Mandatory authenticators?

[Coronius]

http://www.wow.com/2010/01/08/blizza...authenticator/

Not really unexpected, but people have different opinions regarding the authenticators. Now would be a good time for Blizzard to implement this, since the authenticators could be shipped with Cataclysm once it's been released.

What do you think about this?

[Cactrot]

a) won't happen
b) If an earthquake happens causing the roof at blizz HQ to collapse and simultaneously give everyone there brain damage and they actually did make it mandatory I will quit. It'd be more about making a statement about not adding inconvenience for me because some retard thinks "totall.not.a.virus.and.gives.GM.powers.exe" is a good file to run than it would be about the actual inconvenience.
c) see a

[drulz]

a) won't happen
b) If an earthquake happens causing the roof at blizz HQ to collapse and simultaneously give everyone there brain damage and they actually did make it mandatory I will quit. It'd be more about making a statement about not adding inconvenience for me because some retard thinks "totall.not.a.virus.and.gives.GM.powers.exe" is a good file to run than it would be about the actual inconvenience.
c) see a

What is your statement? That you are a big baby? In all seriousness though, I'd be okay with this as long as they provided authenticators for free. Which they would have to do. Or millions of people would probably quit just because they don't wanna spend an extra 6 bucks (which would totally be understandable).

[Deleted]

Good thing, I hope they do make it mandatory.

[Shorteh]

millions of people would probably quit just because they don't wanna spend an extra 6 bucks (which would totally be understandable).

Oh, sure, spending 900+ euro in subscriptions + expansions over the past years was no problem, but a one time 6euro extra to make my account more secure?
YOU CRAZY BOI?! I AINT NEVA GOING TO PAY DAT! /ragequit


I think people wouldn't mind as much as you try to make it sound really, except those that already bought theirselves an authenticator.
I'm for the idea. (yes I have one already)

[Deleted]

Heck if I care, like I've said countless times to many people about many different subjects, what did that minute cost you? Less AFK time in Dalaran? I'm glad they're making them mandatory, less waiting time for those who were actually hacked and not keylogged for epic failures.

[Djinni]

To be honest i'm in the boat of:

Great idea but I want 2 months free time for having the sence to buy one before, and that all versions of authenticator should be free.

Otherwise 1) Your effectively saying, hey you can play our game only costs you £9.99 + subscription, oh but before you start you HAVE to spend an extra £6.99 to get an authenticator that may or may not make any difference at all.

I'm sorry but not everyone is going to get their account compromised, by accident or otherwise.

[Deleted]

But if they add a free authenticator in the Cataclysm box, everyone can be happy.

People who don't have an authenticator yet have one now, and people who already have an authenticator have a spare one just in case the batteries of the first one start dieing, or it gets lost.

Everyone's happy. I really like this idea.

[Sensei_Sin]

I don't think it will happen simply because they cannot keep them available to every current WoW player.

Heck, they keep running out of stock!

[Fergand]

I imagine the reasoning behind it probably isn't just to protect your own account. If they actually went through with this I imagine 3 big driving factors would be.

1) Greatly reduce the time spent fixing people's accounts because they went to http://www.totallylegitimateworldofw...ouraccount.com (so they can reduce the time people have to wait to get other issues resolved)

2) Destroy a big resource for Gold Sellers (hijacking accounts and stealing their gold)

3) Destroy or greatly hinder Power-leveling services, since you'd need to give them the authenticator (or be a complete retard and change to their authenticator)


Though, if they did go through with the change, I would expect all future Vanilla WoW game boxes (including cataclysm) contain an Authenticator. Forcing someone just starting your game to buy an authenticator on top of the game box is bad business.

[Shorteh]

Heck, they keep running out of stock!

"Made in China" /tinfoilhat

OT: I really don't see how such a low extra cost could demotivate new players like you mentioned.
It WILL make your account more secure. PERIOD.
If you need it or not ... well... everyone has to have car insurance over here, doesn't mean everyone will need it.
But heck if the time comes and shit hits the fan, you'd be glad you have it.

[Offhand]

Make them free then sure I'll go for it.

Otherwise it's just another microtransaction I'm not falling for.

[smws]

I'd happily purchase an authenticator.. but oddly Blizzard doesn't ship to Estonia (a member state of the ECC). Those bastards!

[Sensei_Sin]

"Made in China" /tinfoilhat

OT: I really don't see how such a low extra cost could demotivate new players like you mentioned.
It WILL make your account more secure. PERIOD.
If you need it or not ... well... everyone has to have car insurance over here, doesn't mean everyone will need it.
But heck if the time comes and shit hits the fan, you'd be glad you have it.

...You do realize that it's VASCO that supplies the authenticators, right?
Blizzard doesn't manufacture them, they're not even involved in the manufacturing process, they just buy them like a corporation buys a company car.

VASCO has contracts with other companies (like banks), therefore they can't restrict their supplies to Blizzard only.
They may be made in China but they still don't use the mitosis process to manufacture them...

[Sarix]

I would buy an authenticator if my isp was more reliable. If I had one now it would just get really old having to put it in every time I dc.

[bluelime]

I support this!

There is no reason at all to hate this idea if Blizz decides to include an authenticator in, let's say, the Cataclysm box for free.

[bbr]

http://www.wow.com/2010/01/08/blizza...authenticator/

Not really unexpected, but people have different opinions regarding the authenticators. Now would be a good time for Blizzard to implement this, since the authenticators could be shipped with Cataclysm once it's been released.

What do you think about this?

Probably a good move, there's a SHITLOAD of account "hacking" (read: keylogging) going on.
I this can be killed off instantly by making the authenticator a mandatory thing, it'll save blizzard a lot of useless administrative work.

They can add it to the cataclysm box and everyone will get one for free.
Good move I'd say.

[ComputerNerd]

They are something we should have never had to pay for in the first place. They are to fix what is largely a substantial flaw in the security of an account which is really not helped by the amount of gold-spam in game which is obviously not a priority to resolve.

[Terminated]

Bad thing.
As long as there are accounts without authenticator, hackers are not even trying to go for protected ones.
A bit like the 2 unprotected WIFIs in the neighborhood

More seriously, since 100% security doesn't exist in the computer world , it makes sense.

[Rapti]

http://www.wow.com/2010/01/08/blizza...authenticator/

Not really unexpected, but people have different opinions regarding the authenticators. Now would be a good time for Blizzard to implement this, since the authenticators could be shipped with Cataclysm once it's been released.

What do you think about this?

Well I dont like being enforced to use something, however I use authenticator (mobile) myself nowadays.
Even when acc gets blocked (cause hacker will fail with auth code) its easier to simply unlock an acc than have GMs take care of account recovery, stolen gold tracking etc. Bit more calls for the call centere (ye sucks abit for us), but way less work spent on tracking and recovering and more time for ingame QQ.
So personally I have mixed feelings, cause authenticators really keep your account safe from being hacked (not blocked!).