Windows gaming took center stage today in San Francisco at the annual Game Developers Conference, as Microsoft announced new features coming to the Games for Windows LIVE online gaming service and community:

The new features announced are:

• Anti-piracy Solution: Zero-day piracy protection and server-side authentication help prevent game piracy before street date, and protect publishers and consumers by requiring authentication for online play

• In-game Marketplace: New Marketplace APIs let developers create unique in-game store fronts and experiences surrounding the sale of additional content, providing developers and publishers with new revenue streams, and consumers with a seamless gaming experience

• Roaming: PC gamers can now save their personal settings back to their Games for Windows – LIVE account in the cloud, providing access to their settings on any compatible and connected Windows PC

During the conference, Microsoft stated that in the last six months, the Games for Windows – LIVE community has seen "staggering growth" thanks in part to the launch of a more PC-friendly interface last November, and the addition of some of the year’s biggest Windows games, including best-sellers Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3 and “Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II.