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[Akura]

Assuming, of course, the CD-key isn't hardware-locked. That is, it's only good for the hardware configuration that it detects during the initial install, and given that it asks for the key during login this may very well be the case. This also screws you if you ever change/upgrade your hardware.

[Boltgun]

Almost all PC games cannot be resold and consoles are well on their way to do the same, because the second hand market needed to die apparently.

[Putnam]

What you've described is nigh-universal practice for MMOs and, indeed, almost all games on PC these days. There is rarely a non-digital release now.

[Flying Dice]

This is actually a big part of the reason why I'm in favor of unified digital distribution platforms like Steam. Realistically, the industry isn't going to go back to the days of selling games as unsecured CDs, so the linking of purchased games to cloud-based accounts like that is as good as we're going to get. It avoids a lot of the major issues with DRM relating to number of installations if you can always install any game you've linked to your account to any computer where you've downloaded the platform and logged in (as well as allowing you to progress saves on multiple machines), but you also have the fallback of being able to go offline and still play installed games even if something happens.

The ideal, I think, would be a paradigm of multiple relatively equal and consumer-friendly DDPs without exclusive titles or walls around multiplayer between platforms. DRM's not going away for the bulk of the industry, so the aim should probably be to reach a point where the major developers and publishers that want it will be satisfied with a solution which has the smallest possible impact on non-pirates.

I mean, I'd love a return to the old way of things, but it ain't happening. The copy of Tiberian Sun I've got these days is running with a genned key (because second-hand in a ragged paper sleeve from a used electronics store, natch), and I can just imagine the horror of large companies if their modern games could be shared like that between everyone who knew someone with a link to a torrent with the game files and a CD key generator.

[Krevsin]

what really offends me is that the xbox and playstation copies don't need a key just put the disc in and play.

From what I hear it's more akin to put a disc in, wait for a cople of hours for the bloody thing to update, then play for the first time. And then wait about 15 minutes before playing it each subsequent time because updates.