GamesRadar - APB

APB – hands-on (Preview)

Nov 20, 2009

Dave Jones’ initials are tattooed across our nipples. We have a mullet, a moustache, aviator shades and a belly that arrives in a room a few seconds before we do. “Players are going to have to think very carefully about who they want to be,” Jones tells us. “You can be a psycho, quiet, on-the-streets kind of killer." ...

APB (Screenshots)

Nov 20, 2009

APB has No Overarching Story (News)

Nov 19, 2009

Realtime Worlds has revealed that APB won't have an overarching narrative, in a developer diary on their offical website. GamerZines investigates what this means for the title and how different story aspects will flow into the main game.

APB Story Details Unveiled (News)

Nov 16, 2009

NowGamer: Realtime Worlds has lifted the lid on its urban crime MMO

Despite letting players run riot, APB still has narrative elements to draw players together. "There's no overarching story that the players will embark on when they play APB. APB is about players creating their own story," explained Realtime Worlds community man Chris Collins in the latest APB vodcast.

APB Will Be PC Launch Exclusive (News)

Oct 29, 2009

NowGamer: The lead designer on Realtime Worlds' action MMO has confirmed that the game will not appear on consoles initially

Kotaku: APB Closed Beta Is Go (News)

Oct 17, 2009

As promised, closed beta invites for Realtime Worlds' massively multiplayer online cops and crooks game APB have been distributed to the registered masses. That means? Check your email!

The EA published PC game is slated for a March 2010 release.

Same name, completely different game (Feature)

Oct 9, 2009

We absolutely know that you've been waiting with eager anticipation for a feature to come along that catalogues examples of new games that share an identical name with an old game. It doesn't happen very often, so it's genuinely exciting when it does. Anyway, we've written that feature, and this is it. Direct all messages of thanks and amazement to the comments thread. K? Cheers.

Afrika | PS3 | 2009

The new Afrika: Is ...

20 MASSIVE games of early 2010 (Feature)

Oct 2, 2009

Christmas '09 is cancelled, but early next year looks amazing. ...

APB goes into beta next week (News)

Oct 1, 2009

VG247: Realtime Worlds boss Gary Dale has just confirmed at the Tech Media Invest event in London that APB will go into beta next week.

Ireland trying to court Realtime Worlds, other Scottish devs with tax holiday (News)

Sep 29, 2009

In an attempt to kick-start its own video game industry, Ireland has begun to target a number of high-profile Scottish game development studios, attempting to woo them over to the Emerald Isle by offering a five-year tax holiday. Colin Macdonald, manager of Dundee-based APB developer Realtime Worlds, responded by saying "if the package on offer in Ireland was attractive we'd have to give it serious consideration." Other Scottish developers who could be influenced by the tax holiday include Rockstar North, Denki, Ruffian Games and Dynamo Games.

APB - Gameplay trailer (Video)

Sep 21, 2009

Experience the felonious fun of committing GTA style mass mayhem in an MMO environment.

APB Eschews Traditional Subscription, Partners With Vindicia (News)

Sep 9, 2009

Realtime Worlds is moving away from the "traditional monthly subscription model" with its upcoming urban PC MMO APB, and the studio has contracted Redwood City-based Vindicia to provide billing services and fraud management.

The game's official FAQ confirms the adoption of a non-traditional revenue model, although it does not specify the terms of payment. The game will, at least in part, be distributed on retail shelves.

According to a statement released today, Vindicia's Cashbox solution will allow the game to support numerous revenue streams, including subscriptions as well as virtual goods and currencies, and will guard against customer fraud, while "optimizing customer acquisition and retention."

APB beta "weeks not months away" (News)

Sep 8, 2009

APB, the cops-and-robbers MMO by Crackdown creators Realtime Worlds, will go into closed beta testing within "weeks", a spokesman told Eurogamer at last weekend's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle.

"We're weeks rather than months away from starting closed beta," community officer Chris Collins told our Tom after showing him an extensive demo of, according to Tom, "slick" gameplay.

APB Beta Application A Little Nosey (News)

Aug 14, 2009

Kotaku: Realtime Worlds is looking for beta testers for their upcoming MMO APB, and you could be one of the few, once you finish filling out one of the more intrusive beta applications we've seen.

