Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Blizzard denies Diablo III authenticator hacking claims]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/blizzard-denies-diablo-iii-authenticator-hacking-claims/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/blizzard-denies-diablo-iii-authenticator-hacking-claims/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/blizzard-denies-diablo-iii-authenticator-hacking-claims/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Diablo III
We've been following the mass reports of hackers bypassing passwords and authenticators to rob Diablo III accounts blind, and now we have a new twist on the story. While Blizzard confirmed "an increase in reports of individual account compromises," the studio says it has no hard evidence that hackers have found a way to skirt around the authentication system.

Community Manager Bashiok said that the company is taking the claims "extremely seriously" and is investigating the rash of account compromises. "Despite the claims and theories being made, we have yet to find any situations in which a person's account was not compromised through traditional means of someone else logging into their account through the use of their password," he said. "While the authenticator isn't a 100% guarantee of account security, we have yet to investigate a compromise report in which an authenticator was attached beforehand."

Blizzard is assisting compromised customers by restoring stolen items and rolling back their accounts. The studio has a post up on its forums to help players protect their accounts and get assistance if theft occurs.

MassivelyBlizzard denies Diablo III authenticator hacking claims originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-compromiseaccount-compromisesaccount-theftaction-rpgauthenticatorauthenticatorsBashiokbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcash-shopd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiifantasygothic-fantasyhackhackedhackerhackerslaunchmultiplayeronline-multiplayerroguelikerollbackrpgtheftTue, 22 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo III players report eruption of hacked accounts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/diablo-iii-players-report-eruption-of-hacked-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/diablo-iii-players-report-eruption-of-hacked-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/diablo-iii-players-report-eruption-of-hacked-accounts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- Diablo III
It seems like Diablo III just can't catch a break. The game got off to a rather rocky start with a number of launch issues that have since subsided, but there's no rest for the wicked because now a number of players are reporting hacked accounts and stolen items. Eurogamer writer Christian Donlan is just one of many unlucky players who have had their accounts compromised and their hard-earned items and gold stolen.

What's peculiar about these hacks is the fact that Blizzard authenticators don't seem to be doing anything to deter the hackers. Many players on the forums are speculating that, whatever this hack is, it has the ability to bypass Blizzard's authentication entirely, which is a fairly scary prospect to say the least. That's all of the information we have for the time being, but we'll be sure to keep an eye out for further details as they develop.

MassivelyDiablo III players report eruption of hacked accounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcash-shopd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiifantasygothic-fantasyhackhackinghacksmultiplayeronline-multiplayerroguelikerpgMon, 21 May 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guy steals friend's goods in APB, GM offers vigilante justice in return]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/guy-steals-friends-goods-in-apb-gm-offers-vigilante-justice-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/guy-steals-friends-goods-in-apb-gm-offers-vigilante-justice-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/guy-steals-friends-goods-in-apb-gm-offers-vigilante-justice-in/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

APB
Account theft and compromise are tragic facts of life in all MMOs, as player BlackJackieChan discovered the other day when he logged into APB: Reloaded and realized that he was wiped out.

After posting a tirade on the forums, BlackJackieChan got the attention of a GM, who subsequently investigated the crime. His findings were stunning: BlackJackieChan's in-game friend beef43302 was the culprit. Beef43302 had crept into his friend's account, swiped a number of goods, and then deleted the temporary characters used for the theft. Beef43302 then tried to cover up his wrongdoing by consoling BlackJackieChan with a new car and encouraging him to stick with the game.

Even though BlackJackieChan was accused of not protecting his account (apparently he had shown his password to his friend), GamersFirst restored the stolen items and then offered BlackJackieChan the chance to decide his friend's punishment. "Seeing as this is a relatively unique case," the GM wrote, "we shall let you decide the fate of beef43302."

BlackJackieChan has yet to respond on the thread, but the GM did tell the offender that the company suspended his account "unless BlackJackieChan says otherwise."

MassivelyGuy steals friend's goods in APB, GM offers vigilante justice in return originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-theftall-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedapbapb-reloadedapbrblackjackiechancompromised-accountcrimef2pfree-to-playg1gamersfirsthackhackinghumorpasswordpassword-theftpvptheftvigilante-justiceSat, 19 May 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/the-game-archaeologist-dark-sun-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/the-game-archaeologist-dark-sun-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/the-game-archaeologist-dark-sun-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dark Sun Online
Computer RPG players in the late '80s and early '90s were surely familiar with Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) and its now-infamous Gold Box series. The series, so named because of their distinctive gold packaging, ran on a solid engine that helped the company churn out over a dozen titles within a five-year span. From Dungeons & Dragons' Pool of Radiance to Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday, these titles quickly became revered among the gaming community. I personally have very fond memories of playing both Buck Rogers titles, despite not having ever watched the show.

While the Gold Box series has not become as timeless or replayable as late '90s classics like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, they definitely had a huge impact on the PC scene and helped elevate the CRPG genre. Following the Gold Box engine, SSI went on to produce another engine that it used for a completely new series set in the D&D campaign setting of Dark Sun. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (1993) and Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (1994) were both modest hits, and when it came time for a third game in the series, SSI decided to make the leap to the then-untested realm of online gaming.

What followed was a wild two-year experiment in MMOs that happened prior to the Ultima Online and EverQuest generation. While ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its potential or gaining a large audience, Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands made a valiant attempt at achieving the inevitable future of gaming.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Al-QadimAndre-VrignaudAOLathasattatt-interchangeBaldurs-GateBuck-Rogersbuck-rogers-countdown-to-doomsdayclassicclassic-mmosclassicsCompuServeCountdown-to-Doomsdaycrimson-sandsdark-sundark-sun-onlinedark-sun-online-crimson-sandsDark-Sun-Shattered-LandsDark-Sun-Wake-of-the-RavagerdnddosDungeons-and-DragonsFalloutfeaturedgame-archaelogistGameStormGEniegold-boxgold-box-enginehackhackinginterchangemudmushNeverwinter-NightsnostalgiaopinionPool-of-Radiancerich-donnellyrick-donnellyshattered-landsssistrategic-simulations-inctenthe-game-archaeologistThe-Shadow-of-YserbiusthunderscapeTotal-Entertainment-Networkwake-of-the-ravagerwindowswindows-95Word-of-Aden-ThunderscapeTue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[F2P publisher gamigo's account services offline after hack [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/f2p-publisher-gamigos-account-services-offline-after-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/f2p-publisher-gamigos-account-services-offline-after-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/f2p-publisher-gamigos-account-services-offline-after-hack/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

gamigo logo
If you're a fan of gamigo's free-to-play MMO library, you may have run into some trouble accessing your account info as of yesterday. The company "detected an illegal intrusion into [its] gamigo account system," according to an official post on the Jagged Alliance forums.

