I was going to open this post by saying 'Remember APB?', but Graham already did that in 2013. Um. Do you remember remembering APB? It's the cops and robbers MMO that launched in a shonky state back in 2010, causing Realtime Worlds to sink just weeks after launch. Then the game got picked up by GamersFirst, who turned it free-to-play, slapped 'Reloaded' onto the name, and made it...a little less shonky?
This week, the story continues. Little Orbit have bought GamersFirst, and their CEO is promising to look after the somehow-still-existent APB community with big content updates and a shift to a newer engine. Will it be enough to make those cops worth robbing and the robbers worth copping?
]]>Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.
The story of APB is a twisted games industry tale that makes us all squirm with discomfort. Presented as Grand Theft Auto meets MMO it had neither the confidence of the former nor the lifespan of the latter. It was ambitious but also doomed. Poor driving controls, humdrum shooting matches and a lack of variety couldn't save it from the ire of heartless critics, myself included, not even when Realtime Worlds collapsed and the game was bought and relaunched as APB Reloaded.
]]>This is the latest in the series of articles about the art technology of games, in collaboration with the particularly handsome Dead End Thrills.
Not only can I straightfacedly say that I enjoyed playing APB, I even have this document to prove it. Being what felt like a voice in the wilderness back then wasn't what was frustrating, though, it was knowing that the trolls so vocal in the game's own chat channels weren't wrong. Such were this MMO shooter's problems - the anarchy not just of game, you felt, but production - that no amount of charity was going to save it from the bloodlust of gloating critics.
As someone who loves a good character editor and was floored by APB's ambition, I had a hard time dealing with the bait-and-switch of the game's customisation modes. (What you built in the editor looked next to nothing like who you played in the game.) Clearly the game couldn't deal with it, either, which is why much of its landscape is wallpapered in the work of a concept art dream team assembled by Webzen and Realtime Worlds.
]]>Remember APB? It was GTA Online before GTA Online existed. It was a massively multiplayer game of cops and robbers. It launched like a soggy biscuit and its developers, Real-Time Worlds, collapsed just weeks after launch. It was eventually bought by another company, GamersFirst, and turned into a free-to-play game called APB: Reloaded that we still didn't like.
Yet the game carries on, buoyed by a small but dedicated audience and a team of developers who are clearly passionate about making it better. They've done a lot of work over the past couple of years, and a new post on the team's development blog outlines the game's future, while also offering some candid thoughts on Grand Theft Auto V.
]]>In today's game news from another universe: Modern Warfare's sensitive depiction of the banality of combat has prompted the Pulitzer committee to add a video games category. Half-Life 3's midnight launch also brought with it Steam 2. And APB, the most populated and well-received action-MMO of its generation, spawning a cultural revolution and raising gaming to the highest artform, has a sister game in production: the action multiplayer shooter known as APB Vendetta.
]]>Mr Caldwell has been playing APB Reloaded. We asked him to tell us what he thinks about it. It's quite the story.
Right, this is the thing...
]]>Our London-based agent Brendan Caldwell recently talked to the men who are responsible for the resurrection of ill-fated MMO-shooter, APB. Michael Boniface and Zak Littwin, who hail from the original Realtime Worlds team, had quite a lot to say about the current state of their project. Read on for Uzi lovin'.
]]>It's a strange sight, seeing APB back on Steam, a year after it went away. Of course this is the new version, brought back to life by K2 Networks, reinvented as a free-to-play game. Which as of today can now be played-for-free via Steam. So, you gonna?
]]>Oh, this spate of live action trailers the world is currently suffering from will surely end soon? Beyond giving the message, "we don't think our in-game graphics are impressive", I'm not sure what else they're supposed to convey. But fortunately, this latest for APB Reloaded does occasionally switch to in-game footage. Which, of course, ends up looking (slightly) unfairly lame having just been watching its real-world equivalent shot on high-def film.
