Paying for a key from a reseller is a gamble. You are essentially paying for a lottery ticket that may or may not result in a playable game.
In the mid-2000s, the CD key was the primary defense against software piracy. For Empire Earth III
The CD key for Empire Earth III is a 20-character alphanumeric code (formatted XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX ). It serves two primary purposes: