The PC Gaming Alliance has lost two of its founding members, as Activision Blizzard, the company behind such major PC titles as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, and hardware manufacturer Acer have left due to membership costs.

PCGA president Randy Stude confirmed the cost-related leaves with Big Download, explaining to Edge Online that "a few members cannot justify the budget (membership and staff) required to maintain an active role in the PC Gaming Alliance at this time."

"Membership turnover is a fact of life in any industry consortium particularly so in the current economy," he added. "The PC Gaming Alliance is an industry consortium that relies on membership dues to achieve its' mission."

Despite the departures, Stude asserted that the non-profit organization, dedicated to improving PC gaming, has seen a "net [membership] gain for 2009," with recent joins including retailer GameStop and Sony DADC, maker of the oft-derided SecuROM DRM.

The December 2-due PC release of Grand Theft Auto IV will utilize the oft-criticized SecuROM copy protection, publisher Rockstar has confirmed, though some controversial SecuROM features, such as install limits, will not be utilized.

"SecuROM is the most effective form of disc based copy protection and allows us to manage authenticity on a global level for Grand Theft Auto IV," IGN was told.

The game requires a one-time activation via an internet connection, and those with a physical copy will need to have the game disc in their DVD drive while they play.

However, the retail version will have no install limits, with Rockstar clarifying that the physical version "can be installed on an unlimited number of PCs by the retail disk owner." As for digital distribution, the company stated that "each digital download vendor has its own policy on the number of installations that are allowed."

The studio also noted, in an ominous tone, that "using a cracked copy of GTA IV PC will result in varying changes to the game experience," explaining that "these can range from comical to game-progress-halting changes."

More details addressing common SecuROM complains, including required software installations and re-authentication, can be found below... Read more