The application actually seems like it's part beta tester app, part demographic survey. Along with the normal questions like processor type and testing experience, Realtime is asking for your marital status, number of children per household, and income level, which to me doesn't seem to have a great deal of impact on whether or not you can beta test. Most of it isn't optional, either. You have to select an income range - there is no "No comment" option. The company does at least assure applicants that their information is safe.

APB Beta Application Now Up (News)

Aug 14, 2009

Agent-X from Hiphopgamershow writes:

It appears that the APB application beta is now up and running.

Sign Up for the APB Beta Now (News)

Aug 14, 2009

Eager crooks and crimefighters alike can now sign up for the beta test of Realtime Worlds' highly-anticipated crime MMO, APB.

is APB not a 360 exclusive anymore? (News)

Aug 13, 2009

PS3Hype writes: 'Today Mike Kebby (PlayStation Store Manager) has revealed that APB is really coming to the PlayStation 3. He says I can't wait for APB...! This means that we maybe see an announcement for APB on the PS3 at the GamesCom 09!'

ABP was frist coming out only on PC and 360 (so 360 exclusive was console exclusive)

APB hits retail in March (News)

Jul 23, 2009

EA to release boxed copy of Realtime Worlds title next year

Dave Jones wants APB to spawn Fatal1ty-like celebs (News)

Jul 22, 2009

Realtime Worlds' Dave Jones hopes characters created in upcoming online action game APB will achieve Fatal1ty-like celebrity status.

Dave Jones sees APB lasting for five or ten years (News)

Jul 21, 2009

Realtime Worlds creative director Dave Jones sees upcoming PC online action game APB lasting as long as traditional massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest.

"I'll be disappointed if we can't sell a million plus," says APB's Dave Jones (News)

Jul 20, 2009

Realtime Worlds boss Dave Jones told VG247 that he'd be disappointed if action MMO APB didn't shift over a million units.

APB (Preview)

Jul 17, 2009

All the best games were invented in the playground. Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers, Doctors and Nurses – their names are legendary. Few, however, have ever made a pure transition into gaming. So while the world holds its breath for Stuck in the Mud Online we’ll have to make do with APB – a near-perfect recreation of Cops and Robbers. ...

Jones: APB has cost $30 million, won't have "normal" subs model (News)

Jul 17, 2009

Upcoming Realtime Worlds MMO APB has cost around $30 million so far, company boss Dave Jones told VG247 at Develop this week, and won't be covered by a "normal" subscription model when it releases next spring.

Realtime Worlds' David Jones Drops Tons Of APB Details During Develop Keynote (News)

Jul 16, 2009

Jake Gaskill of G4TV writes:

"Leave it up to Realtime Worlds founder, and Grand Theft Auto creator, David Jones to once again take the familiar concept of an open-world game (that he helped create and refine) and make it feel totally new again. His team's latest effort, the third-person crime MMO APB just looks better and better every time it's shown. Yet until this point, gamers have only had a chance to see bits and pieces, and that hardly makes for extensive drool sessions. Cue to this year's Develop Conference, and Dave Jones' keynote address."

Develop 2009: Realtime Worlds' Jones On Players As Content (News)

Jul 15, 2009

Dave Jones has quite a resume in the gaming industry, having worked on a variety of franchises from Lemmings to Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown. Speaking at the Brighton Develop conference, the designer said how he is a big fan of users creating their own experiences.

He is, in particular, proud of what Realtime Worlds achieved with the original Crackdown. "We developed the city to function as a platform game, where anything you could see you could climb or jump to," he said. "It had other aspects, too, such as light RPG trappings, but we began to realize that our main innovation was our drop-in, drop-out multiplayer that managed to be successful in an open world."

Still, despite the game's almost unexpected level of success, the return on investment wasn't high. "With Crackdown we sold about 1.5 million copies, but even at that we pretty much only managed to break even," he said. "It was due to the amount of factors that were out of our control as the developer, influences such as GameStop's amazing used-game sales; we know 1.5 million new copies were sold, but it's likely there were 2.5, three million sold when you include used."

