Recommended Posts

I notice more and more sites are asking to send text messages for identity verification. The problem is I'm physically disabled & don't have a cellphone or cell service. Is there any service, free or paid, that will enable me to get a phone number to receive these text messages on pc? I know there are sites with free public numbers to get a text but those numbers don't usually work in these verification situations.

 

I usually ask someone to get the texts for me in these situations but I'd rather not bother anyone & just do it myself. 

 

Is there any safe, legit site or service out there that will work everywhere. Thanks

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1367810-text-verification-with-no-phone/
Share on other sites

  On 11/07/2018 at 16:45, Zathras5 said:

I notice more and more sites are asking to send text messages for identity verification. The problem is I'm physically disabled & don't have a cellphone or cell service. Is there any service, free or paid, that will enable me to get a phone number to receive these text messages on pc? I know there are sites with free public numbers to get a text but those numbers don't usually work in these verification situations.

 

I usually ask someone to get the texts for me in these situations but I'd rather not bother anyone & just do it myself. 

 

Is there any safe, legit site or service out there that will work everywhere. Thanks

Expand  

Google Voice.  Used it for years.  Free number and can use it for voicemail, calling, text...I use my Google Voice number for those who I do not want to give my real number to.   I also use it for verification like from MS, Google, and other sites.

 

https://voice.google.com/u/0/signup

  • Like 2

Ok, I set up a Google Voice number but it's the same problem... it doesn't work for these identity verification things. At least it didn't work at Swagbucks. I'll see if I can try somewhere else.

 

Any other ideas are welcome.

 

Edit: Tried 2 other sites, neither excepted the gv number.

Edited by Zathras5

If you wee a company wanting to "verify" a user is Billy Sixpack... No you would not accept some GV number since any buddy can get one of those.  Prob want to know the phone number is from carrier that has the users info that is tied to the phone #, etc..

 

What does being disabled have to do not having a cell phone?  Seems like a non sequitur to me..

  On 11/07/2018 at 19:00, BudMan said:

If you wee a company wanting to "verify" a user is Billy Sixpack... No you would not accept some GV number since any buddy can get one of those.  Prob want to know the phone number is from carrier that has the users info that is tied to the phone #, etc..

 

What does being disabled have to do not having a cell phone?  Seems like a non sequitur to me..

Expand  

can't afford the additional expense on a fixed disability income? duno just a wild guess

  On 11/07/2018 at 19:00, BudMan said:

What does being disabled have to do not having a cell phone?  Seems like a non sequitur to me..

Expand  

I have to ask this as well. I am disabled myself, and I use a cell phone just fine. If you can type on a keyboard, you can use a phone.

 

If you can't afford it, there are free cell services that give you so many minutes and data per month.

  On 11/07/2018 at 17:59, Zathras5 said:

Thanks, but I thought google voice forwards to another number. Can I use it without that happening? I don't quite understand how this google voice works.... I don't want anything that will disrupt my regular home phone in anyway.

Expand  

for voice calls yes. for text you can text directly from the site/app

 

used to do this all the time back when i had a non-smart phone that had texting blocked.

  On 11/07/2018 at 20:07, Brandon H said:

 

used to do this all the time back when i had a non-smart phone that had texting blocked.

Expand  

That's known as a dumb-phone. (my Mom uses one...)

I have no use of my hands. I'm using a joystick with my mouth and eye gaze software to operate my pc. I suppose there is some way to adapt a cellphone so someone like me could use one but I'm not going to bother with all that for this 1 purpose... I have no use for a cell otherwise...

 

So if there is someway to get around these verification things with some online service that would be ideal. But I gather there aren't any other options?

  On 11/07/2018 at 20:07, Brandon H said:

for voice calls yes. for text you can text directly from the site/app

Expand  

Thanks, yeah, I figured that out.

  On 11/07/2018 at 20:59, Mindovermaster said:

You can write like that with no hands? Sounds a little far fetched to me... But, try the suggested above.

Expand  

this tech has been around for a while now.  and with predictive/suggestive text, makes it even easier/quicker.  I  Plenty of info online.