]]>Ah, APB. That most ill-fated of games. What shall become of you? Well, we will soon be able to have a better idea, thanks to being able to get our hands on GamersFirst's free-to-play reboot of the game. The open beta kicks off on May 18th, and I suspect a fair few people will be popping by to see whether the new owners have managed to deal with the game's various problems. What's also fascinating is the openness with which the APB Reloaded blog has been dealing with things like cheating. Take a look at the section on cheating in that last post, for example: "We have ON PURPOSE not kicked hackers for over a week to monitor what they are doing. That clearly will change. One semi-famous aimbot site realized that we had caught a slew of their users over the weekend (though we did so silently), then they stopped their own hack, and then earlier today re-enabled it. Sigh... when will they ever learn."
]]>That's according to this tweet from the company that now owns the game. Last year's biggest disaster is being transformed into a free-to-play title by the chaps at GamersFirst, who picked up the dead game for a bargain price when RealTime Worlds collapsed in September. For more details - and to keep an eye out on beta details promised for later in the week - you can check out this blog.
]]>Looks as though the most recent APB purchase rumour was the true one. Reloaded Productions, owned by GamersFirst, owned by the K2 Network, owned by entropy, has bought it all up, and plans to make it free-to-play during the second half of next year. Whatever they paid, it's one heck of a bargain for the technology they now own. As dodgy as the game may have been, the customisation tech in there is unparalleled. They plan to redevelop a few aspects, the GamersFirst dude explaining,
]]>Mediocre subscription MMOs don't die, they just go free-to-play. And so it seems that after the high-profile collapse of Realtime Worlds, following the release of MMO flop APB, the game is looking likely to re-emerge some time toward the end of this year. GI.biz reports that the K2 Network, owners of F2P service GamersFirst, is paying around £1.5 million for the intellectual property. This is currently unconfirmed, and K2 declined to respond to GI's newshound sniffing, so maybe this could go the way of the Codies rumour from last week, or September's erroneous Epic gossip. Call me cynical. But if it's happening, it'll be a way for fans of the game to re-enter its world, without the completely daft gametime-purchasing system + micro-transactions that accompanied the game's launch.
]]>Our chums over at Eurogamer are running an article about the catastrophic failure of APB:
]]>Via Massively, I notice there's a bit of a random clue as to the fate of APB. The website and such might be dead, but for some reason the patcher is still delivering info. On the 22nd it read: "It's looking like there might be light at the end of the tunnel for APB. The end of the administration process is apparently close and there appears to be a buyer for the game."
]]>A post on the Steam forums suggests that ringing up EA's support lines to complain about the untimely demise of APB might be fruitful. The poster in this instance managed to get 4000 Bioware points, which I think is about $50. Worth a shot, if you're glum about your APB purchase, anyway.
]]>The BBC mention the possibility that the remains of APB may be purchased by Epic. This actually squares with the reports from Gamesindustry.biz where Les Able of Begbies Traynor said that despite 300 parties having interest, none of the shortlist of six were "comfortable with buying it as a live operation." So, APB is dead and there's certainly six places on that list for Epic. Some more information, speculation and thoughts on the APB close follows...
]]>Perma-troubled MMO APB is preparing to see its last cop shoot its last robber. While bankrupted developer Realtime Worlds' second project, the social game Project: My World looks to have been rescued by a mystery US firm that may or may not be headed up by former RTW bossmen, All Points Bulletin has not been granted a similar second wind. Its impending closure has just been officially announced.
]]>There's a peculiar bit of news for all those Realtime Worlds employees who have found themselves out of a job in the last week. As an anonymous insider told us, "It’s a shame... as Dundee can’t absorb the level of game dev redundancies that are about to hit, which means the Dundee scene gets that little bit smaller." It seems that Activision is attempting to absorb at least some of them, by launching a recruitment drive of ex-RTWers in the city tomorrow afternoon.
]]>Oh, this is getting sadder. Following on the news of Yesterday's redundancies than Develop report their company sources that the company has entered administration. If no new investor can be found before an unspecified deadline, the company will enter full liquidation. Develop say their sources say the game will likely live on, if only in the hands of another developer. Full story here. I'd also like to direct you to a comment which appeared in the RPS thread yesterday, from someone professing to be an "ExRTW"er talking extensively about their experience with the company and the problems it faced.