"Online is very much untapped" - RealTime Worlds (News)

Jul 15, 2009

APB developer RealTime Worlds has said that the online market still has a lot of untapped potential and can offer new creative and business opportunities for developers.

Speaking at the Develop conference in Brighton, RTW boss David Jones said the company has assessed all the growing areas in the videogame market – including social, iPhone and Wii gaming – but it became clear that next-gen technology and online opportunities are where "the big dollars are".

"One of the reasons we want to go into the online space is because it opens a wealth of opportunities," said Jones. "Online, as far as I'm concerned, is very, very much untapped. It's kind of like winding the clock back ten or fifteen years. There's a huge amount of scope of online for innovation and for forging genres to really set a bench mark in many different areas."

Eurogamer: Dave Jones' Develop Keynote (News)

Jul 15, 2009

Dave Jones took to the Brighton Develop Conference stage this morning to deliver his talk on how to make a successful game and take it online.

Eurogamer reported live from the event, capturing a blow-by-blow account of all he had to say, offering you sense of Develop and what it's all about. And because it's just round the corner, clearly.

Why? Well, Dave Jones helped create Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings, before going on found Realtime Worlds and make Crackdown. Now, Jones works on APB, the ambitious and perhaps ground-breaking urban MMO with big veins and tattoos.

Read on for the full coverage of Dave Jone's talk, in which he discusses why APB went online and the benefits of it. The earliest entries are presented first.

Develop09; APB could come to the PS3 (News)

Jul 15, 2009

From PS3 Attitude: "David Jones of Realtime Worlds gave a keynote speech at the Develop Conference this morning in Brighton, UK.

During the impressive speech, he showed the technology behind their forthcoming title, APB. This open world 'cops and robbers' game looks impressive, as is the server-based technology behind it.

But the question on our lips was the most obvious – could this PC-based MMO come to the PS3?"

Includes a quote from David Jones...

APB is a server-based game (News)

Jul 15, 2009

Realtime Worlds boss Dave Jones has just confirmed in his Develop keynote that APB is a server-based game.

Upcoming games that could revolutionize the industry (Feature)

Jul 3, 2009

Contributors: Chris Antista, Charlie Barratt, Brett Elston, Matthew Keast, Shane Patterson, Mikel Reparaz

Hundreds of games are released every year, then played and forgotten by the next. Only a dozen or so will be remembered a decade from now, and only a few of those will have any lasting impact on the medium as a whole.

Which upcoming titles stand the best chance of leaving that meaningful mark? ...

Realtime Worlds Continues to Expand (News)

Jun 18, 2009

The videogame developers' plans for growth are set for it to continue to considerably more than 300 employees by early 2010 when it will have launched its next title, formally revealed as set to be published by Electronic Arts at this year's Electronic Entertianment Expo (E3) earlier this month, APB.

Jones is "very, very happy" with APB, says Natal needs "killer" app (News)

Jun 17, 2009

Realtime Worlds man David Jones has expressed his utter delight that APB is as it should be with the business side "going really well" for the team.

It's "hats off" to Nintendo for nailing motion-control with Wii, now Microsoft has got to appeal to core gamers with "the right kind of killer software," doesn't believe core games are suited for it.

Making crime pay for you: APB at E3 (News)

Jun 8, 2009

Realtime Worlds' freshman game, Crackdown, managed to spin the action genre on its head when it was released. Now, two years later, Crackdown showed off its next title, A.P.B. (All Points Bulletin), at E3, and the game looks like it could be one of the Next Big Things when it comes to MMO games.

E3 09: All Points Bulletin (APB) Teaser (Video)

Jun 2, 2009

Experience the felonious fun of committing GTA style mass mayhem in an MMO environment.

All Points Bulletin Coming to PC and Xbox 360 (News)

Jun 2, 2009

Though the press release doesn't indicate that the game will appear on other systems than PC, a spokesperson told TeamXbox, "We're not giving details out at the moment, but it is being developed for Xbox 360."

APB No Longer Coming to Xbox 360? (News)

Jun 2, 2009

Contrary to what was originally reported ages ago, it now appears that APB, the MMO designed by Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones, will not be coming to Xbox 360 and is instead PC-bound.

