Fake news websites have been in the news both locally and internationally as it has become harder and harder to discern between a fraud and the real thing.
But it’s not just international politics and local celebrities who are the target of the these fake stories, they’ve existed as a part of gaming for years.
That’s why we’ve come up with a helpful guide to help you separate fact from fiction, check them out below:
Is the news being carried by other, more well-known gaming websites?
One of the easiest ways to determine whether a story is fake or not is to check who else is covering the story.
If a tiny site from Singapore is the first website to be given the first PlayStation 5 exclusive reveal, it’s probably a fake.
This is true for bigger stories – even if a number of sites are carrying a story, it’s always worth understanding the subtext behind the news and how forthcoming each is with the details.
Double-check the site’s other headlines for satire
Just like politics and general news, satirical gaming news websites do exist.
These sites are much less insidious than those that deliberately spread fake news, but taken out of their satirical context they can be just as damaging.
Simply checking the site’s other stories (and having a sense of humour) should immediately reveal if a story is a joke or should be taken seriously.
Who owns the website?
You can check who a website is registered to, or who the owner of the website is, by using a “Whois” service.
If this doesn’t reveal the results you’re looking for, it could be as easy as checking the site’s “About” or “Authors” page.
Sites that are open about who is writing the stories and have put effort into projecting what their site stands for are typically much more trustworthy.
Common Sense
While it’s easy to misplace some times, common-sense will go a long way in determining whether or not a story is legitimate.
Take the above PS5 for example – it’s clear that the image was put together in Photoshop and is not of the quality usually associated with Sony’s other marketing material.
Add to this the fact that a new PlayStation announcement would be massive news and much more likely to be covered on every big gaming website, and it’s easy to spot a fraud.
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Did you click on the link from a facebook post? If so, its probably fake.