Grand Theft Auto IV hits the internet, Microsoft investigating

So a pirated copy of the PAL (Australia, New Zealand, and the EU) version of Grand Theft Auto IV - in part, the subject of the cover story of this week's Phoenix - hit the internet last night. Presumably, someone leaked an advance review copy (don't look at us, we haven't even gotten it yet.)

But here's the thing: the people who are playing it illegally - some of them, at least - are not too smart. Why? Because in addition to posting a series of videos to GameTrailers.com, they're playing it while signed in to Xbox Live, meaning that Microsoft, if they so chose, could quite easily find out their names and billing information. And, from the sounds of what Xbox Live honcho Major Nelson told Kotaku, they're planning on doing exactly that. So way to go guys, you're about to usher in a new era of paranoia from game publishers. What's next, watermarks?