers may have noticed.

And for the record, I don’t blame the tipster at all. I think he had good intentions and he and I both were just uninformed about the origin of zombiedogs.

But Fake Gabe Newell was on the case at once. “oh why’d we have to include zombie dogs,” he Tweeted, He knows I’d been following him, probably hoping I or someone would report the tweet as confirmation of the rumour.

How do I know he’s fake? A while back I was tipped off to some humorous tweets Newell was allegedly making, regarding some Taco Bell inspired gastric trouble. I ran this back to both Newell and Doug Lombardi, and the reply was instant: “I don’t have a Twitter account,” Newell said, and cc’d Valve’s info chief on the reply, which led me to believe Twitter would be notified and action taken to either take down Fake Gabe Newell or make him change his handle.

Nope. Fake Gabe struck again Oct. 10 “Left4dead 2 is working me to the bone, I shall one day rest and on that day, I’ll finally be able to start work on left4dead 3.” At least one gaming blog picked this up and ran with it.

Fake Gabe’s got a great writing style. He follows current developments, mentions Valve employees and salts his updates with enough workaday stuff to make his fake rumours somewhat believable to someone not looking too closely at his Twitter feed. Dig deeper through his updates and you don’t see much that sounds like it would come from a man in his position though. And while he has 1,700 followers, he’s only following 12 people, and 188 tweets. The real Gabe Newell would likely have higher counts in both, showing a network more befitting a public figure in this industry.

So anyway, Fake Gabe Newell, I’ll probably regret giving you the publicity. But it’s the light that disinfects, no? I’m calling you a big Fake Fakey McFakehead, and I challenge you – I know you are reading this! – to direct message me admitting your masquerade, and tell us what motivated you to carry out such evildoing!

And in a good-natured spirit, to ask that you stop impersonating the Valve chief. It’s not a crime, and you’ve had plenty of fun. But the joke is getting stale.

Over at the official website for the creators of this week’s Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time (aka the place I go to watch my Ratchet scores slide down the chart), the man running things admitted to only recently signing up for Facebook. And he still isn’t ready to Tweet.

Here he is, explaining himself on his company’s website:

Recently I’ve been feeling like a big hypocrite. Since Resistance: Fall of Man I’ve been extolling the virtues of the community features in our games. And a few weeks ago I mentioned in an interview that I think that community represents a hidden arms race in our industry.

But I have to come clean. I haven’t actually been part of the community. I haven’t been on Facebook until lately. I don’t Tweet. I don’t have a MySpace account. And I only post on forums occasionally. What’s wrong with me? Haven’t I heard that being part of the “community” is freaking awesome? How can I promote community if I’m an outsider?

Some might consider posting on Internet forums plenty of community right there. But Price runs a company that is releasing a game this week that has the word “Community” as one of its main menu options. And, hey, developers, gamers, reporters, PR people are on these networks. Is it essential to be connected in this way? Would there be something archaic about a person professionally involved in gaming shunning social networks, as if it was as essential to keeping up with things as, I don’t know, reading a book, using a phone or trying Guitar Hero at least once?

I’ve seen developers join Twitter and then leave it. I’ve had gamers ask to be my friend on Facebook or argue with me on an Internet forum. Public relations folks and game creators alike use social networking tools to get the word out and sometimes to make gaffes in whole new ways.

In Price’s case, the question is whether the head of a development studio has anything to be sorry for if he’s not part of Internet “community.” Do you demand the people making the games you play indulge in such things?

Social Media & Me: A Confession [InsomnicaGames.com]