The hack resulted in a temporary cessation of registration, account management, and payment services. The company says that while the game servers are still up and running, "the gAS services might be down for a while." gamigo also says that it encrypts passwords and that "no access to account names and other data is confirmed."

[Thanks for the tip, Tim!]

[Update: gamigo has now posted a letter to its website discussing the intrusion and recommending steps players should take to reset passwords and secure their accounts.]

MassivelyF2P publisher gamigo's account services offline after hack [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-securityf2pfree-to-playgamigogamigo-account-servicesgamigo-hackhackjagged-alliancesecuritysecurity-breachThu, 01 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Anonymous declares war on Sony over SOPA support]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/anonymous-declares-war-on-sony-over-sopa-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/anonymous-declares-war-on-sony-over-sopa-support/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/anonymous-declares-war-on-sony-over-sopa-support/#comments Anonymous Sony may once again be the target of hacking attacks, but at least this time the company has a little heads-up in advance. The secretive organization of hackers known as Anonymous released a video declaring its intent to strike at Sony over Sony's support of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

The video contains your usual vague proclamations of doom and ego-boosting statements, although with Anonymous' past activity, it will be hard to ignore the threat. The collective of hackers were thought to be at least partially responsible for the attack on Sony earlier this year that forced the company to take its network and games offline.

SOPA is a proposed U.S. bill that would allow law enforcement to combat pirated digital goods by shutting down websites and blocking payments to site owners. While the bill is supported by Hollywood, the music industry, and some major game companies, SOPA opposers worry that the bill will infringe on First Amendment rights and permanently harm the internet.

You can watch the Anonymous declaration after the jump.

Continue reading Anonymous declares war on Sony over SOPA support

MassivelyAnonymous declares war on Sony over SOPA support originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymousdeclarationfirst-amendmentfirst-amendment-rightshackhackerhackershackingoperation-blackoutpiracysoesonysony-online-entertainmentsopastop-online-piracy-actthreatvideowarFri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Trion Worlds customer database hacked, 'no evidence' credit card info stolen]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/trion-worlds-customer-database-hacked-no-evidence-credit-card/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/trion-worlds-customer-database-hacked-no-evidence-credit-card/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/trion-worlds-customer-database-hacked-no-evidence-credit-card/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Trion Worlds
Trion Worlds has become the latest in a long string of MMO studio security breaches this year, as the company reported an intrusion into its customer database. At risk of compromise were customers' user names, passwords, birthdates, email and billing addresses, and partial credit card info. However, the company states that "there is no evidence" that full credit card numbers were stolen at this time.

In a message posted on the Trion Worlds website, the company promises that it is both researching the intrusion and taking steps to increase security. As part of this, all RIFT players will be asked to change passwords and security questions, and their mobile authenticators will need to be reconnected.

The company urges customers to watch their bank statements for questionable activity, and provides customers with resources to get a free credit report and putting a freeze on credit reports.

To compensate customers for the issue, Trion is providing all RIFT players with three extra days of gaming time and a Moneybags' Purse that increases all money looted by 10% in-game.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

MassivelyTrion Worlds customer database hacked, 'no evidence' credit card info stolen originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>authenticatorbreakingcompensationcredit-card-infocredit-cardscustomer-databasedatabasehackhackedhackersintrusionmobile-authenticatormoneybags-pursepasswordsriftsecuritysecurity-breachtriontrion-worldsThu, 22 Dec 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square-Enix says no user info stolen during security breach]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/square-enix-says-no-user-info-stolen-during-security-breach/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/square-enix-says-no-user-info-stolen-during-security-breach/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/21/square-enix-says-no-user-info-stolen-during-security-breach/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Square-Enix Members
A week ago we reported that Square-Enix's Members site, a loyalty program for fans of the studio's games, suffered an unwarranted intrusion and was subsequently taken offline as the company conducted an investigation. It turns out that the best possible outcome of this investigation has occurred, as no personal information was stolen. Subsequently, the company plans to bring its Japanese and North American websites back online by the end of the month.

Square-Enix posted the following notice as an update:
As a result of our continuing investigation, we have now confirmed that the database in which we store personal information was NOT accessed during the recent server intrusion. Therefore, your personal information was NOT compromised by an unknown third party.

Square-Enix is planning to restart the Square Enix Members service by the end of December. Details of the schedule will be announced at a later date.

We deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers and fans, and appreciate your patience.

MassivelySquare-Enix says no user info stolen during security breach originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivhackhackershackinginformation-theftintrusionpersonal-infopersonal-informationsecuritysecurity-breachsecurity-intrusionsquare-enixsquare-enix-membersunauthorized-accessWed, 21 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix Members server hacked, personal info possibly compromised]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/square-enix-members-server-hacked-personal-info-possibly-compro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/square-enix-members-server-hacked-personal-info-possibly-compro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/square-enix-members-server-hacked-personal-info-possibly-compro/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Square Enix Members
Square-Enix has sounded the klaxons and let out the guard dogs in response to an "unauthorized access" on one of its Square Enix Members servers. The web service was taken offline in North America and Japan while the company investigates the situation and determines how serious the problem is.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear as if credit card information is at stake, although some users' personal information may be:
We are assessing the full extent of this potential breach to determine what data, if any, was compromised and will provide more details as soon as possible. While some personal information may have been accessed, we can confirm that there is no possibility of any credit card information leak from this incident, since the server in question stores no credit card information. We estimate that the suspension will continue for a few days until we complete our investigation and counter-measures. We will update you as we learn more.
Square Enix Members is a loyalty program that dishes out rewards in exchange for players who register Square-Enix games with the service. The website does store users' names, addresses, usernames, and passwords.

MassivelySquare Enix Members server hacked, personal info possibly compromised originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivhackhackedhackershackingidentity-theftinformation-theftloyalty-programsquareSquare-Enixsquare-enix-membersunauthorized-accessWed, 14 Dec 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/maplestory-breached-13-million-accounts-exposed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/maplestory-breached-13-million-accounts-exposed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/maplestory-breached-13-million-accounts-exposed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MapleStory
The famously hacked Sony has a sympathetic shoulder this week, as Nexon recently discovered a massive breach that's exposed over 13 million MapleStory player accounts to cyber ne'er-do-wells. Discovered this past Thursday, the breach was solely limited to South Korea, as Nexon hosts separate countries on their own servers.

This means that any South Korean MapleStory player's information is at risk, including user IDs, names, passwords, and residential registration numbers. This information could potentially be stolen and used for a variety of crimes.

While there's been no word whether actual personal information has been stolen, Nexon nevertheless urged these 13+ million subscribers to change their passwords. The company has contacted the police to ask for a formal investigation.

This comes at an unfortunate time for the company, as Nexon is poised to present its IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December.

MassivelyMapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-securitybreachhackhackedhackersipokoreanmaplestorymaplestory-breachnexonsecurity-breachsoesonysouth-koreatokyo-stock-exchangeSat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gabe Newell confirms Steam security compromise]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/gabe-newell-confirms-steam-security-compromise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/gabe-newell-confirms-steam-security-compromise/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/gabe-newell-confirms-steam-security-compromise/#commentsFiled under: ,

Valve logo
A few days ago we reported that Valve's Steam forum security had been compromised. A letter from Valve head-honcho Gabe Newell today confirms this fact and reveals that the intruders also gained access to a Steam database that contained a ton of personal information, such as usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and encrypted credit card information. Newell adds that there is currently no evidence that any of that information was actually taken by the intruders or that credit card numbers or passwords were cracked.

Steam users will be required to change their forum passwords when the forums are opened back up. While the company claims that no Steam accounts have been compromised, if your forum password was the same as your account password, a change would likely be a good idea.

MassivelyGabe Newell confirms Steam security compromise originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compromisecompromisedgabe-newellhackhackedsecuritysecutiy-compromisedsteamsteam-forumsvalveThu, 10 Nov 2011 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Order & Chaos security compromised, accounts hacked]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/order-and-chaos-security-compromised-accounts-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/order-and-chaos-security-compromised-accounts-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/order-and-chaos-security-compromised-accounts-hacked/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Order & Chaos Online banner
Bad news for Order & Chaos Online players today. It would appear that the popular mobile MMO from Gameloft is suffering from some security issues resulting in a number of players' accounts being compromised.

The issue seems to be stemming from two major holes in the game's security. There is reportedly an exploit with Gameloft's website which allows players to change another player's password, and usernames and passwords are sent between the client and server in plain text, which makes it a breeze for anyone with the smarts to run interception. Hopefully these issues will be fixed soon, but until then, stay tuned in the event that more develops.

[Thanks to Andrew for the tip!]

MassivelyOrder & Chaos security compromised, accounts hacked originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playgamelofthackhackedmobileorder-and-chaosorder-and-chaos-onlinesecuritysecurity-compromisesecurity-issuesWed, 19 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine explains recent LotRO forum security issue]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/turbine-explains-recent-lotro-forum-security-issue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/turbine-explains-recent-lotro-forum-security-issue/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/turbine-explains-recent-lotro-forum-security-issue/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

LOTRO
While Lord of the Rings Online's forums have returned following Turbine's decision to take them down due to a security issue, many players were left in the dark about what had happened. To clear the air with this, the studio posted a brief security FAQ that addresses the specifics of what went down this past week.

According to the FAQ, Turbine became aware of a compromise in the forum database that would allow unauthorized access from outsiders. The company took the forums offline, brought in security experts, and fixed the bug that caused this issue. Turbine also claims it has strengthened its web security and that no payment details, including credit card information, were in danger of being stolen.

As part of an effort to make sure all players were secure, Turbine sent out notices to a few customers with particularly vulnerable passwords. In the email, the players were informed that their passwords were reset for their own safety.

The FAQ ends with a few Dos and Don'ts about password creation which all MMO players would be wise to adopt.

MassivelyTurbine explains recent LotRO forum security issue originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugbugsfaqforumhacklord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropasswordpasswordssecuritysecurity-compromisesecurity-faqturbineTurbine-EntertainmentWed, 19 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hackers compromise 33,000 SOE accounts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hackers-compromise-33-000-soe-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hackers-compromise-33-000-soe-accounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/hackers-compromise-33-000-soe-accounts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sony HQ
Sony's hacking woes continue today, as intruders today have attempted -- and, in some cases, succeeded -- to access the giant corporation's accounts. Chief Information Security Officer Philip Reitinger posted a letter on several SOE forums informing players that their accounts may have been compromised.

The good news is that less than 0.1% of Sony's entire playerbase has been affected. The bad news is that that leaves around 33,000 SOE players -- in addition to Sony Entertainment Network and PlayStation Network customers -- whose accounts were hacked. Following the intrusion, Sony temporarily locked the accounts and is investigating the situation.

"Only a small fraction of these 93,000 accounts showed additional activity prior to being locked," Reitinger said. He assured customers that credit card numbers were not leaked and that any purchases made during this intrusion will be restored. SOE customers with locked accounts will receive an email with instructions on how to validate their credentials and restore their service.

MassivelyHackers compromise 33,000 SOE accounts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compromised-accountshackhackedhacked-accountshackershackingPhilip-Reitingersoesonysony-online-entertainmentWed, 12 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fighting the EverQuest hacking wildfire]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/fighting-the-everquest-hacking-wildfire/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/fighting-the-everquest-hacking-wildfire/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/fighting-the-everquest-hacking-wildfire/#commentsFiled under: , ,

EQ
While hacking and botting may not be a source of frustration to you in your daily MMO, to the denizens of EverQuest, it is a real and ever-present headache. In what is already not the easiest MMO on the planet, players are experiencing an onslaught of hackers who go out of their way to ruin the fun for everyone.

In a three-part series, Ten Ton Hammer exposes the systematic problem of rampant hacking in the game, especially on the new progression servers. While guilds are doing their part to crack down on hackers in their midst, it doesn't seem to be enough to stem the flow, especially as with a much smaller team in place these days.

Ultimately, fighting this problem does not seem to be SOE's current priority. EQ Producer Thom Terazzas addressed the issue of hacking by saying, "The expansion is something that we're really focused on right now. That has gotten, I would say, 80 percent of the focus here. So doing anything that dramatically combats the hacking is something that we would really like to do, but it is not something we've been able to do."

Terazzas followed that up by talking with the Customer Service team and promised that the hackings will receive higher priority once the expansion crunch is over. In the meantime, he urged players to file reports with CS if hacking was observed.

MassivelyFighting the EverQuest hacking wildfire originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>botbotsbottersbottingcscustomer-serviceeqeverquestexposehackhackedhackershackinghackingsinterviewsoesony-online-entertainmentten-ton-hammerThom-TerazzastthThu, 06 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[APB Reloaded cracks down on cheaters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/apb-reloaded-cracks-down-on-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/apb-reloaded-cracks-down-on-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/apb-reloaded-cracks-down-on-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

APB Reloaded title image
Cheating and exploiting are problems that plague all MMOs, and developers often go to great lengths to detect offenders. In a new APB Reloaded devblog, developer TechMech explains the company's latest and highly successful attempts to rid the game of cheaters. Three major hacks were targeted, and every account that had ever used the hacks was banned overnight. TechMech won't go into details about how exactly the hackers were observed, but he does say that a second anti-cheat patch is coming to wipe out any players who choose to continue hacking.

TechMech is considering offering a kind of amnesty to cheaters, stating that anyone who uninstalls all hacks and plays legitimately may be permitted to continue playing. Perhaps the most shocking statistic in the devblog was that almost 50% of the banned accounts were paid accounts, and some had over 1500 hours of gameplay on them. TechMech went on to estimate the revenue that the three main cheat-makers had been generating as between $15,000 and $50,000 per month each, with users spending $30 per month on hacks.