  On 11/07/2018 at 21:02, techbeck said:

Never had an issue using a Google number for verification.  Has always worked.  A lot of times, sites have more than one method to verify who you are.  Like an email address.  So I would check that as well.

Expand  

That's what I usually do but lately I've been running into a lot of sites requiring sms.

 

I wonder if it matters what type of phone line you associate your Google number with. I used my home phone which is a VoIP based line... I assume you used your cell number?

  On 11/07/2018 at 20:13, Zathras5 said:

I have no use of my hands. I'm using a joystick with my mouth and eye gaze software to operate my pc. I suppose there is some way to adapt a cellphone so someone like me could use one but I'm not going to bother with all that for this 1 purpose... I have no use for a cell otherwise...

 

So if there is someway to get around these verification things with some online service that would be ideal. But I gather there aren't any other options?

Thanks, yeah, I figured that out.

Expand  

There's a few US services you can look into here https://tech-vise.com/get-a-usa-phone-number-easily-with-these-services/ 

 

Line2 https://www.line2.com/plans might have what you need, but ultimately you will need a paid service to get around the blocks most companies put on "free" online call/text services.

 

I do feel your pain at having to jump though more and more hoops to be verified online, all thanks to idiots, trolls and hackers!!

  On 11/07/2018 at 21:07, techbeck said:

this tech has been around for a while now.  and with predictive/suggestive text, makes it even easier/quicker.  I  Plenty of info online.

Expand  

Hm, guess I never looked into it. Just my ignorance, I guess...

  On 11/07/2018 at 20:59, Mindovermaster said:

You can write like that with no hands? Sounds a little far fetched to me... But, try the suggested above.

Expand  

Not at all. I had a user that had a motorcycle accident, completely quadriplegic. We were able to provide him with the necessary equipment to allow him to work. It was kinda cool to see, if it weren't for the fact that he originally had the use of all his limbs. :/

 

Unfortunately I wasn't involved with looking in to the software, and the software involved didn't involve the two-factor authentication. Do they not offer an option that doesn't involve a phone? Most seem to offer a separate email address these days.

  On 11/07/2018 at 21:21, Zathras5 said:

That's what I usually do but lately I've been running into a lot of sites requiring sms.

 

I wonder if it matters what type of phone line you associate your Google number with. I used my home phone which is a VoIP based line... I assume you used your cell number?

Expand  

google voice assigns you a new phone number (that you choose from a list of available numbers)

it's its own thing/service

  On 11/07/2018 at 23:10, Brandon H said:

google voice assigns you a new phone number (that you choose from a list of available numbers)

it's its own thing/service

Expand  

Yes but you still have to verify & associate the google account with a different phone number. You don't have to forward anything to that different number but it still needs to be in there.

  On 11/07/2018 at 23:23, Zathras5 said:

Yes but you still have to verify & associate the google account with a different phone number. You don't have to forward anything to that different number but it still needs to be in there.

Expand  

Google normally asks if you want to do two-factor authentication through a mobile number or a separate email address?

  On 13/07/2018 at 22:10, Nick H. said:

Google normally asks if you want to do two-factor authentication through a mobile number or a separate email address?

Expand  

You're right, just not for Google Voice... that requires a number.

 

 

I've given up on all this... Someday I guess we'll all be logging in with our bio-chips anyways.?

  On 13/07/2018 at 23:12, Zathras5 said:

You're right, just not for Google Voice... that requires a number.

 

 

I've given up on all this... Someday I guess we'll all be logging in with our bio-chips anyways.?

Expand  

After a quick look, you can use a trusted computer for the two-factor authentication. Do you have a second device that you can log in with? If you don't then you'll have the same problem using a "new" device that the service doesn't recognise...

