GTA 4 for the PC

What was supposed to be the most anticipated day in PC gaming in all of 2008 became a day in infamy, as GTA 4 was released for the PC on December 2, 2008...featuring SecuROM anti-piracy software.

Negative comments and 1-star ratings poured in by the dozens on retail sites across the internet, as many expressed their extreme buyer's remorse of the most beloved and anticipated release of the Grand Theft Auto series, and possibly the most anticipated PC game of 2008 (aside from Spore - which proved to be a complete failure).

What is SecuROM?
SecuROM is software that attempts to combat piracy. It requires internet activation to run the software (now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, etc.) A majority of gamers who have had experience running games that had SecuROM have described it as no less than a "virus" or "spyware," as it can cause serious, unrecoverable system errors. SecuROM checks .exe files to determine your software's legitimacy, and will block it from running if it feels something is not in line. It typically requires logins during installation, and before saving games.

What does this mean for the PC release of GTA IV?
Simply put: nobody knows at the current time. There's no doubt that Rockstar is aware of the backlash this decision would create, and how it will undoubtedly ruin their sales targets as the internet community spreads the word about SecuROM. The only thing that we can really do is continue to read comments on retail sites, to see what customers are saying. Undoubtedly, Rockstar will have some sort of press release about this situation.

This was an incredibly awful day for GTA fans of all kinds!