MassivelyAPB Reloaded cracks down on cheaters originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedapbapb-reloadedcheatcrimedev-diarydevbloggamersfirsthackhackingSun, 02 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars Galaxies fan site hacked, 23K passwords stolen]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/31/star-wars-galaxies-fan-site-hacked-23k-passwords-stolen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/31/star-wars-galaxies-fan-site-hacked-23k-passwords-stolen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/31/star-wars-galaxies-fan-site-hacked-23k-passwords-stolen/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

SWG.net
Talk about kicking a game's community when it's down.

VentureBeat reports that Star Wars Galaxies.net, a major SWG fan site, was hacked yesterday. Star Wars Galaxies.net is part of a LucasArts fan site network, and apparently was not being actively maintained, as the last update was in June of 2009. Still, over 21,000 email addresses and 23,000 passwords were stolen -- some of which could lead to identity theft, according to authorities.

The hack was perpetrated by ObSec, a small group in the vein of LulzSec. The hackers posted the email addresses and passwords online for all to see. Analysis of the passwords found that 71% were relatively weak and easy to crack anyway.

Some Star Wars Galaxies players may see this as an unfortunate echo of the much larger Sony hack that happened earlier this year. We at Massively urge any players who have used this fan site to make sure that they change their passwords elsewhere as well.

MassivelyStar Wars Galaxies fan site hacked, 23K passwords stolen originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emailsfan-sitefansitefansiteshackhackedhackersidentity-theftlucasartslulzsecobsecpasswordsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-galaxies.netstolenswgWed, 31 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Scott Hartsman says gold farming hurts our games more than we know]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/scott-hartsman-says-gold-farming-hurts-our-games-more-than-we-kn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/scott-hartsman-says-gold-farming-hurts-our-games-more-than-we-kn/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/scott-hartsman-says-gold-farming-hurts-our-games-more-than-we-kn/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Gold buying is one of those aspects of MMO culture that is seemingly universally denounced, yet enough people partake in the practice to keep the wheels of this grey market activity going. Scott Hartsman may be saying the obvious when he denounced gold farming and selling to Gamasutra, but apparently it is still something we need to hear.

The Trion Worlds general manager shared a glimpse of just how hard these activities hit games, and how concerned he and other studio execs are about the proliferation of credit card fraud that results: "It's those kinds of things where people laugh and go, 'Oh, that never happens.' No. It happens. It happens a s**tload. To the point where, over the last three or four years, I would dare anybody to ask an exec at a gaming company how much they've had to pay in MasterCard and Visa fines, because of fraud. It happens a lot."

According to Hartsman, the more these events take place, the more money studios spend on paying fines and dealing with them instead of reinvesting funds into the games themselves -- all because of the "jerks" perpetuating the crimes.

MassivelyScott Hartsman says gold farming hurts our games more than we know originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>credit-card-fraudgamasutragold-buyinggold-farmergold-farminggold-sellinggrey-markethackhackedhackersjerksmastercardrmtscott-hartsmantriontrion-worldsvisaThu, 21 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars Galaxies ages eight years gracefully]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/star-wars-galaxies-ages-eight-years-gracefully/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/star-wars-galaxies-ages-eight-years-gracefully/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/star-wars-galaxies-ages-eight-years-gracefully/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Much like the current Star Wars MMO in development, Star Wars Galaxies had a very active forum community before the game even launched. Many of those who were a part of that original community still play the game. Although I was not an active member of that first community, I certainly read what was happening and was extremely excited when the game launched on June 23rd, 2003. For the first time in history, a player was allowed to create his own character to live in the Star Wars universe. And despite the issues that would come a couple of years later, the community in the game is still strong and active.

I logged into my old stomping grounds of Starsider on a character that some people would recognize. Since I am an avid roleplayer and that community is still very active in SWG, I joined one of the chat channels I knew and asked where I could possibly find some RP events for the evening. It was still early, so I was not expecting much. To my surprise, I received an immediate reply. The members of the channel said there were not any events that they were aware of, but I may be able to find some RP in a couple of player-owned cities. One of these cities was the city I used to spend all my time in: Red Sands. I had to see what was going on there after years of being away. I was take aback when I arrived. The leaders of the town had placed an invading force of NPCs about the city and were having a stand-off with the citizens, a scene that appeared to be right out of a western.

The story continues after the break. Find out why Star Wars Galaxies is still active after eight years from Pilot Senator Anishor, the developers, and the active players.

Gallery: 8 years of Star Wars Galaxies

Continue reading Star Wars Galaxies ages eight years gracefully

MassivelyStar Wars Galaxies ages eight years gracefully originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8-year-anniversary8-yearsAnishoranniversarybounty-hunterbounty-hunting-in-spaceentertainerentertainer-updatefeaturedhackno-tradepilot-senatorplayer-bountiesplayer-bountyrare-lootRed-sandssoesoe-hackSonysony-hackSony-Online-Entertainmentspace-bounty-huntingStar-Warsstar-wars-galaxiesstarsiderswgwitches-of-dathomirThu, 23 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Codemasters website, store, and database hacked]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-website-store-and-database-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-website-store-and-database-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-website-store-and-database-hacked/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Another day, another game publisher in a hacker's crosshairs. This time around it's Codemasters, and Eurogamer has the details on a security violation that compromised the company's website, EStore, CodeM database, and Dirt3 VIP code redemption webpage. The intrusion occurred on June 3rd, and Codemasters has sent out a letter to affected customers advising of the potential threat to their identity-related information.

The article reports that no payment details or credit card info was pilfered, but encrypted passwords as well as Xbox Live gamer tags and personal data (including addresses and user names) were taken. Thus far no groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the attack. You can read the full Codemasters letter at Eurogamer.

MassivelyCodemasters website, store, and database hacked originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemasterscodemasters-hackdirt3hackhackershackingidentity-theftmmo-industrypersonal-informationpublisherssecuritysecurity-breachFri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-game-archaeologist-traces-his-lineage-the-highlights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-game-archaeologist-traces-his-lineage-the-highlights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/the-game-archaeologist-traces-his-lineage-the-highlights/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If we judged MMOs by their numbers alone -- and I'm not suggesting we do so -- then Lineage would be the crowing rooster strutting about the hen house. It's also been one of those games that I've always intellectually acknowledged was a huge hit for some reason, but I never gave it much attention. I think it's because, contrary to many of the "big name" games we cover here, Lineage was and always will be an Asian phenomenon. That doesn't mean it should be shunned, of course, but just that it may be difficult to understand when you're on the outside of it.

