Guh. This is nothing like DRM to those who were connecting the two. DRM is used because you are licensing the game, and essentially when you buy a PC game, you are buying that license to play it. Thus, the developers put in measures to avoid multiple uses of one license, although they happen to be shitty measures that hurt most normal users more than pirates.
This type of code is used as a free bonus to those who buy it. If the person who buys it chooses not to activate the code for some reason, then trades it in, then the person who buys it used will still get it. By the same token, is anyone pissed that places like Gamefly won't be giving every person who rents the game the free 20 downloads, or are they "scam artists" like Gamestop, too?
I realize it's fashionable in the gaming community to rip on Gamestop, but they provide a valuable service. How much will Best Buy or Walmart give you for your old games? I worked at a Gamestop for 3 years, and really have no affection for the company, but when I see people bitching about them because of practices like "opening a display copy for the shelf" it's just illogical ranting by someone who has no idea how business functions. Don't want a used game, or an opened copy of a new game? (Which would only be the last available new copy at any Gamestop, BTW.) Go somewhere else. Gamestop will honestly not miss your business, and you can feel very good about taking such a bold stance against that type of large scale conman.
The dedication you show to any particular console or company is inversely proportional to the number of times you have gotten laid. If you get laid enough, even if you prefer a certain brand, you just don't give enough of a shit to argue about it on the internet.
