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Anarchy in the APB
If you think drive-by shootings, exploding vehicles, and an epidemic of robbery and murder on the streets of San Paro wasn't enough anarchy for you, GamersFirst has just introduced Chaos Mode to its crime MMO APB: Reloaded. Joining a Chaos district will put you into a survival mode that allows you to gain points by killing as many players of the opposite faction as possible. All of the district's contacts are gone, replaced by vendors. So there's no other mission but to kill, and kill quickly. A leaderboard tracks the best of the best and several new titles and a new role have been added. You can check out an early prototype of Chaos Mode in the game between now and June 6. [Thanks to Derek for the tip!]
Second Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded
I could make this a very short piece by saying that APB: Reloaded is simply as fun now as it has ever been. The game is a blast in more ways than one. Heck, I could close it right now by telling you that not only was my return to the game well worth the effort but also that it also served to slap me on the side of the head to say, "Hey, dummy, remember how fun it is to run over people?" I'd rather give you more details, though, especially for those of you who might not have played the game or haven't played it in a long time. APB: Reloaded is essentially a lobby-based shooter. The lobby -- or social district, as it is called -- and the instanced battle arenas are massive places. While I livestreamed the game last week (you can watch the embedded video after the cut), someone accurately commented that watching it was like watching "GTA Online." I agree, but it's also so much more than that. Join me past the cut and I promise not to run you over. (EDIT: I was able to order an APB: Reloaded box from Newegg.com for $7.99 USD which contains "over $50 value" like a permanent Magnum gun, a Cisco car, 500 G1 credits and 30 days of premium. I paid no shipping fees at all and received it within three days of ordering, but after this article went live.)
The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 2
LAST TIME ON THE PERFECT TEN: Games were shut down, tears were shed, memories were dragged unwillingly from long-term storage, and videos were shown. Also, Marty totally suckered Biff into driving into a truck full of manure and then got his parents to kiss at a dance so that he wouldn't be erased from the space-time continuum. AND NOW FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION! Is it completely morbid to want to revisit (or see for the first time) the final moments of MMOs? Yes, but also no. Really, it's just interesting to me, and I have no great agenda at play here. Sometimes seeing how a game goes out can tell you a lot about its community and dev team. So join us now as we hit the second half of 10 videos showing the last few minutes of these online RPGs.
GDC 2013: How APB exploded into a franchise
By now, pretty much everyone knows the story of how GamersFirst swept in to save the DOA All Points Bulletin by relaunching it as APB: Reloaded. Since then, the title's done immensely well for the company and has prompted Reloaded Games to look into turning APB into a bona fide franchise. How this happened was explained to us by PR Manager Darek Connole at GDC. Connole said that the devs are constantly taking suggestions from the community and sorting them into different buckets. While some of the buckets represent doable ideas, one bucket is full of great ideas that are impossible to implement in the current game. "We're taking the NPCs from APB: Reloaded and bringing them into their own game," Connole said. "It's going to be a traditional first-person shooter, but it's also going to have non-traditional elements." Read on to discover how APB's world is going to get a lot more crazy with APB: Vendetta -- and how the team is even thinking about future games in the same world.
APB Vendetta FPS turns to crowdfunding
Hey, guess what, it's another Kickstarter project based off an earlier game! This time, though the earlier game in question is still alive and presumably well. Reloaded Productions is looking to fund an action FPS called APB Vendetta that's some sort of riff on MMO shooter APB Reloaded. The project page mentions private servers and server-modding tools, "extreme movement mechanics," and a "fighting game ethos" as opposed to APB Reloaded's open-world design. The two games will share some sort of account-level crossover functionality with the potential to import and export certain items. The game will use the Unreal engine and the $300,000 funding goal will go toward creating a "separate dedicated development" and "expanding the APB universe." [Thanks Genobee!]
