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The End of an Era for APB

Niamh Lynch

Niamh Lynch

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Game developer Real Time Worlds has gone into administration, taking with it short-lived MMO, APB: All Points Bulletin. The game never really had a chance – after five long years of development, it was released a mere two months ago. Real Time Worlds went bankrupt shortly after, and from that point on, APB’s future looked pretty bleak. Although Real Time Worlds reportedly tried to sell the game to another developer, they haven’t had any luck. The international gaming community had high hopes for APB, but ultimately it never had the commercial success needed to make it the backbone of the business – or to attract a buyer when things went south.

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Times of crisis and recession are never a good time to launch a new business, but I have a feeling something else was at play in the APB saga. Despite that fact that other MMOs like CounterStrike, Quake and Battlefield are hugely popular, APB didn’t have the same pull. It’s possible that although Grand Theft Auto, the game that inspired APB, is a major hit, there is just no demand for an online version. Add this to the fact that APB critics argued that the game’s missions would bore a player to death – not to mention a whole host of bugs that would drive anyone crazy –  it just wasn’t good enough to hit the big time.

If you are one of the few people who played the game and are feeling a little bereft, never fear. There are loads of MMO alternatives and, if I dare say it, they’re way better.

Niamh Lynch

Niamh Lynch

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