I think the best way for GOG to distribute CD-keys would be that there should be a special page somewhere near your account settings where they show your unique CD-keys for the games you have bought and you should insert your CD-key into the installer before installing a game. I've heard that right now people have to mess with registry files and such but this would be more simple.

There's a couple problems with that. One it messes with GOG's no DRM policy. And seconly, the only times when CD-keys are needed is when there's a multiplayer server that requires it to log in.

Lastly, GOG doesn't assign a CD-key just because you bought the game. For people like me that don't need a key, it's silly to assign one.

I do however, think that it would be nice to have an expedited way of requesting one.

It's not silly to assign a key, as it's part of your purchase. There should absolutely be a CD key easily accessible from one's account without any fuss.

Indeed. Every other DD store seems capable of assigning a serial key at point of purchase. There is no reason for GOG to not do the same.

If it messed with GOG's no DRM policy, they wouldn't sell games that still required a serial key for online play. That doesn't make sense.

Anyway, as has already been said there is absolutely no reason that this can't be automated as it is everywhere else when you buy a game.

Are there any games apart from NWN that actually require a unique CD key?

Unreal Tournament for one.

Ah yes, of course. Well with both UT and NWN being rather popular games, I agree an automated system would probably be a good idea.

Plenty. Off the top of my head there's Sacred Gold, Two Worlds, Far Cry, Unreal Tournament 2004... there will be others too.

EDIT: ninja'd! But yes, some automated process would be nice. Pre-allocating keys might not be such a good idea though, as among other things it might lead to GOG temporarily running out of keys during a big sale (which happens constantly on Steam).

Possibly just an automated manual request system, since not everyone is necessarily going to be playing multiplayer.

The alternative is not selling games that used a key and were online multiplayer. You have to draw a line somewhere, and since GOG can't change server policy they give out keys for those servers.

Giving them out to everybody irrespective of desire to play online just adds to administrative overhead as they have to get new ones when they run out.

So...the same thing that every other digital retailer who sells games using keys deals with? I fail to see why this creates any sort of 'special circumstance' for GOG over anyone else. The competition all manage to do it just fine. There is no real reason that it should be any different here.

can i use your key then :D jk
btw anyone remember how we got the various cd keys when we got humble bundle something like that would be nice on gog after purchasing the game your account should have a request cd key button, when clicked gets the key required just like the humble bundle had for steam keys, if you dont want a key then its just left blank till you request it

The current system is sort of like having to specifically ask for the keys/wheels/cigarette lighter for the new car you brought. Not a huge deal, but everyone expects it to come with it because it is part of the purchase (whether you use it or not).

What a complete cop out. Regardless of whether it's going to be used or not, it's included in the price of the game and thus should be made immediately available to the purchaser at the point of purchase, there is no excuse for making people request the key via a support system that doesn't, in its current state, even show any signs of actually being functional itself.