Free for All: The continued standardization of selling power
Selling power is a much quieter controversy than it used to be. I've been in gaming long enough to remember when selling anything desirable at all was taboo. At the same time, it's always been OK to sell some things like subscriptions or special boxed editions, proving that MMO gamers and others are brilliant at segmenting their rage. If it's a cool, special box with a neat virtual item inside, it somehow does not fall under the same umbrella as selling powerful, useful items in game. I think it does. But geeks in general are good at justifying poor behavior if they get what they want; just ask the hackers and file-swappers. Still, it doesn't matter how we feel about selling power because the industry is already moving in the direction of selling power, lots of power. EA recently announced that every title it produces from now on will feature microtransactions. While that doesn't guarantee the sale of powerful items, I can promise that it will include some. This train ain't stopping. Sure, the console community seems a bit late to the party when it comes to the power-selling controversy, but that's likely because of MMOs' always-on multiplayer mode.
APB: Reloaded dev blog talks optimization
Devs say the darndest things. In APB: Reloaded's latest dev blog, optimization of the live game is likened to changing your car's oil while speeding along at 65 mph. While not an admission of actually attempting the latter, this fact-filled dev diary does get into the nitty gritty of the optimization process; it offers a view (literally, with graphs and pictures) of both the software and hardware optimizations that are in the works. A new OTW (Open Test World) called Overkill will soon come online to test a new bit of hardware developed specifically for the game to help improve performance. Those who are current OTW testers can expect to see Overkill in the next two weeks, while all players can expect to see release 1.10.2, with its performance improvements, very soon. If you want to see exactly what is being done to improve your FPS in game, this is the blog to read.
APB: Reloaded celebrates Steam success, teases new content
GamersFirst can enjoy a new bragging right today in the realm of free-to-play MMOs as APB: Reloaded has held steadily to a top-five position for most-popular free-to-play MMOs on Steam for a year. Currently ranked in the number four spot, APB:R has expanded its reach to Brazil and Russia in that year, while adding new content including Fight Club, Asylum, tons of new weapon and clothing packs, and more. As the team looks forward to 2013, players can expect a new update entitled Settling the Score in the just a few weeks and rumors of an "all-new APB experience" being revealed in the coming months. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
GamersFirst offers exclusive deals to cafe owners and resellers
GamersFirst is looking to make headway in two important markets: internet resellers and gaming cafés. To do so, the company set up a merchant center to offer a partnership with business owners to help promote and sell goods for APB and Fallen Earth. Café owners are tempted to feature these titles more prominently in exchange for a premium service. This service may, but not necessarily has to, include exclusive items, 20% more XP earned, 20% more loot earned, and login preference. Internet resellers also have good incentive to pimp GamersFirst products, especially as the company makes the point that they can set their price once game codes are purchased. Some of the things that can be sold include monthly subscriptions, in-game items, exclusive items, player currency, and exclusive packages. [Thanks to Hutch for the tip!]