So let's back up the memory truck to September 1998, when a then-fledgling NCsoft rolled out a Diablo-esque isometric MMO and struck virtual gold in South Korea. At the time, gaming rooms were becoming a huge thing in the country; a recession had hit (giving people a lot of time with nothing to do), and the government was rapidly expanding the broadband network. In the face of this perfect storm, titles like StarCraft and Lineage became overnight household fixtures -- and the country hasn't looked back.

Even if you haven't played Lineage and you don't know anyone who does, trust me: There are a lot of people playing this 13-year-old title, to the tune of millions and millions. As former Senior Producer Chris Mahnken said, "Lineage keeps going because it's just plain fun."

This month we'll be looking back at the incredible legacy that Lineage has given the industry, starting with an overview of the highlights of these past 13 years. Hit the jump and mind the gap!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionarchageasianasian-grinderbloodpledgebloodpledgesbroadbandChris-Mahnkendiablodungeon-crawlfeaturedguild-warshackjake-songkorealineagelineage-2lineage-iincsoftnethacknexuspvprichard-garriottrobert-garriottroguerogue-likeShin-Il-sooksouth-koreastarcrafttabula-rasaTack-Jin-Kimthe-game-archaeologistYoung-ParkTue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/28/not-so-massively-clockwork-girls-ban-tribunals-and-runestones/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/28/not-so-massively-clockwork-girls-ban-tribunals-and-runestones/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/28/not-so-massively-clockwork-girls-ban-tribunals-and-runestones/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Saturday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Defense of the Ancients, Bloodline Champions, and more.

With the growing popularity of MMOs, it's great to see developers borrowing ideas from them and making them work in other online game formats. A growing number of online games are being released featuring elements of online persistence, iterative development, and character progression that we've come to expect only from MMOs. In last week's Not So Massively, we reveled in League of Legends' dubstep, got technical with Heroes of Newerth's new hero Martyr, and looked at Bloodline Champions' new match replay system. We also introduced Rise of Immortals' immortal Aislynn and looked at the huge Realm of the Titans content update arriving just in time for closed beta.

In this week's Not So Massively, we introduce Ubisoft's upcoming online FPS Ghost Recon Online, look at Bloodline Champions' huge patch 1.2 update, and peruse development plans for the Rise of Immortals cash shop and its co-op PvE. This week is also a big week for League of Legends, with the player-mediated banning Tribunal now in live testing and the awesome new clockwork champion Orianna on the way.

Skip past the cut for all this week's news from the land of not-quite-an-MMO-but-pretty-close-to-it.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones

MassivelyNot So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbanningblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbloodline-championsd3ddosdiablodiablo-3diablo-iiidosfeaturedghost-recon-onlinehackheroes-of-newerthhonleague-of-legendslolmmo-industrynewsoriannapatchpetroglyphrise-of-immortalsrunestonestunlock-studiossummoner-showcasetrailertrailerstribunalubisoftvideovideosSat, 28 May 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Talking Sony and identity protection with LifeLock]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/talking-sony-and-identity-protection-with-lifelock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/talking-sony-and-identity-protection-with-lifelock/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/talking-sony-and-identity-protection-with-lifelock/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As Sony continues to struggle to restore service to both the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment's MMOs following a hacking intrusion that resulted in millions of customer identities being compromised, players are understandably concerned about how secure their information is with similar companies.

Even though Sony promised to provide a year's worth of identity theft protection for affected customers, part of the responsibility for safeguarding against such theft lies with us. As such, we spoke with Mike Prusinski, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for LifeLock, an identity theft protection service. We asked him about what we should be doing to protect our identities online -- and what Sony could have done better in the first place.

Massively: What are the most common ways that people have their identities stolen?

Mike Prusinski: Though there are no statistics that point to one way over another, consumers get their personal information lost through stolen laptops, hackers, stolen mail, trash, skimming devices, scams (email, phone calls and personal visits), peer-to-peer networks and public websites.

Continue reading Talking Sony and identity protection with LifeLock

MassivelyTalking Sony and identity protection with LifeLock originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>credit-card-frauddata-breachEpilisonfacebookfeaturedhackhackedhackershackingidentity-theftinterviewlifelockMike-Prusinskimyspacepasswordpasswordsplaystation-networksoesonysony-online-entertainmentState-of-Texas-Comptroller-Officestolen-accountsTue, 10 May 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hackers say Anonymous was responsible for Sony attack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/hackers-say-anonymous-was-responsible-for-sony-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/hackers-say-anonymous-was-responsible-for-sony-attack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/hackers-say-anonymous-was-responsible-for-sony-attack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sony and its customers may be having identity theft problems, but the hacker collective known as Anonymous is having something of an identity crisis. Despite the group's public disavowal of the attacks that brought down the PlayStation Network (and that later caused SOE to suspend its MMORPG services), one Anonymous member recently told the Financial Times that the infamous group was indeed behind the attacks.

"If you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it. Just because the rest of Anonymous might not agree with it doesn't mean Anonymous didn't do it," the unnamed hacker said.

Anonymous had previously distanced itself from the Sony fiasco in a press release circulated earlier this week. A second Anonymous member added that "it's Anon's work. But you can't blame the whole collective for what one or two guys do."

MassivelyHackers say Anonymous was responsible for Sony attack originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 May 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymoushackhacker-collectivehackingidiotsmmo-industryplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-network-hackspsnsoesonysony-hackFri, 06 May 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE games down until Friday at the earliest, class action suit launched, Anonymous denies involvement [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/soe-games-reportedly-down-until-friday-at-the-earliest-class-ac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/soe-games-reportedly-down-until-friday-at-the-earliest-class-ac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/soe-games-reportedly-down-until-friday-at-the-earliest-class-ac/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The latest news in the Sony Online Entertainment debacle finds the besieged MMORPG maker turning to outside sources for help. According to MSNBC, SOE has hired security experts from Data Forte, Guidance Software, and Robert Half International to assist in plugging the holes in its IT infrastructure.

Legal issues are waiting in the wings as well, and Tuesday brought the first hint of a proposed class-action suit. McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP is preparing a $1.05 billion suit on behalf of a 21-year old PlayStation customer from Mississauga, Ontario.

In other related news, SOE's Taina Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the company's game services will remain offline through Friday and possibly longer.

[Update: In its most recent update, SOE commented further on the delay between the attacks and SOE's becoming aware of them, noting that "Essentially the perpetrators used sophisticated means not only to access the data, but also to cover their tracks. We committed to continue the investigation and in doing so, uncovered further information that we did not have when we initially believed the data was not stolen."

Meanwhile, our sister publication Joystiq is among news agencies reporting that SOE has suggested to Congress that Anonymous is responsible for the attacks. Anonymous has denied involvement.]