 

There has to be an option available for people without a phone. Google can't have got this far without thinking about this...I'm not giving up yet, I'll keep looking.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Ouch!  I hope you can find a replacement. I built a PC for the first time in 9 years... and of course I chose a case with a glass side panel.  Building in it scared the hell out of me the entire time!
    • $80 is too much for an Outer World game, period. Even I know that and I don't play the game. Mario Kart? Sure. Everyone plays or has played Mario Kart. I guess MS is trying to push everyone onto game pass. Which makes sense for them.
    • The $80 video game - A new frontier of cost, or a bridge too far? by Paul Hill The Xbox Games Showcase took place over the weekend, followed by Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds 2 Direct deep-dive event into the upcoming game. Shockingly, this will be Xbox Game Studios' first $79.99 game, and unfortunately, it’s part of a larger trend. The price creep is not new; this is just the latest iteration of increasing prices. Just over a decade ago, when the Xbox One launched, you could expect to pay $59.99 for a new standard edition of a game and in 2020, with the launch of the Xbox Series X, prices were nudged up even higher to $69.99. Now, Microsoft is trying to push Xbox Game Studios titles even higher to $79.99, which could set a precedent. Here's an overview of game prices over the years: Xbox Console Release Period Typical AAA Game Price (USD) Original Xbox 2001-2005 $49.99 Xbox 360 2005-2013 $59.99 Xbox One 2013-2020 $59.99 Xbox Series X|S 2020-2025, 2025-Present $69.99, $79.99 The decision to increase game and console prices was not announced this week, but at the start of May. The recent Xbox Games Showcase has just drawn attention to the issue again. The price rises are set to come with some of the games launched during this year’s holiday season. Given the inflation we’ve seen since 2020, rising salaries to keep up with the inflation, and the unilateral tariffs the US is trying to impose on countries the world over, it’s not too surprising to hear Microsoft say prices need to go up due to development costs. Nevertheless, it will still be an unwelcome shock, especially to younger gamers who may not even be out of school and struggle to, or get their parents to pay for an $80 game. Even if you do have a steady income, there is a good chance that your wage has failed to keep up with inflation, making it more difficult to afford brand-new $80 games. In this editorial, I will take a deeper dive into the economic realities of game development and the justifications used to raise prices periodically, the impact on developers, alternative actions consumers can take to avoid paying so much money for games, and the specific context of The Outer Worlds 2’s price rise. The economic realities of game development and the justification for price increases During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were told to stay at home in most countries. In developed countries such as the UK, there were furlough schemes to tide people and businesses over, but production fell significantly in many countries, including the US, where manufacturing output fell at a 43-percent annual rate. The pandemic reduced output from producers globally, which led to the same amount of money chasing fewer goods, causing prices to go up. As inflation rocketed, workers across the economy sought out higher-paying jobs and pay increases, leading to even more money chasing fewer goods and ensuring inflation kept on. As a result, Microsoft was affected by higher hardware production costs, higher wages for developers working on games, and higher fees paid to actors needed for the games. All of these costs are being passed onto customers through increased game, console and accessory prices, and increased subscription costs. The $80 price tag will mainly affect AAA games because they have larger development teams, take longer to make, have more complex graphics, and animators, programmers, and writers who work on these titles are able to demand higher salaries. These games are also trying to innovate more, so they have to use next-gen technologies and pay the associated research and development costs, which get passed onto customers. In general, there is greater demand from consumers looking for the best graphics, which also pushes costs up as complexity rises. The public's demand for better graphics and stories means that development costs go up. While gaming revenue has been rising in many places, the large costs companies face mean diminishing returns on sales. Raising the cost of games and subscriptions is just one way that studios can cover their increased costs. Outside of the company-consumer relationship, public companies like Microsoft are always under pressure from shareholders to continuously increase revenues, which is another reason the company could be raising AAA game prices to $80. Consumer perception and the value proposition of an $80 game Seeing a $10 increase for popular games can be pretty jarring for consumers when the price of games already seems high enough, but what is not seen is the cost that these games take to make, especially with the expectation that the graphics must continually improve with each new update. When you take an objective look at the situation, you can justify the price increase given everything that these companies need to pay for behind the scenes. That said, the move will undoubtedly impact budget-conscious gamers, students, and those with limited disposable income. While these groups will be more excluded from AAA