A press release issued by EA, APB's recently announced publisher, indicates that the game will only be released for PC. The release window was also announced as early 2010.

APB exclusive screenshot and E3 Confirmation (News)

May 19, 2009

Well the long wait is over, here, courtesy of Ulric, is a little gift for the community;

"Hi everyone at APB-Evolved, we just wanted to quickly say thanks for all your patience recently whilst we've been quietly pushing forward with the development of APB.

We know this can be frustrating for fans, so to show our appreciation we have decided to inform you guys that yes we WILL be at E3 this year and this will mark the start of lots more news, activities and information coming out about APB: All Points Bulletin.

Here is a brand new screenshot made especially for you guys to give you another look at the awesome character customizations that will make up a large part of APB.

See you all at E3.

Realtime Worlds"

Realtime Worlds Expands Operations Team (News)

Apr 3, 2009

Edge writes: "Realtime Worlds, developer behind the upcoming MMO All Points Bulletin and the Xbox 360 title Crackdown, has made two new appointments that will lead the Scottish studio's operations team, which is based in Boulder, Colo.

Will Leverett is now serving as director of customer service, while Patrick Bays is manager of game operations."

GDC 09: APB Getting Voice Chat From Vivox (News)

Mar 24, 2009

Realtime Worlds has tipped Vivox to bring voice chat to their upcoming cops-and-robbers MMO, ABP. It looks like the game is getting a pretty robust voice chat offering too, with users able to customize their voices via voice 'fonts' (um... like Helvetica?), and have access to one-on-one chat, group chat, and localized 3D chat.

Realtime Worlds Now Hiring (News)

Mar 20, 2009

Duthie adds "Many companies have laid off large numbers of talented staff in recent months and we see GDC as a great chance to tap into that talent pool. With the economy the way it is, many people don't want to think about committing to a permanent move, so what we're offering is a number of contract positions for folk to come to Scotland, help us to a successful launch of APB, and then reassess their options when the economy is hopefully in better shape. We can take care of work permits process, relocation, housing - all anyone's got to do is get along to our recruitment stand at GDC to kick off the process."

Crackdown Dev Bolsters Management (News)

Oct 21, 2008

Edge writes: "With the ongoing development of the cops and robbers MMO All Points Bulletin, Dundee, Scotland-based Realtime Worlds has appointed two new execs.

Brian Ullrich, who was recently a producer on EA Sports' NBA Live 09, has joined Realtime as director of development.

Ullrich has also worked for Nintendo, Software Creations and DMA Design, which is now GTA house Rockstar North, a studio that Realtime Worlds founder and CEO David Jones helped establish."

APB on the verge of "closed beta," says Realtime Worlds (News)

Oct 3, 2008

Realtime Worlds community chap Chris 'Ulric' Dye just confirmed that crime MMO APB is now in the final stages of internal alpha testing, and will next make the move into a closed beta phase.

APB Public Beta Registration Now Open (News)

Aug 13, 2008

Ripten writes:

"Calling all gamers: we have a situation on the internet, all units respond.

All Points Bulletin, the MMO from UK developers Realtime Worlds – the people behind Crackdown, that game that you bought for the Halo 3 beta – is accepting email addresses in preparation for beta testing."

"Timing just wasn't right" for APB at E3, beta details possibly "later this year" (News)

Aug 13, 2008

VG247: Realtime Worlds president Tony Harman has just put out a statement saying the time wasn't right to show crime MMO at E3 this year thanks to some heavy business shenanigans surrounding the game in early 2008.

APB is "bastard child of everything we've been striving towards for 15-20 years": Realtime Worlds (News)

Aug 5, 2008

Hugely anticipated crime MMO APB is the culmination of 20 years work on GTA, Crackdown and sandbox gaming in general, Realtime Worlds studio boss Colin Macdonald has told VG247.

APB beta: "News on that before too long" (News)

Jul 29, 2008

Speaking to VG247 at Develop in Brighton today, Realtime Worlds studio manager Colin Macdonald said that news on timing for the already-announced beta for massively anticipated crime MMO APB isn't far away.

