http://kotaku.com/5099919/gta-iv-on-pc-to-use-securom
When will they ever learn?!
Now, I wasn't really planning on getting this game, I mean, maybe if the mods were good. But the old story goes, is that Pirates WILL get around your copy protection. Leaving consumers to have farked up computers while Pirates go away just fine and dandy.
I'm sick and tired of this crap and I refuse to buy any new PC titles unless they are without draconic DRM.
I'm fine with a cdkey check, but once you start installing 3rd party programs that have nothing to do with how the game runs, that's when you're hindering the performance of my machine, and I cannot allow that. So blow off mother farker.
EDIT:
and just to prove a point, here's a list of things that securom can do:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Securom
and here's information on what it does to 16bit processes
http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11086

I almost pre-ordered this on Steam yesterday when I found out about 32-player multiplayer. :(

Buy it off of Steam; they usually deactivate parts of the original DRM. This has happened to a recent release (title eludes me right now).

I will sit here with my popcorn and await the arrival of the pro-DRM team. Let the firEWorks begin.

They just lost a sale. EA pulling this crap is bad enough, is this the new fad?

Fallout 3 had DRM at retail but nothing on the Steam version. Also, Silent Hill: Homecoming was exclusively released on Steam without any DRM and it didn't get pirated at all.

Ok it will use SecuROM... but which parts of Securom, or more precisely will it use online activation or not, Fallout 3, Kings Bounty and TRU all used Securom v7 but they only used the very basic features, which means a basic CD-check, and none of the online activation trash that EA games are using.
Actually it was, the day after release, same goes with Left 4 Dead another Steam exclusive. (and Steam is a DRM)
And Fallout didn't had DRM it had copy protection, it didn't require any online activation and Securom was only on the installer and launcher (the menu with "start game", "change config", etc...)and not on the game executable itself.

X3 Terran Conflict & FC2 had more protections on Steam, like TAGES and Securom, respectively.
So I highly doubt there'll be no DRM on Steam.

If you read the interview IGN did with the Rockstar guys, they explicitly said that EVERY version of the game, including the Steam version, WILL have SecuROM 7.
For someone who had asked, it will require online activation, and it will do the usual Sec 7 spyware/phone home thing.
Also, weirdly, to play every version of GTA 4 you will also HAVE to install Adobe Flash, Games For Windows Live and something called Rockstar Games Social Club. Here's a link to the story.

Ok thanks for the info.
Directly to the trashcan then... means more money for GoG.
I am sure I will find a victim... heu... I mean a friend from which I can borrow the game to play it exactly like I did for Bioshock and Mass Effect.
And in 5 or 10 year if game is released on GoG I might buy it...

doesnt bother me at all, ill be getting the game definiely.

You need a CD check, internet activation, and three other programs installed to be allowed to play. Plus, you get game-breaking bugs if you decide you don't want to put up with all that. But hey, unlimited activations!
I never really got why they view this sort of measures as "protection" - is their version of SecuROM somehow different from the hundreds of others that are already cracked? Heck, it might even be possible that the only one benefiting from this are the developers of the DRM scheme in question. Publisher gets screwed, since the game is still pirated. Customers get hassled needlessly, since that's about all the copy protection is good for.

All the versions that appear on torrent sites won't have SecuROM included. :

I love how Securom tells me that my legit copy of Oblivion doesn't have the DVD in, when it is CLEARLY in the drive.