In “Most Situations” You’ll Receive A New Key

Unlike WoW, which allows up to 8 accounts per bnet account, Diablo 3 will only permit 1 copy. Additional copies will require additional bnet accounts (and additional authenticators). Bashiok confirmed this via twitter earlier today.

The only problem is – this conflicts a little with what Bashiok said 2 days prior.

For most people, this is a non-issue as they will either A) purchase the digital version or B) order the physical CE and wait for it to arrive. For those who have their hearts set on playing from the moment Diablo 3 launches PLUS want a CE for the extras, this issue is only solved by purchasing both versions of the game. Ignoring the additional cost, there are a few problems with this:

• If you purchase the digital version and apply the CE key to your account a few days later, you risk losing a key as Blizzard does not make a 100% guarantee that the key will be replaced. The promise of support returning the key in “most situations” doesn’t mean that that’s what will happen. Blizzard should clearly define the situation whether it be one way or the other; always do it or not at all.

• If you decide to open a second bnet account, you now require a second authenticator or second phone on which to install the virtual one. Given items in Diablo 3 now have a real world dollar value, it would be risky not to have this set up on each account.

Account hacking was/is rampant in WoW and this behavior is likely to continue (and increase?) in Diablo 3. Combining multiple accounts under the one bnet account would solve this issue and given WoW already has such functionality, it’s probably safe to assume it would not be difficult to implement.

Even if Blizzard fail to replace your key, one might argue that it’s a non-issue as there is no benefit to multiboxing in Diablo 3; an incorrect assumption. Having an account on which to play and another on which you can play the RMAH at the same time is just one of many reasons to have a second account.

For the gamer that has that in mind, having 2 accounts combined on a single bnet account makes sense if only for practical reasons. This is why it’s important Blizzard enable such functionality. Of course, the ability to have multiple bnet accounts should always remain given people may want to smurf if the Diablo 3 PvP system heats up – once it’s finally released.

It’s difficult to imagine exactly what type situation would not meet “most situations” in order to receive a new key – which is why Blizzard ought to commit to always giving customers what they paid for.

Are you planning to purchase 2 copies whether it’s to multibox, trade the RMAH or simply have additional character and auction slots? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

UPDATE – Bashiok responded to our questions regarding this issue.