Strategy Informer  

Yes I'd have to say it's overly restrictive yet pretty typical of Blizzard's heavy handed approach to it's consumers and the over-protection of it's product. I mean this isn't the Ark of the Covenant, for goodness sake.
I can see arguments both for and against it, but I'm afraid it's too much to my mind and will only get worse as scammers start hitting the Auction House, which they will. Then the obvious account hacking will begin.

1 word. Stupid.

I don't see any argument "for" this process Herodotus, sorry. They BOUGHT the f***ing game, they shouldn't then have to prove that they are worthy of playing it.

Fortunately the solution is simple: don't buy the game. The standard upcoming alternative to plug, Torchlight II, is already looking just as good at half the price, and the developers will actually let you play it if you pay for it!

I've already "seen" the arguments for it. Perhaps I should have put that better: I've seen them, but I don't agree with them, as I made clear in the rest of my post. Some players of "Diablo III" support the decision, but most ask this question: Why buy a digital copy of the game?

As for gamers buying and owning games, that's a complicated one. These days, particulalrly where Steam is involved and/or a constant online connection is required we do not 'own' these games. We own the right to play them that's all, a right that can be taken away by the Publisher/Distibution Service anytime they choose and for whatever reason they want to give, if any.

If gamers do not understand this, then they need to really look hard at where this industry is going. Mainstream Triple A games will be available to "rent" only, and it will be the smaller niche companies we'll need to turn to to actually buy and own a game (Paradox Interactive for one). How long that will last is also uncertain. Many blame Piracy, but that's crap and the Publishers know it. Still, it works to their benefit if we go on believing it.

This is obviously too restrictive, you buy a game and then get treated as a tool for it.

And why does this apply to digital only? A serial code is a serial code.

The source of the code sets them apart. A retail code is specific and easily identied by Blizzard, Steam, Origin etc (it shows up on yourt Steamaccount, for example - "Retail"). Digital codes can come from any source and is why, for example Steam banned many accounts of Westeners who bought "MW 3" via a Russian store (ie. cheaply).
This is why GreenManGAming.com must gain permission from Steam to release codes at the reasonable prices that they do. If not they'd be booted out of business in no time at all.
Blizzard, greedy SOB's that they are won't let anyone touch their DD's though which makes this even more disconcerting.

But what prevents those stores to sell retail codes over internet as well?
A cheap digital Russian code is not that much different from a cheap retail Russian box.
It's the same thing, it's still Blizzard that issues them out.

Retail is retail, so that's not the issue. DD codes are the ones that for example Steam get their panties in a knot over. Blizzard however, that's a whole different ballgame. They have a unique way of doing business that sets them apart from any other Publisher, and that would require an article at least to describe - that's if you could get the whole story.

Conceptually, it's no different whether you "buy" a game from Activision or Paradox - what you buy is a right to use the software; you don't "own" the game in any sense apart from, if you get the physical copies, the CD. Which explains why reverse engineering of the game is not allowed (despite you having paid for "it") and in some jurisdictions considered a criminal offence.

...and in some you are actually allowed to reverse engineer the data in other countries ;)

This however, is Blizzards way of saying - shut up and pay and kneel to the alter os sheeples and take it!
Diablo 3 is a nice game, but still, it lags a lot, have server issues, stutterings, a lot of downtime, many problems and patches that changes stuff in the game but the descriptions of what changes isn't there and it is very restrictive in how to access and play the game - mostly because that damned auction house!