From what several reviewers have been saying, since the EA servers do an enormous amount of the calculations in order for the game to work, it will probably be increadibly difficult, if not impossible, for them to pirate this game.
Personally this scares the hell out of me, as if this level of DRM becomes the norm, it'll mean the people like me who actually go out and buy these sorts of games are being screwed over worse than the pirates! We'll be enjoying Error 37 and thier equvalents all the time, and only be allowed to play the games WE'VE BOUGHT when THEY SAY WE CAN!
DRM is anti-consumer. Especially at this kind of level. When you make it next to impossible to play something you've legally bought, then you've pushed it too far. I certainly will not be buying this game, funnily enough all watching clips of this game has done is convince me to dust off Sim City 4 and play that again instead.