APB locks and reloads for Christmas
All Points Bulletin is preparing for a bloody Christmas siege -- and if you can get through this holiday event without saying, "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho," then you are better people than we. The game is kicking off its holiday festivities on Wednesday, December 12th, and has a few twists from last year's event. During the event, players will need to seek out Elves for a few new missions. These Elves aren't messing around, either; they're prepared to hand out weapon skins and cool threads for the street-tough. The studio also floated the rumor that there will be a snowball grenade launcher up for grabs. The studio has a 12-day promotion starting on December 13th for shoppers. Each day, the cash shop will hand out a different surprise gift to those dropping money on the title. [Source: Reloaded Productions press release]
APB celebrates Steam anniversary with free cigars
There are anniversaries and there are anniversaries. Steam anniversaries are apparently a thing now, as Reloaded Productions is celebrating All Points Bulletin's debut appearance on the digital distribution platform, as well as its official relaunch day. According to the studio, APB has proven incredibly popular on Steam during its year run. Chief Marketing Officer Rahul Sandil conveys the company's appreciation: "We want to thank our player community and our friends at Steam for all the support and love they have shown APB Reloaded for the last year. With over three million downloads delivered, APB has established itself as one of the hottest game franchises in the online games industry. Over the next few days we will be making other exciting announcements about the expansion of the APB franchise, so stay tuned." To celebrate the anniversary, the studio is discounting the ATAC 424 NCFP 3 weapon in the store and handing out free cigar and celebrate emotes to all players. [Source: Reloaded Productions press release]
APB: Reloaded's version 10 to feature car surfing and more
GamersFirst has taken the wraps off APB: Reloaded's next patch. The version 10 update, otherwise known as New Breed Part Three, will appear "in the next few weeks" according to the latest edition of the APBR dev blog. The patch introduces two new T5 contacts, Birth and Templeton, both of whom bring a laundry list of new features to the game including vehicles, weapons, and modifications like Spotter and Car Surfer. The former is about what you'd expect given the name, as it allows players to paint enemy targets and display them to teammates (even through walls). Car Surfer, naturally, allows you to ride on a vehicle's roof. Check out a couple of quick example videos after the break. You'll find more like them on APBR's official site.
Fallen Earth and APB: Reloaded go trick-or-treating
GamersFirst is bringing scary back to two of its biggest titles for Halloween. The publisher announced special events and seasonal sales for APB: Reloaded and Fallen Earth, some of which are happening at this very moment. Players in APB can get a preview of the upcoming Asylum District as they go there to compete in the Fright Club. A costume contest is scheduled for October 31st as well, and GMs will be present to lead a grand parade through the streets. Finally, the pumpkin-happy devs are throwing another Pumpkin Head Customization Contest with even better prizes than last year. In the vast wasteland of Fallen Earth, survivors are encouraged to go trick-or-treating with the devs for exclusive items. The location of said trick-or-treating will be hinted at in chat. Fallen Earth is also selling its cosmetic gear for half off starting tomorrow.
Why I Play: APB Reloaded
Those of you who have followed me on this quaint little internet of ours for any reasonable amount of time know that I'm a sandbox guy. I love freedom, choice, and the leg room to explore and build to my heart's content. I'm not a big fan of PvP, general chat, bored griefers, or people acting like idiots. But in direct contrast to this claim, APB: Reloaded is one of my all-time favorite MMOs. APB: Reloaded is one of those games that I happily jump into when I'm feeling bored with other games or just miss real action. When I'm solo, it's a bit of an outlet for any stress or frustrations I might have because I can just be a complete jerk and it's part of the game. But when I'm with a group, the dynamic changes completely. Sure, the game has its problems and is notorious for the lag and cheater issues, but that doesn't really affect why I play the game. Then why do I play APB: Reloaded?
APB: Reloaded previews new map for Halloween festivities
Like in most virtual worlds, APB: Reloaded's San Paro is preparing for Halloween. In honor of the occasion, a new map will be brought out for two weeks of celebration. The appropriately themed Asylum map will be used to host a Fright Club, which will replace the regular Fight Club starting today. Trick and Treat, the respective Halloween Contacts for Criminals and Enforcers, will be chilling in the Asylum with missions to hand out. Players will be able to go through six levels of holiday missions. In addition, players will be able to smash pumpkins -- and smashing pumpkins unlocks titles! Not only will players unlock the Pumpkin Chaser, Murderer, Assassin, and Terminator titles unlocked at various numbers of pumpkins smashed, but the top player in each world for pumpkin smashing will unlock the title of Pumpkin King or Queen. Two contests will round out the festivities: the Headless Gunman Pumpkin Head Contest and the Halloween District Parade Costume Contest. Check out the official contest forums for all the details on that heap o' goodness.