MassivelySOE games down until Friday at the earliest, class action suit launched, Anonymous denies involvement [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>class-action-lawsuitclass-action-suitdata-breachdata-forteguidance-softwarehackhackinglawsuitmcphadden-samacrobert-half-internationalsecurityservers-downsoesoe-hackSony-Online-Entertainmenttaina-rodriguezWed, 04 May 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE answers our questions about the recent database incursion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/soe-answers-our-questions-about-the-recent-database-incurson/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/soe-answers-our-questions-about-the-recent-database-incurson/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/soe-answers-our-questions-about-the-recent-database-incurson/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

After PSN's data breach a couple of weeks back, questions and rumors spread across the internet, including speculation about the source of the incursion and how many records were actually taken. However, we still did not have all the answers. Customers of Sony Online Entertainment have been curious about the details of the recent intrusion into SOE servers, so Massively teamed up with our sister site, Joystiq, to get some direct statements from Sony. We put only our best detectives on the job.

Joystiq Contributing Editor Ben Gilbert fired up the communicator with SOE PR Representative Ryan Peters to discuss the issues plaguing the MMO developer. Admittedly, many of the answers given were reiterated from a press release on SOE's website, but he was able to extract a few nuggets of information regarding the depth of the incident, which we've compiled past the break. Rest assured that our team will continue to keep you up to date on the latest information.

Continue reading SOE answers our questions about the recent database incursion

MassivelySOE answers our questions about the recent database incursion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>data-breachdatabasehackincursionpersonal-informationSOEsonySony-Online-EntertainmentTue, 03 May 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Network credit card info appears to be safe: 'No unauthorized activity relating to Sony']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It looks like the beleaguered Sony finally caught a break. The company, which has struggled for over a week following a hacker attack that stole massive amounts of player information, says that it looks as though user credit card information remains secure and encrypted. It turns out that Sony had encrypted some personal info but not all of it.

Gamespot also reports that several financial companies, including MasterCard, WellsFargo and American Express, have witnessed "no unauthorized activity relating to Sony."

Sony's Patrick Seybold passed along the positive news: "The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card data was taken. The personal data table, which is a separate data set, was not encrypted, but was, of course, behind a very sophisticated security system that was breached in a malicious attack."

Sony's PlayStation Network is still offline while it's rebuilt with a higher level of security. The company saw its shares drop 4.5% today on the Tokyo exchange to $27.71.

MassivelyPlayStation Network credit card info appears to be safe: 'No unauthorized activity relating to Sony' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american-expressars-technicacredit-cardcredit-card-infogamespothackhackedhackerhacker-attackhackersidentity-theftmastercardPatrick-Seyboldplaystation-networksoesonysony-online-entertainmentwellsfargoThu, 28 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you trust MMO companies after the Sony debacle?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/the-daily-grind-do-you-trust-mmo-companies-after-the-sony-debac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/the-daily-grind-do-you-trust-mmo-companies-after-the-sony-debac/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/the-daily-grind-do-you-trust-mmo-companies-after-the-sony-debac/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's hard to believe that it's been over a week after a major intrusion into the PlayStation network, and Sony is still trying to put the pieces back together. Many customers were dismayed to hear that their private information was compromised by the attack.

Free Realms and DC Universe Online players are among those who have to feel shaken up at the revelation that Sony wasn't the impregnable fortress they perhaps hoped. It's unsettling to realize just how much personal info you hand over to these companies -- your name, address, birthday, credit card information, passwords -- when that info could be grabbed by hackers.

In light of the Sony debacle, do you still trust MMO companies with this information, or has it made you think twice about the corporations to which you're handing the keys to your life?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you trust MMO companies after the Sony debacle? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dc-universe-onlinedcuofree-realmshackhackedhackersidentity-theftplaystationplaystation-networksoesonySony-Online-Entertainmenttdgthe-daily-grindThu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player identifies "huge security hole" in RIFT's authentication system, Trion seals it]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/player-identifies-huge-security-hole-in-rifts-authentication/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/player-identifies-huge-security-hole-in-rifts-authentication/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/player-identifies-huge-security-hole-in-rifts-authentication/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hacking and account hijacking have been severe issues for RIFT ever since launch, even though Trion Worlds anticipated the onslaught from the beginning. Yesterday we saw Trion implement the so-called Coin Lock patch to prevent hackers from selling other players' items in-game, which some see as a novel (partial) solution to the problem.

However, this may not be enough to stop the truly malicious invaders from getting into RIFT accounts. One player, identified as "ManWitDaPlan" on the forums, claims to have circumvented the account login completely, leaving a "huge security hole" for hackers to exploit:

"I have verified the authentication system can be bypassed by successfully logging into another account without needing its credentials. Worse, all it took was about thirty seconds of time once I got all of the details locked down. I did trigger Coin Lock, but I was fully able to access that handy delete-character button, so this exploit is a griefer's dream. I will not post details on how to do this (so don't ask), but I'm positive that I can reproduce this at will and likely on any account on the system."

Later in the thread, a Trion representative added: "We have some things in the works right now and have been passing on your feedback, concerns, and thoughts throughout the day (no matter how radical or unlikely). Sharing sensitive information about our actions (no matter how broad) naturally also informs those carrying out these attacks. This puts us in a tight spot with how much information we can provide, and the questions we can answer."

And it looks as though the problem may be fixed, as ManWitDaPlan posted late last night: "Got word back from Steve Chamberlin, the development lead for Rift. This hole is sealed."

MassivelyPlayer identifies "huge security hole" in RIFT's authentication system, Trion seals it originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-exploitsaccount-securityauthenticationauthentication-systemcoin-lockcoin-lock-systemgriefershackhackedhackersmanwitdaplanriftrift-planes-of-telaratriontrion-worldsSat, 19 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Turbine upgrades LotRO's compromised account reimbursement policy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/26/turbine-upgrades-lotros-compromised-account-reiumbursement-poli/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/26/turbine-upgrades-lotros-compromised-account-reiumbursement-poli/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/26/turbine-upgrades-lotros-compromised-account-reiumbursement-poli/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Account security is a worrysome topic in Lord of the Rings Online these days, especially following a reported rise in hacks and thefts among the playerbase. A couple months ago Codemasters implemented a stronger policy to help players recover lost property, a direction that Turbine followed yesterday when it revised its compromised account reimbursement policy.

Sapience announced on the LotRO forums that this policy is significantly updated and expanded from the old one. Now when a player's account is hacked, Turbine gives a seven-day window to report the issue, during which the company can restore "most" of the lost items and compensate players for items that cannot be replaced. This, however, is not a true rollback and does not cover accounts compromised before February 24th.

Turbine also reassured players that the studio is making it much tougher for unauthorized intruders to delete or sell rare items like raid gear, which should add another layer of protection from losing one's goods.