APB: "It's too early to think seriously about not having a boxed product" (News)

Jul 29, 2008

Speaking to VG247 at Develop in Brighton today, Realtime Worlds studio manager Colin Macdonald said that nothing had been decided in terms of the publication of massively anticipated MMO APB, but that the idea of relying purely on digital distribution for the game was unlikely to come to fruition.

APB launch: "We're not that far away" (News)

Jul 29, 2008

Speaking to VG247 at Develop in Brighton today, Realtime Worlds studio manager Colin Macdonald has given a clear indication that the launch of hugely anticipated crime MMO APB is closer than many thought.

APB gunning for an M (News)

Jul 26, 2008

Realtime Worlds president Tony Harmon told GameSpot today that he's expecting his modern-day cops-and-robbers game APB to land an M from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Though the game has no release date yet, the developer is planning to submit it to the ratings process next year.

Realtime Worlds seeks community officer for APB (News)

Jul 4, 2008

Realtime Worlds just sent out a job ad for a community officer to work on upcoming MMO, APB.

You'll need two years experience doing something similar and you'd be wise to bear in mind the firm's based in Dundee, Scotland.

APB: The MMO you should be excited about (News)

Jun 10, 2008

As the perfect excuse to remind you we're well excited for Crackdown dev Real-Time Worlds' new MMO, the Scottish dev has released a pair of concept art pieces of All Points Bulletin (APB).

It is, in a nut shell, an online game of cops and robbers, where player coppers get dynamically dispatched to apprehend player crooks whenever they commit a crime. It sounds fantastic.

The artwork here shows two characters in the ...

Realtime Worlds moving towards "full public beta" of APB (News)

Jun 10, 2008

VG247: Realtime World said today that it's moving from APB's alpha stage towards a full beta.

APB (Preview)

May 5, 2008

APB is the cops and robbers MMO from the creators of Crackdown. There are no levels, no ‘Artificial Incompetence’ to battle, and no numbers to slowly grind. Why? Well, according to Real Time Worlds’ boss Dave Jones, “leveling is a broken concept - it’s called a grind for a reason.” So APB isn’t about killing 2000 bunnies or crafting a new sword from the skins of 600 lizards; APB is about action and ...

GTA Creator Believes WoW isn't Untouchable (News)

Apr 17, 2008

GTA creator Dave Jones outlines how genre and content of new MMO APB can succeed where World of Warcraft hasn't

Realtime Worlds CEO Dave Jones has outlined to Develop his studio's ambitious online strategy, saying that new MMO All Points Bulletin proves that in the online space there is still a big opportunity for developers to succeed - even in the face of Blizzard's domination with World of Warcraft.

The studio confirmed it had gained a $50m investment earlier this week to support its online plans.

Realtime Worlds coy on APB for the PS3 (News)

Apr 16, 2008

Realtime Worlds has told GamesIndustry.biz that while the PlayStation 3 platform is an option for the company with regards to its forthcoming MMO, APB, it can't confirm whether or not it's in production for the Sony console.

"The situation is that yes, all the consoles are an option for us, and we'll be looking at them, but there's nothing decided, nothing to report at the moment I'm afraid," said Colin MacDonald, studio manager at the Crackdown developer.

2009 targeted for Crackdown dev's MMO APB (News)

Apr 16, 2008

CVG reports: Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds wants to launch its new game, APB, next year.

"We want to launch APB in 2009, which will be pretty much worldwide - including the Asian markets. This is our first big online game", Realtime CEO (and GTA creator) Dave Jones has told Scotsman.

EGM Rumors: Crackdown Sequel Squashed, EA Entering the Octagon (News)

Feb 26, 2008

The juiciest tidbit from the April issue of EGM is kind of a bummer: A Crackdown sequel looks like it won't happen any time soon. Sure, Microsoft has danced around the idea of making another addictive orb-hunting shooter, but Quartermann says even if Crackdown 2 does come to fruition, original developer Realtime Worlds probably won't be making it.

It also seems like Sony's unique PSP game Patapon will have some sort of spin-off; rumor is something Patapon-related will pop up on the PlayStation Network.