]]>Sad news broke on Friday. Firstly, with rumours that in addition to previously announced scaling back of the APB team post-launch, the whole team of the recently announced Social Networking Game MyWorld would be laid off. Later, speaking to Develop, Studio Manager Colin Macdonald confirmed that the further redundancies had been made, and that those cuts were made to the MyWorld team, but stopped short of saying the project was cancelled and they "were still looking at options for it." However, APB would continue...
]]>Despite some middling reviews, and a certain amount of internet grumbling, all is not lost for APB. It is set to be improved over the coming months, at least according to this post by the lead systems designer. Things that are to come under scrutiny include issues with camping, problems with cheaters, changes to rulesets, the improvement of vehicle handling, the look and feel of combat, the accuracy of match-making, and the strategic nature of missions. Which I am guessing encompasses most of what people have mentioned being concerned with. We'll look forward to seeing how this stuff is addressed in forthcoming patches.
]]>You there! Have you been playing in APB's extensive beta and Key To The City Event? Then why not talk about it in our comments section for the consumer-purchasing benefit of your fellow readers? We'd like it very much if your comments offered some critical insight, some laughter, some tears, some thumbs up or down, and perhaps some reports of personal experiences in the game. Are you going to keep playing? Perhaps you're running a clan that could help RPS newbies? Are you a creative type who just can't get enough of that startling set of editing tools? Not played it? Why not ask some questions?
]]>APB has had another moment of controversy before release with the news that the game is to feature unavoidable audio advertising, via the Vivox voice chat. These adverts will appear when players enter zones, rather than randomly butting in, but the news has still created something of a fuss on various forums. Players are upset because as well as hearing the ads they will have also paid for the game, and subscribed for game time.
]]>Neil Castle, the community officer at Realtime Worlds, has got in touch to deliver an official statement about the APB review embargo issue which we looked at earlier today. You can read the statement below.
]]>Review embargoes are a very normal part of games journalism. Companies will put restrictions on when publications are allowed to talk about games before they're released. For previews this is done to control the dissemination of information. For reviews it's to allow certain publications to have an exclusive, or more muckily, because they don't want negative reviews to appear too much in advance of the game's release. It's potentially murky territory, but since it's their game, they get to choose the conditions in which they make them available to magazines and websites before commercial release. It's not unusual for everyone to be told, "Reviews of game X may be published at 5pm on the 26th", and then you'll see all the sites have their reviews appear at once.
What's far more rare is a company attempting to control the publications of reviews after a game has been released. Especially not ten days after. This is what Realtime Worlds are astonishingly trying to enforce for APB.
]]>APB's Key To The City event launches tomorrow. We've got the trifling matter of 50,000 keys to give away. Yes, we didn't get the zeros wrong.
If you were a subscriber to RPS you'd have heard about this a while back and been guaranteed to have gotten one before the rush. And now, everyone else in the universe gets a go.
So if you want a key to play Realtime World's APB Key To The City open beta from tomorrow, you need to CLICK RIGHT HERE. Stick in your email address, and until we run out of keys you should receive an email within an hour letting you know your key. Once you've done that, make sure to check out APB's site from tomorrow morning to see details of when the beta goes live. We're told 9am is a sensible time to check, whichever side of the Atlantic you're on.
EDIT: We are assured by Realtime Worlds that EU codes should work for Rest Of World. Some are reporting they are not. Definitely try choosing EU and inserting an EU code. We are hearing stories of success too. US and EU definitely work.
EDIT 2: Canadians who did not receive US keys, please try again now. Every IP get 2 goes anyway. Sorry about this oversight.
]]>The APB Pricing model has been revealed and it's not quite what we were expecting. Previously it was stated it would be subscription free. And it still kinda be. Basically, buying the game comes with 50 hours of actual shoot-and-driveage. After that, there's other options, varying from seven dollars for an extra 20 hours, to a play-as-much-as-your-want (gasp!) monthly subscription fee for ten dollars. I'm going to quote the full current FAQ answer below, because there's some stuff which is worth highlighting and talking about. Join me!
]]>Realtime Worlds send word that "Massive" online shooter APB is taking another round of beta test signups to expand the testing. You can sign up here. It's still a closed beta with limited places, so there's no guarantee of getting it, but it's got to be worth a shot.
