Turns out that a big soccer game is a big draw for virtual currency sales between players -- and a big security problem for EA.
As it prepares to launch FIFA 15, EA has posted an official blog outlining its account policies for FIFA players -- and warns that it is targeting gold farmers and bot operators. These are banning offenses, the post says. The company says it has banned "hundreds of thousands" of accounts from FIFA 14 since February last year. It also says that bots are generating four times as many transaction searches as humans in FIFA. These problems used to be relegated to MMOs, but with the introduction of virtual currencies and robust online services such as EA's "Ultimate Team" system, mainstream sports titles are now a lucrative target. The post recommends that players use two-factor authentication to protect their accounts; it also warns that both cheaters and those who exploit the game's virtual currency systems face bans. Even if they don't bot or farm, users who buy coins will also get in trouble with EA. If you're wondering what the upshot of all of this botting is, read this post on how one person made over $130,000 off of Diablo III's Auction House.
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