Wildstar's Bot War: A New Incentive

Wildstar has had a bit of a problem with botting and hacked accounts since launch.  In a strange twist I'd never heard of in any other game, Wildstar's Executive Producer Jeremy Gaffney told players on 1 July that between 50% and 70% of all accounts Carbine had banned for botting were hacked.¹  Apparently, because Carbine has players use their email addresses as their login, hackers can purchase lists of passwords and try those, hoping that users have reused their passwords from other games or websites.

Carbine has pushed 2-factor authentication pretty hard since early access.  Wildstar displays Google Authenticator as the default choice, although I understand the use of WinAuth is also supported.  Personally, unless you make a fresh email account for playing Wildstar, I'd choose to use an authenticator.

Carbine offers an incentive package for players to sign up for 2-factor authentication.  At launch, the package included:

• A 2% experience boost to Experience, Renown, and Prestige that allows you to out-level those people whose accounts remain hacker bait.
• A Cybernetic Eyepatch costume item to commemorate your victory over the bad guys. It also improves depth perception.
• The title Certifiably Certified so you can provide official proof to your guild mates that you have earned access to the bank.

Notice the subtle hint to players to make sure all of your guildmates are using an authenticator?  Almost EVE-like in its attempt to reduce corp guild theft.

On Wednesday, Carbine sweetened the pot by offering a free mount for using an authenticator.

The Retroblade Mount For Using 2-Factor Authentication

I don't have stats on the mount because my main is only level 12 and players cannot use mounts until level 15.  I also don't know how much a mount is.  I heard 10 gold, but I don't know if that is just for the mount or to purchase the skill as well.  But if that reduces the cost of getting a mount, then Carbine with this gift will also remove an incentive for purchasing gold on the secondary RMT market as well as getting players to secure their accounts.  Nicely played, Carbine!

Notes:

1.  I'm not saying Wildstar is the first game this has happened in.  Just that Carbine is the first company I've read state this.  The usual culprit is credit card fraud.