]]>Filmed off a screen at GDC, sadly, but it's accompanied by game director Dave Jones talking through the various features. He talks about the way the two factions have different abilities and aims, the way characters weapons and cars can be upgraded, how players can become "famous" within the game world, and how the ranking and matchmaking work within the game world. All interesting stuff, although it's tough to gauge if there will be any long-term appeal in all this. Also, whoever is driving the car in this video needs more practice... The video is via GameSpot's archive of GDC stuff, and Pat gave us the tip off, because he is news.
]]>We're peering through the futurescope at the games we can expect to see in the coming year. There's plenty to work through, so let's get on with a look at some of the notable games of Spring and Summer 2010. (You can read part one here.)
]]>The first not-filmed-by-wobblecam game footage trailer of urban crime no-subscription fee MMO-shooter APB turned up on Gamespot this morning, and I've posted it below. It's got cars crashing and smashing, dudes getting shot, doors getting, er, opened, and a funny joke about dancing in MMOs at the end. Well, it's kind of a joke, I suppose.
]]>Good news everyone! All Points Bulletin, the upcoming cops'n'robbers MMO from Dave Jones, he of GTA and Crackdown fame, will not have a subscription fee. That's right - it's doing the Guild Wars thing, or at least something like it.
]]>Internet info-king Pat Garratt of VG247 has bagged an interview with APB mastermind - the man who created the GTA series - Dave Jones. The Realtime Worlds bossman talked at length about the mechanics of the game, and even has a few words about the GTA series. You can watch it below.
APB, in case you weren't paying attention, is a forthcoming 100-man online gang combat game set in a contemporary city, and one of the most intriguing developments in the MMO space for several years. It was also, if our own John Walker's account is to be believed, the most exciting game shown at E3. You probably want to watch this one, eh? (In other Develop news, Kieron says: "The Unreal Flesh Engine sex stuff is the best stuff of the show. I couldn't believe it. Bosoms will never be the same again.")
]]>Of everything I saw at E3, APB stood out as the project with the greatest concentration of inspiration. Ignore the surprisingly crappy images that have been released so far - this one deserves your attention. During the presentation a colleague sat next to me leant in and said, "Bloody hell." A minute or so later I replied, "This is the first original idea I've seen all week." It's very easy to think of APB as an online GTA. It certainly is a game focused around either committing or preventing crimes in an open city. But what makes APB stand out is just how damned smart it is.
]]>EA have announced that they'll be publishing Realtime Worlds' gang-war MMO, All Points Bulletin. Creator Dave Jones is keen to compare the game to GTA or Call Of Duty. “WoW’s great, and it’s attracting huge numbers, but let’s face it there’s probably still more players on GTA and Call of Duty in terms of online,” Jones told Gamasutra. It's looking pretty slick, and it's hard to see it not being awesome. (Jones is, after all, a key brain behind the original GTA concept, and a pretty distinguished designer in the subsequent years.) The game is due "early 2010" - and is PC-only, apparently. Woo!
]]>Realtime Worlds boss Colin Macdonald told VG247 that their upcoming MMO, APB, is "the bastard child of everything we’ve been striving towards over the 15-20 years", but also "where we want to go in terms of sandbox gameplay and everything that started with Grand Theft Auto and was evolving through Crackdown.” It was, he said, the culmination of what Realtime's David Jones has been working towards since the late '90s. Macdonald claims that APB will contain "what Dave’s always wanted to do from GTA and before Crackdown and APB.”
]]>Kotaku had a good day yesterday with me. But while I'm actually still trying to get to the new bits in the Rose & Camellia sequel, their news that Real-Time World's incredibly exciting MMO-GTA APB is what got my thoughts really racing. Not that they'll be a Beta - which is lovely, clearly - but specifically a snippet of footage in the comments thread from Dave Jones' GDC demonstration which I hadn't watched yet. Somehow, despite being obsessed by other snippets from the same speech.
It's of the APB character generator, and is probably the best example of the sort I've ever seen. And I'm going to rant about why that's ace beneath the cut. At length. Yes.
]]>When you find out Dave Jones is making a game, there are three steps one must take:
1) Sit up.
2) Read everything.
3) Want.
This is the guy who has brought us Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown. You know, that's all. And now he's turning his studio, Realtime Worlds, to the MMO. APB. And why should you be interested?
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