Today at GDC Microsoft laid down some big news for their Games for Windows LIVE service and community, the first of which are some new anti-piracy solutions. Zero-day piracy protection and server-side authentication will help stop those dirty bilge rats before the games are released. They will also require authentication for online play, further damning the pirates to the depths. So, yeah, good luck with that.

Even more interesting is that LIVE will now allow PC gamers to save their personal settings onto their LIVE account. This will provide gamers access to their settings from any compatible and online Windows PC. This is a great step for desktop computer owners, but don’t expect us to stop bringing our laptops to gaming parties.

Finally, LIVE users will be seeing some new designs as developers create their own unique in-game store fronts and experiences when buying additional content. General Manager of Games for Windows LIVE, Ron Pessner, said, “This update and other features currently in development represent a tipping point in the evolution of Games for Windows – LIVE as a leading online PC gaming network. In the coming months, we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide gamers and publishers with the industry’s best connected gaming experiences through the LIVE service.”