Nobody wants to get in the way of a hardcore gaming addict. The last thing an addicted user needs to know is their account has been hacked, their weapons and armor have been sold and all of their money is gone.
World of Warcraft is a timeless classic, timeless because you can play it forever, and classic because it’s now going on 4-years old. This MMORPG, like all MMO’s, is account based and your account describes everything about you, your gaming habits and your character traits. It’s the next greatest bundle of important riches aside from your bank account. Shouldn’t it be just as secure?
For a mere €6.00 (or USD $9.46) you can purchase this international electronic device which allows you to press a button to get a secret key to login; the key code is only good for one use so the owner of the device is the only one whom can login to the account.
This system is similar to the PayPal device or some Government Contractor remote login accounts for working from home.
The device is not yet available, but shall be showing up in the “near future.” If you’re a WoW player, consider this because $9.00 is a great piece of mind for hundreds of hours of grinding safety.
PARIS, France. June 26, 2008 — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today introduced an optional extra layer of security for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Designed to attach to a keychain, the lightweight and waterproof Blizzard® Authenticator is an electronic device that generates a six-digit security code at the press of a button. This code is unique, valid only once, and active for a limited time; it must be provided along with the account name and password when signing in to the World of Warcraft account linked to it.
This optional security measure will be available for a cost of €6.00 at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, which takes place June 28-29 in Paris, France. In addition, the Blizzard Authenticator will be made available for purchase via Blizzard Entertainment’s European websites in the near future for a cost of €6.00 plus shipping.
“It’s important to us that World of Warcraft offers a safe and enjoyable game environment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “One aspect of that is helping players avoid account compromise, so we’re pleased to make this additional layer of security available to them.”
To learn more about the Blizzard Authenticator, please visit http://eu.blizzard.com/security-token/.
Microsoft has proven the achievement system is one of the best ways to add replay value to a title and inspire players to overachieve in every game title, no matter how obscure. Now, Blizzard joins the battle for achievements by bringing them to the Blizzard franchises.
As the Wrath of the Lich King beta lives on, the world (and software behind it) is ever changing. Apparently, the rune system has changed a lot since its first inception. This requires a delicate balance, as the goal is a well rounded Death Knight class without epically overpowered features. Too much power and people will feel cheated while others feel overly destructive. End result, everyone would be a Death Knight.