In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, you will have to adhere to the customs of the platform: You will not need a code to play. Only the CD.
Regarding the question: What do you need to play TESO, there has been some back and forth: Do you need a one-time code? Can you essentially do without the CD afterwards? According to the “the code decides” principle, most MMOs operate today. The most important part of the retail package has long been the code, not the CD. This is different for console titles.
This also has other implications: MMOs are worth nothing on the “used market” as the code is usually missing. While CDs without such a “one-time code” are actively traded.
So which path would TESO choose?
TESO opts for the console approach regarding “one-time code”
This has now been surprisingly clarified openly and in clear terms: they are also opting for the console approach on consoles.
In the official forum, a TESO employee states: They will not need a one-time code for “physical editions” of The Elder Scrolls Online. Only the game CD is necessary as “verification”.
This means: you can share the game with a friend or buy a copy that has already had a previous owner, and this can be done without any problems.
A unique game key will not be required for physical editions of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. As with any other physical copy on these platforms, only the game disc will be needed for verification. This means that you are able to share the game disc with a friend, or purchase a pre-owned copy of the game without any issues.
They explain this in more detail later: When you lend the CD to a friend, they can play with it as long as the CD is in the console. However, you yourself cannot continue playing without the CD.
Mein MMO states: The forum members at TESO are relatively surprised by this decision. And so are we. TESO is obviously behaving not like an MMORPG, but like a classic console game. And this is already quite generous, likely due to the transition to a Buy2Play MMO model. This model typically does not focus so much on one-time purchase revenue but aims to reach as large a player base as possible that then purchases in the cash shop.
