![Don’t Buy Diablo III Digitally [updated]](http://gamecola.net/wp-content/themes/arras-theme/library/timthumb.php?src=http://gamecola.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/devil-630x259.jpg&w=630&h=250&zc=1 "Don’t Buy Diablo III Digitally [updated]")
A quick public service announcement: If you haven’t bought Diablo III yet, because you’re waiting for that console release, or for the simple reason that it didn’t work— don’t buy it digitally. Why? A new patch that went live yesterday restricts players to the “Starter Edition” of the game—essentially a demo—for 72 hours after purchase.
I repeat: If you buy the game digitally, you can’t actually play it for three days. Or at least, you can only play up to the end of Act 1, and you can only interact with other Starter Edition players. They didn’t list a reason for including this great new feature, although I can only assume it’s because they weren’t satisfied with the bad press they’ve already been receiving.
Can you imagine if other retailers adopted this practice? If you bought a sandwich at Subway, and then weren’t legally allowed to eat it for three days? I’m normally not on board with the ActiBlizzard hate, but this is a bit much. What would Oleg (MEGAMASTER) say?
Update:
Per Kotaku, Blizzard has clarified their restrictions on new purchasers of the digital version of Diablo III. Apparently the comedic “you’re restricted to the demo version, lol” feature is actually a glitch—although new accounts do still have several intentional limitations as Blizzard “verifies” them as legitimate buyers, and not dirty, dirty gold farmers:
· No public game access for unverified digital purchasers
· No auction house access (real-money or gold) for unverified digital purchasers
· Unverified digital purchasers cannot trade items or drop items for other players to receive
· Unverified digital purchasers are not able to chat in any public or game channels
· Unverified digital purchasers cannot attach a custom message to friend requests, but they can send/accept friend requests, and play with their friends
· Global Play is not available for unverified digital purchasers
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Paul Franzen is the founder of GameCola.net and the writer/designer of Life in the Dorms, an actual videogame. Learn more at paulfranzen.wordpress.com. 
I hate how Blizzard has handled this game every step of the way. I’ve never really played Diablo before and wanted to jump in with Diablo III, but if I have to pay full price only to jump through endless hoops like this I’m going to bow out until they figure it out and the price drops a whole lot.
Wait for the price (and the B.S.) to drop, then I’m thinking–blind co-op GameCola Let’s Play. It’ll be awesome.
Yes!
Oh man. Keep an eye on that price. That could be fun.
Remove the word “digitally” and we’re rolling.
I’m not all that excited about Diablo III. I started playing the original Diablo a few months ago… man, was that ever boring.
Yeah, I tried to go back to the first one shortly after beating the second one for the umpteenth time. You can’t go back.
Having never played Diablo II or Diablo III, I can pretty much say that you can’t even start anymore.
Oh, wait, my friend just showed me that he made $20 selling an in game helmet in the real money auction house. I’m back to being tempted to buy it, proving once again that I am easily bought.
Don’t give in! It still costs $60! You’d have to sell…THREE helmets to make that back!