MassivelyTurbine upgrades LotRO's compromised account reimbursement policy originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemasterscompromised-account-reimbursementcompromised-account-reimbursement-policycompromised-accountshackhackedhackerslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroreimbursementrollbacksapiencetheftturbineunauthorized-third-partySat, 26 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[You are the navigator: China developing motion-sensing MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/22/you-are-the-navigator-china-developing-motion-sensing-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/22/you-are-the-navigator-china-developing-motion-sensing-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/22/you-are-the-navigator-china-developing-motion-sensing-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MMO players are always looking for games that provide deeper, more immersive experiences to draw us into the game world and keep us there. China, one of the world's largest MMORPG markets, is attempting to forge ahead with the next evolution of immersive gameplay by combining online games with motion-sensing controls.

Jin Gang Network is developing Land of Lords Online, an MMO that promises to allow players to explore the world and control their characters via a Kinect-like device. Without touching a physical controller or keyboard, a person can instruct his avatar to move, kill and cast spells in the game. Although details on the project are scant at this point, the company says that it will be releasing a video next month to show how the game's technology works.

Whether motion-sensing controls are the next true gaming interface or just an odd fad, China isn't the only place where a marriage between MMOs and such devices is being explored. Students from the University of Southern California hacked a Kinect to interface with World of Warcraft while South Korea's GamePrix is bringing the Kinect-compatible Divine Souls to Xbox.

MassivelyYou are the navigator: China developing motion-sensing MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinadivine-soulsgameprixhackhackedJin-Gang-Networkkinectland-of-lords-onlinemotion-sensing-controllermotion-sensing-controlsmotion-sensormotion-sensor-controlssouth-koreauniversity-of-southern-californiaworld-of-warcraftwowxboxTue, 22 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Further developments in MapleStory Europe's hacking madness]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/further-developments-in-maplestory-europes-hacking-madness/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/further-developments-in-maplestory-europes-hacking-madness/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/further-developments-in-maplestory-europes-hacking-madness/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Last week, we brought you the news that players abusing an exploit had brought MapleStory Europe's in-game economy to its knees. Using a packet-forging exploit, players with the Meso Guard skill were able to trick the server into giving them 2.17 billion mesos. Hundreds of mule accounts were created to house the forged currency, and trillions was poured into the economy via trades and market stalls. Nexon EU's initial response was to trade-ban all characters with over a certain amount of currency, a move that was criticised for catching a great deal of legitimate players and also somehow missing many of the hackers' mule accounts.

Despite concerns that the issue had gotten out of hand, Nexon EU stated that the company opted not to perform a server rollback. "The reason why we didn't perform a rollback on our servers," a Nexon EU representative told us, "was because we detected the exploit too late which may make the players lose even more of their gains if we were to turn everything back." The company's final plan for dealing with the massive influx of mesos has finally been announced, and it's bad news for practically everyone involved. After determining that the damage to the economy had become irreversible, Nexon decided to try to bring balance back to the economy by deleting a large percentage of every single player's mesos.

The forums have been in an uproar about the solution, with players complaining that it harms legitimate players more than the hackers. Legitimate players who have never cheated nor hacked will log in to find up to 90% of their hard-earned cash gone. Hackers will suffer the same percentage deduction, but with trillions stashed away in mule accounts they'll still be a lot better off than they were before the incident. Nexon EU clarified the statement in a later announcement, stating that "the deduction of Mesos will only be applied to users who have logged into the game between January 5th, 2011 and February 9th, 2011 5:00 A.M. (GMT+1)." Accounts that were previously trade-banned will also be receiving 1,000 maple points and an incubator as compensation.

MassivelyFurther developments in MapleStory Europe's hacking madness originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deleteexploithackmaple-storymaplestorymaplestory-europemesosnexonnexon-eunexon-europepacketThu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MapleStory Europe's economy collapses due to currency exploit [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/maplestory-europes-economy-collapses-due-to-currency-exploit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/maplestory-europes-economy-collapses-due-to-currency-exploit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/01/maplestory-europes-economy-collapses-due-to-currency-exploit/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Despite its huge financial success, MapleStory Europe has had more than its fair share of problems. Last month, controversy hit MapleStory Europe when double-xp cards lasting for 90 days, instead of the intended 24 hours, were accidentally placed in the cash shop during the new year sale. The latest issue to hit MapleStory Europe has done serious and potentially irrecoverable damage to the game's economy. The exploit involved the Chief Bandit and Shadower classes, which both have a skill called "Meso Guard". This causes them to lose mesos, the game's currency, when hit instead of hitpoints.

Packet-forging exploits have been used for some time to alter the damage players deal to monsters or receive from them. Combined with Meso Guard, hackers were able to fool the game into hitting them for -2,147,483,648 damage (the largest negative value a signed 32-bit integer can hold). Since the damage was a negative value, the Meso Guard skill then granted the player over two billion mesos. Hacking players used their ill-gotten gains to buy up practically everything in players' market stalls, massively inflating the game's economy by pouring untold billions into the hands of random players.

Nexon attempted to patch the exploit last night and responded by permanently trade-banning countless accounts. Reports from players indicate that the exploit is still possible and that many of the offending accounts were not banned. To make matters worse, a large number of legitimate players who were traded ill-gotten currency were also allegedly trade-banned. The follow-up to another meso exploit found last year was similarly lackluster, with no server rollback performed in either instance.

[Update: Scott Yoo from Nexon Europe got in touch with us to provide an update on the story. He had the following to say: "[W]e did 'trade-ban' suspected accounts temporarily in order to conduct an internal investigation but we also had to make sure no-more illicitly gained Mesos (in-game currency) are going out to the in-game market and contained in the meanwhile. We do admit that a certain amount of legitimate players can be included in the trade banned list and that's what we are going to reveal through the investigation carefully. [...] The reason why we didn't perform a rollback on our servers was because we detected the exploit too late which may make the players lose even more of their gains if we were to turn everything back. Another announcement that includes more details on this incident will go up live shortly (either today or tomorrow as the latest)."]

MassivelyMapleStory Europe's economy collapses due to currency exploit [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chief-banditeconomyexploitexploitshackhackinghacksmaplemaple-storyMapleStorymaplestory-europemesomeso-guardmesospacketrollbackshadowerTue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The RMT problem]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/19/eve-evolved-the-rmt-problem/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/19/eve-evolved-the-rmt-problem/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/19/eve-evolved-the-rmt-problem/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Of all the problems that plague MMOs, RMT (real money trading) is perhaps the most disruptive to normal gameplay. By design, almost every MMO has some form of tradable currency that can be collected through normal gameplay. The time it takes to collect that currency has an inherent value, which varies from player to player as not every player values his free time at the same level. It's inevitable that cash-rich players who value their time highly will often want to shortcut normal gameplay by buying the currency directly for cash.

The negative impact of RMT and its associated problems is felt in every popular MMO, and EVE Online is no exception. The direct balance issues inherent in allowing players to buy ISK with cash are just the tip of a very unpleasant iceberg. Players who buy ISK from shady websites and services are the reason that the rest of us have to put up with spam-bots in popular chat channels, rampant account hacking, and macros taking up a disproportionately large cut of EVE's in-game resources and server load.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look into the problems caused by RMT, why macro-farming operations have become so wide-spread, and what CCP has done to combat this growing problem.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The RMT problem

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The RMT problem originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefarmingfeaturedhackHackedhacked-accounthackingiskmacromacrosplexreal-money-tradingrmtspamspammerssweatshopsweatshopsSun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online.

