That last part is crucial to the decision. Acid Wizard sees resellers as "cancer[s]" that hurt the game industry as a whole and make it "impossible" to give away free copies an a more controlled way. After all, what's to stop recipients from selling their free keys? The developer might be leaving money on the table, but it argues that this is better than letting cheaters and resellers profit at a studio's expense.

There's no doubt that this is as much a shrewd business move as it is a kind gesture. After all, it publicizes the game and builds up a player base that Darkwood wouldn't have obtained through sales alone. At the same time, though, it's also a reminder that the game key system has some endemic problems that hurt creators -- even those creators that have no problems giving away their work.