GTA 4 for PC - Copy Protection FAQ

[Gridlock]

Rockstar has released a FAQ regarding the copy protection that will be used in the PC version of GTA 4.

• Activation via Internet (1x per system, no limits, Fallback for systems without web access)
• Copy protection SecuRom: The original disc is required for playing (Except: Download version of GTA 4, for example from Direct 2 Drive)
• Requirements for playing (singleplayer): Games for Windows Live account for saving/achievements (1x free creation), original disc, SecuRom runs in the background
• Requirements for playing (multiplayer): Active internet connection, Games for Windows Live account, For uploading videos: Rockstar Social Club Account.
• If you don't have web access or don't want to connect your gaming PC to the Internet, Rockstar wants to offer a not yet specified system to activate GTA 4 via another PC with web access. Details are supposed to be available on launch.
• For the normal GTA 4 (PC) version with disc installation, activations are unlimited. But the original disc is required for playing.
  This does not apply for legally downloaded versions of GTA 4: Depending on the vendor the following is possible: Five parallel installations with the possibility to revive a "free” installation, if an old installation is deleted. For this purpose the customer has to have web access with the PC GTA 4 is installed on.
• Those playing GTA 4 with an illegally hacked version have, according to Rockstar, to fear that the game will not be fully playable.
• If you change two major components of your PC (like the graphics card or the CPU), you will possibly have to reactivate GTA 4.

[Demon_Hunter]

don't you have to pay for a microsoft acount?

[Gridlock]

No, it's free.

[Nimrod]

Games for windows live accounts are basically xbox live accounts. They can be used for both pc's and xboxs. The free account is a silver live account which from a pc will let you send messages and access all of live's features. All in all I found the system to be pretty well implemented in gears of war for the pc. It should be great in gta 4

[Bizzie]

What the...!?

Another account for a game? Thanks... no thanks, actually. If I had Xbox I might have a totally different opinion, but as the only console I own is a nearly ten years old Playstation, I'll stick with my thought.

And SecuRom... well, that doesn't bother me at all. I guess I'll have to wait and see what I will buy after Christmas.

Also, this is a very interesting article.

[Killzone]

I wont buy GTA IV because of this 'security'. It's because i hate to get my PC slow from all this crap, and it's just against my principles.

Gj Rockstar, very well done!

[Gridlock]

I doubt it would eat up more memory than MSN or Steam running in the background.

[Nimrod]

What the...!?

Another account for a game? Thanks... no thanks, actually. If I had Xbox I might have a totally different opinion, but as the only console I own is a nearly ten years old Playstation, I'll stick with my thought.

Actually you just use your msn account. The only thing new is that you select a gamertag

Also they've just updated the games for live overlay and I've got to say its pretty damn good, the only thing is updating can sometimes be tricky.

[Bizzie]

Actually you just use your msn account.

Even worse.

[Killzone]

I doubt it would eat up more memory than MSN or Steam running in the background.

Difference with Steam or MSN, those apps really ADD something. Securom adds NOTHING, only adds more crap/malware...

[FrozenX]

My PC can't run GTA 4, but if you download one, who is completly cracked, you can go on internet, you can activate it, and blablabla. Just buy one game with your friends, install it everywhere, and then clone it, I don't think SecuRom is good enough for it.

[Gridlock]

I doubt it would eat up more memory than MSN or Steam running in the background.

Difference with Steam or MSN, those apps really ADD something. Securom adds NOTHING, only adds more crap/malware...

We were talking about the memory usage of these applications, not the purposes. Let's say - You are the head of a multimillion selling software company. You just came out with a new bit of technology which turns out to be very successful. One day, when you're swimming in happiness, you access the Internet and are overwhelmed with anger when you see the numbers. 300,000 copies sold, 2,000,000 downloads from The Pirate Bay. What would you do? Of course you'd use any means necessary to prevent such a situation from happening again.

My PC can't run GTA 4, but if you download one, who is completly cracked, you can go on internet, you can activate it, and blablabla. Just buy one game with your friends, install it everywhere, and then clone it, I don't think SecuRom is good enough for it.

AFAIK, you can install the game on ONE computer, countless of times.

[Killzone]

I doubt it would eat up more memory than MSN or Steam running in the background.

Difference with Steam or MSN, those apps really ADD something. Securom adds NOTHING, only adds more crap/malware...

We were talking about the memory usage of these applications, not the purposes. Let's say - You are the head of a multimillion selling software company. You just came out with a new bit of technology which turns out to be very successful. One day, when you're swimming in happiness, you access the Internet and are overwhelmed with anger when you see the numbers. 300,000 copies sold, 2,000,000 downloads from The Pirate Bay. What would you do? Of course you'd use any means necessary to prevent such a situation from happening again.

My PC can't run GTA 4, but if you download one, who is completly cracked, you can go on internet, you can activate it, and blablabla. Just buy one game with your friends, install it everywhere, and then clone it, I don't think SecuRom is good enough for it.

AFAIK, you can install the game on ONE computer, countless of time.

Securom wont 'protect' anything, it will be cracked anyway. It will only cost more money to the company. And i care about memory. If it's spend in a good way, its fine (steam == good), else, it sucks d**k (securom != good).

In fact, a game with a protection will be having the same number of copies then a game withouth protection. These are FACTS!

In this case, it will be even worse, there will be more illigal copies WITH the protection.

[Nimrod]

True securom will be cracked, but there are in built bugs inserted into gta 4 which may make certain elements of the game unplayable. Theres also the fact u wouldnt be able to go online with a cracked version without hamachi.

[Killzone]

No, not online, but i hear everywhere that it sucks (on Xbox and PS3 that is), and they prob. fix those 'bugs', just like in Assasins Creed.