Some Assembly Required: Creating content for cash
Housing. Mission generators. Player-run festivals. Music. Overall general sandboxy goodness. Since its debut over a year ago, Some Assembly Required has covered a number of topics related to player-generated content as well as the games that offer such features. However, recent events have turned my attention toward a different aspect of PGC. Between the Dota 2 incident and last week's announcement from Sony Online Entertainment, I am actually looking at player-generated content in a whole new way: as a revenue generator. That's right -- collecting cold hard cash for your creativity. Although plenty of titles allow players to create content and share it within the games, very few let players sell that content for real-world money. This column explores the cash-for-content phenomenon in MMOs: what games have it, how to use it, and whether it is likely to become the next big thing.
The Daily Grind: Which two MMOs would you like to see crossover?
I love crossovers. They're quite common in comics and in television while a little less so with movies (although crossovers happen even there). But what about MMOs? EVE Online and DUST 514 are going to share the same universe, while Pirate101 and Wizard101 take place in the Spiral with plenty of crossover possibility. That said, what if there were a true crossover between MMOs? What if characters, mobs, or events could spill over from one into another? Maybe the rifts from RIFT would suddenly start threatening Middle-earth or the gangstas from APB would decide to hijack a few starships in Star Trek Online? What if Marvel and DC would allow a limited-time interaction between their two MMOs in the future for some epic superhero throwdowns? Today, only your imagination is the limit. Which two MMOs would you like to see crossover? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
APB: Reloaded drops a major patch with major promotions
It's patch day for APB: Reloaded with one of the larger patches in the game's lifespan. Patch 1.9.0 has gone live and brought along brand-new Activities. Activities are special side missions that players can complete during Fight Club; they take the form of minor challenges in three tiers of difficulty and provide an optional goal for players looking for bigger rewards. The patch also brings a new store with new outfits and weapons, and of course there are several bug fixes and balance changes. But if you're not lured in by the promise of a new patch, the staff at GamersFirst has put together several promotions to encourage players to jump into the game once again. Until the end of the month, 20% of funds spent in the game's store will be refunded to the players (with the refund taking place after the promotion ends). Players will also be given a free code for Joker tickets to start outfitting their characters, also good until the end of the month. If you're happily shooting away or you've taken a break, now would be the time to jump into the game and give it a shot.
MMO Blender: Matt's immersive cyberpunk monstrosity
Let's take a look at the acronym MMORPG for a moment. If you're reading this site, you surely know what it stands for: massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Ever since World of Warcraft hit the big-time, MMOs have been cropping up left and right in more shapes and sizes than many would have ever guessed. Swords and sorcery: check. Spreadsheets and spaceships: check. Roman orgies: coming soon. But somewhere along the line, game developers have forgotten something. Before there were MMORPGs, there were just RPGs, played by folks gathered around the kitchen table armed with nothing more than pencils, paper, and their trusty dice. I'm not going to pretend that "I was there, man" because -- being a '90s kid -- I didn't get into pen-and-paper games until my teens in the 2000s. But even I know that those games put an emphasis on the "RP" part of RPG in a way that MMORPGs simply don't, and in some ways, can't. But I'm sure that I can't be the only one who still wants to escape to another world, to become fully immersed in that world and in my character. So in my Frankenstein's monster experiment today, I'm going to try my best to meld modern MMO features into an immersive fantasy roleplaying world. Won't you join me?
MMO Blender: Larry's Firefly Effect
Many MMOs suffer from not actually having immersive worlds. As a player, I always find a separation between what I am doing and what the rest of the playerbase sees. My personal gameplay has little to no effect on anyone else. MMO communities need to have more interdependency -- positive and negative. I also believe that player choice also plays a major part in making a believable world, and I don't just mean just in some arbitrary dialogue choice, although that can be part of it. Actions in the world should play a part, too. Many MMOs have the pieces already in place to make wonderful, immersing worlds, but for some reason, no one has ever put all the pieces together. What does it take to make a believable, fun world for a player to not only live in but feel that he is a part of the greater universe?