At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."

Continue reading Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?

MassivelyMajor EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesamarrbreakingccpccp-gamescontroversycuratores-veritatis-alliancecvaespionageeveeve-onlineguildshackhardinnew-edenprovidencerevengesabotagespiesspytrapWed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japan's online games industry steps up security]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/japans-online-games-industry-steps-up-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/japans-online-games-industry-steps-up-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/japans-online-games-industry-steps-up-security/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The potential for having a hacked game account clearly goes hand in hand with online games, regardless of which country you're in. Japan is taking aim at this particular issue through a rather significant partnership with Visa International, reports Nicholas Aaron Khoo for CNET Asia.

The Japan Online Game Association (JOGA) has pushed for the industry-wide adoption of Verified by Visa by year's end. Verified by Visa uses SSL encryption as part of its Three-Domain (3-D) Secure platform, and it's hoped that establishing this industry standard will reduce the frequency of stolen accounts. Khoo writes, "According to JOGA, Verified by Visa has already been implemented by over 60 percent of online gaming companies in Japan -- the highest among any online retail and service provider industry categories." You can check out the full story in Khoo's "Peace of mind for Japanese gamers?" as part of his Geekonomics column at CNET Asia.

[Via PlayNoEvil]

MassivelyJapan's online games industry steps up security originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-securityasiacnetcnet-asiafraudhackhacked-accountjapanjapanese-onine-game-associationjogammo-industrynicholas-aaron-khoosslverified-by-visavisavisa-internationalWed, 04 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Confessions of an EVE Online macro'er]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/confessions-of-an-eve-online-macroer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/confessions-of-an-eve-online-macroer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/30/confessions-of-an-eve-online-macroer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

You've encountered them before. Those guys. Them. Next to the ISK spammers, they're a plague within EVE Online.

They have gibberish names and sit in ice belts all day in exhumers, macro controlling large mining operations. At the first sign of trouble they gang warp out to safety. Or they're automating courier missions in an endless procession of macro'ed industrials, day in and day out. Or they're part of the infinite army of 0.0 ratting Ravens that automatically warp to a safespot and cloak once someone enters the system. They're all in China, right? The macros are all used by large ISK farming operations where people work in 23/7 shifts... right?

Apparently, that's wrong. EVE-Mag is running an article written by a self-proclaimed macro'er. Only he doesn't work in a sweatshop in a developing nation. He doesn't grind long shifts for ISK. He's an American in his early thirties, with two kids and a family dog. Just a regular guy. He writes under the pseudonym "EVE Player" and poses a question to his readers, "I have macro'ed the holy crap out of certain video games. I've been doing it for more than 8 years now so tell me; at what point did you notice your EVE experience going down the tubes because of me? I'll bet your downward spiral really has nothing to do with me macro'ing, now does it?"

Continue reading Confessions of an EVE Online macro'er

MassivelyConfessions of an EVE Online macro'er originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>automationccpccp-gameschinacontroversialcontroversycourier-missionseconomyeulaeula-violationeveeve-mageve-onlineeve-playerexploitshackisk-farmerlegalmacrominingmmo-industryopinionragerattingsci-fiSun, 30 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard bans Battle.net accounts before WotLK launch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/blizzard-bans-battle-net-accounts-before-wotlk-launch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/blizzard-bans-battle-net-accounts-before-wotlk-launch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/12/blizzard-bans-battle-net-accounts-before-wotlk-launch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Blizzard recently announced that they'd be switching over to a new centralized account system, tying together the company's online games through Battle.net. Existing World of Warcraft accounts are essentially replaced by Battle.net accounts, and will allow for the tracking of achievements across the Blizzard titles. But some players, roughly 350,000 of them, found another unexpected feature arrived with the Battle.net account integration: bans.

Gamesindustry.biz reports: "Blizzard has revealed that is has closed over 350,000 StarCraft and Diablo II accounts which were found to be using third-party hacks. The company further revealed that the Diablo II CD keys associated with the closed accounts are now barred from playing on Battle.net for 30 days and warned that repeat offenders face a permanent ban." Check out the full report over at Gamesindustry.biz, along with a statement from Blizzard about the bans.

MassivelyBlizzard bans Battle.net accounts before WotLK launch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banningbattle.netblizzardcheatcheatingdiablo-2diablo-iiexploitsfantasygamesindustry.bizhackhacksmmo-industrystarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 12 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Superthreats: Outlaw Planet and Generation Exile]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/superthreats-outlaw-planet-and-generation-exile/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/superthreats-outlaw-planet-and-generation-exile/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/superthreats-outlaw-planet-and-generation-exile/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Outlaw Planet Superthreat

"In 2019, the mobile internet and sensor networks we rely on to hold our societies together are being hacked, griefed, and gamed."

The effects of technology turned against us impacts the democratic process, social networks, and every institution connected to the internet. Sophisticated criminal groups employ 'transparency bombs' in online banking attacks (and "World of Starcraft" players no less). The target financial institutions are major players in the virtual currency market, but the issues resulting from this undermined security affect private citizens as well as the banks.

Superstruct Challenge: How can we come together to secure our assets, both real and virtual?

Continue reading Superthreats: Outlaw Planet and Generation Exile

MassivelySuperthreats: Outlaw Planet and Generation Exile originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternate-reality-gamealternate-reality-gamesargculturefacebookforecastforecastinggeneration-exilehackhackerhackingjane-mcgonigalkathi-vianoutlaw-planetsocial-issuessuperstructvideosMon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[RF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rf-online-server-rollback-combats-cheaters-and-500-inflation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

RF Online in the Philippines recently had serious issues with dupe hacks, prompting an unannounced rollback of the servers. PlayNoEvil writes that the operator of RF Online for the Philippines, Level Up Games, discovered a dupe exploit and tried to purge it from the servers as well as those who used it. However due to time constraints with unraveling the intricacies of the exploit, the company decided to roll back the game to a point before the exploit was used.

Level Up Games issued a statement on the problem: Based on DB evidence, numbers as well as feedback from the community, the GMs, the Vanguards and also from our field agents, there was an oversupply of in-game currency and gold - as high as 500 %. GMTristan of RF Online Philippines clarified the situation further on his blog:

Continue reading RF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation

MassivelyRF Online server rollback combats cheaters and 500% inflation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiacheatcheatercurrencydupedupe-exploitdupe-hackeconomyexploitfree-to-playgoldhackhackerinflationjadelevel-uplevel-up-gamesplay-no-evilplaynoevilrf-onlinerollbackservervirtual-currencySun, 08 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST