Final Fantasy XIV = token security

by Mattias on the 16th November 2009

The next big Japanese MMORPG will continue to rely on physical security devices, for better and worse.

In the wake of the crazy hype that surrounds Final Fantasy XIII with its recently announced US and EU release date of March 9, it is easy to forget that the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is also scheduled for release in 2010 (the exact date hasn't been announced yet).

FF XIV is the sequel to Final Fantasy XI, the first MMORPG released by RPG giant Square Enix. FF XI has had a steady following in Asia since its release in 2002, and given the vast amount of Final Fantasy fans in the world, the FF XIV looks like a guaranteed success and will surely attract enough players to be a very profitable revenue stream for Square Enix.

However, a large user base also provides enough incentive for malware creators to write custom keyloggers and other forms of malware, specifically targeted to extract password credentials for one particular game.

Square Enix' attempt to reduce the malware threat against Final Fantasy XI was to release a physical device that you used to log in to your account, a security token. Similar devices has long been used by banks and provide fairly reliable security but at the price of a less smooth experience for the user. Unfortunately, physical devices also suffers from other problems such as running out of battery or simply getting lost.

For better or worse, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIV will use the same kind of security tokens as its predecessor. At least it is one more reason to get one of those awesome Final Fantasy key rings.