games, there are other options available, which I will cover later. In the case of The Outer Worlds 2, many people have criticized the price tag and said it is ironic considering the fact that the game critiques unregulated capitalism. If this type of sentiment sticks, it could drive more people away from AAA games to cheaper alternatives. As Xbox Game Studios’ first game out of the gates with the increased price, The Outer Worlds 2 will also be the title to take the most flak, whereas subsequent games could get away more lightly because $80 will already be the new normal. Gamers will also likely be cheesed off about the price increase, considering many games, including The Outer Worlds 2, have paid downloadable content (DLC). When games used to be cheaper, you could justify the additional cost of DLC, but when a game costs $80 upfront, then you have to pay for DLC, it seems like less of a good deal. The Outer Worlds 2 and the $80 price point: A case study Helping to justify the $80 price tag is Obsidian Entertainment’s reputation for creating strong role-playing games, deep character development, and choice-driven narratives. Fans of the company will be some of the least likely to worry about the new price because they know they’ll get a game they like for their hard-earned cash. Just like The Outer Worlds 2, the first installment was a full-priced game when it launched six years ago. At the time, full-priced meant $60, so the second installment is going to cost you an extra $20. Online opinion suggests that the price they paid for the first game was worth it, and the second game could be similar. According to this Reddit thread, the poster claimed that they, and many other players, easily spent over 100 hours playing The Outer Worlds, meaning it cost less than $1 per hour, well worth it according to that person. According to How Long To Complete, the game takes about 13.5 hours to 40 hours, depending on how thorough you are. This is much longer than Call of Duty games (Modern Warfare III came in at 17 hours for completionists), and you’re also going to be getting a focused RPG that is praised for its quality over quantity, reflected in the various awards it has won. Given that The Outer Worlds 2 will be one of the first games with the revised price tag, many players will likely try to find fault with it, such as its length, depth of content, technical performance, and replayability. As a sequel, it will also face the bias that it’s not as good as the original. We mentioned that The Outer Worlds isn’t the longest game out there, it isn’t egregiously short like Call of Duty, and it’s also not huge, like many popular titles. We have no official word about how long the upcoming game will take to complete, but if it takes the same time to complete as the first one, players will certainly think twice before handing over $80. Speaking with Eurogamer recently, Brandon Adler, the director of The Outer Worlds 2, said that the developers did a pretty good job predicting what would draw criticism, notably the small worlds. In the second game, the developers have addressed this by making the worlds about 50% bigger and ensuring there is more stuff at the cool places players travel to. Adler also said that players didn’t think much about the feel of the guns in the first game, so this time, they’ve reworked things to improve how guns feel. The game has also been improved to feel more reactive to character decisions, potentially boosting the replay value. All of this was possible because Obsidian Entertainment had more resources to throw at the game thanks to its partnership with Microsoft, which it didn’t have with the first game. The Outer Worlds 2 will be launching day one on Xbox Game Pass, meaning that if you’re a subscriber, you can play the game without the big $80 upfront price tag, for as long as you have Game Pass. The increase in game prices will likely make Game Pass more appealing to players who simply don’t have the money to throw at games that are this expensive. With that said, there’s a very legitimate fear people have with Game Pass, and that is that it has started fine, but as more people turn to it and away from physical games, the stuff you get for the subscription will get worse and worse. Just look at Netflix. Around 2012, the Standard plan cost $7.99, but nowadays, it costs $17.99, and the Standard with Ads plan costs $7.99 instead. In a decade, if most people have moved to subscriptions, is Microsoft going to start “offering” ads to increase its revenues? In April 2022, Game Pass had 10 million subscribers, and by February 2024, that figure had grown to 34 million. Alternative models and potential solutions As alluded to in the previous section, players can dodge paying $80 for new games by picking up a Game Pass / PlayStation Plus subscription if the game is being offered as part of those subscriptions. Not only do you get to avoid the high price of games you want to play, but you may also use your subscription to try out other games you wouldn’t have otherwise tried. This can be good for developers looking to get their games onto people’s consoles. Many games, including The Outer Worlds 2, are available on Game Pass on the first day they come out, helping players avoid high initial prices. On the flipside, Game Pass subscribers are less likely to buy games, which can hurt developers who do not get as many full-game sales. While the value for money with these subscriptions could decline over time, like Netflix has, in the near term, it’s a viable option for people on a budget to get their hands on $80 games. Xbox Game Pass Standard costs $14.99 per month with access to hundreds of games. To spend $80 on that, you’d need to have been subscribed for over five months, which is plenty of time to complete a game and play several other titles included in your subscription, too. Another approach to dealing with rising development costs could have been to introduce tiered releases of games, such as deluxe editions, or increase the prices of existing higher tiers. By offering players extra features or accompanying merchandise or by raising the prices of existing higher tiers, real fans can self-select to pay a higher price, helping cover development costs. Another interesting option for those who don’t want to pay $80 upfront for a game is titles that fall under the Games as a Service model. These include subscription games or free-to-play games that rely on players buying in-game content. The latter model is already very popular on mobile platforms, and it makes games more accessible to younger players. Some of these games let you buy in-game items to speed up progress, but in many cases, you can get away with paying absolutely nothing. Finally, for those who do not want to subscribe to Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, and also do not want to pay $80 for a single game, there’s always the option to switch to indie games instead, where you can pay a much lower price for titles. Doing this has lots of benefits. First, it exposes you to more games that have potentially implemented new ideas and mechanisms. It helps the developers financially as they have fewer sales than big AAA games. Second, it tells Microsoft and AAA game makers that you’re not going to be spending $80 on one game or not nearly as much, making it more difficult for them to justify the price or continued hikes in the future. Conclusion Unfortunately for players, the constant demand for game improvements has led to increased costs for game studios, necessitating the passing on of costs to players in the form of $80 games. The decision to increase the price of The Outer Worlds 2 has already drawn criticism from gamers, with some finding it ironic that a game critiquing capitalism has been one of the first to put its price up. Outer Worlds 2 faces a unique challenge as one of the first games to be sold for $80. It’s likely to have to absorb the worst of the backlash compared to the titles that come later when people have accepted the price rises. Additionally, Outer Worlds 2 may be a AAA game, but it’s certainly not as popular as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed—this could pose a challenge for Obsidian Entertainment. Rising game prices, especially for AAA games, are probably not going away due to the costs associated with developing new tools for making better games and paying increasing wages. While this sucks for consumers, especially those on a budget, there are still options available, including a Game Pass subscription, playing free-to-play games, and buying much cheaper indie games. The increase in gaming prices could even be a good thing for the smaller game studios, as they may be able to attract more customers. This allows these smaller developers to increase revenues to reinvest in their business and grow. More people switching to cheaper indie games, as mentioned earlier, would make it harder for AAA game makers to justify further price rises. The $80 price tag for games is likely here to stay, even if it does discourage players from buying games outright. Not only does it help developers fund the cost of development better, but it also acts as a funnel for Microsoft to get more subscribers on Game Pass. Not only that, but Nintendo has also announced an $80 price tag for some of its games. To be fair to studios working on AAA games, many of the titles people buy today have longer play times compared to games in the past, the graphics are much better, and there tend to be additional play modes. Just look at PS1 and PS2 games, which were largely offline. Compared to consoles that came after, they introduced a multiplayer mode, in addition to the single-player campaign, which does justify a higher price. With the introduction of VR devices and the new gaming experiences they offer, it’s fair to say that game makers are not resting on their laurels and charging the Earth at the same time. Tangible improvements are being made that justify an increased price. I think that we will see game prices for AAA titles continue rising every five years or so, going forward, and a steady increase of people shifting over to subscription services like Game Pass. As we have seen from the backlash to the current price rise, studios will also need to balance how much they’re investing in new games in the first place with how much customers are willing to pay. I think that if games ever jump from $90 to $100 or more, that could create a significant purchasing roadblock in people’s minds, so game makers would need to tread carefully at that point.
    • I love the way liquid glass looks. They just need to tweak certain parts like control center. This is only beta 1.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      Wulle earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Wulle earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      Simmo3D earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Simmo3D earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      greege earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      549
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      239
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      164
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      119
    5. 5
      +Edouard
      92
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!