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APB: Reloaded cracks into Steam's most-played games
Calling all cars -- all three million of them, even. Yes, that's how many players APB: Reloaded now claims, which allows the game to crack into the top ten games being played on Steam and places it second on the list of free games. That's definitely a big impression, one that couples nicely with the game's recent release of a boxed retail copy with several bonus items for first-time or existing players. According to Rahul Sandil, SVP of marketing and business development for GamersFirst, "[GamersFirst] recognized the potential for APB: Reloaded to be a true breakout hit in the Free2Play category all through beta testing." The game's new Fight Club gameplay mode hasn't hurt the game's popularity either, which is all pretty good for a game that originally set a record for its quick shutdown. The future of APB: Reloaded remains to be seen, but the present is certainly looking bright. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
APB: Reloaded unveils a boatload of new screenshots
Are you excited about the release of the APB: Reloaded retail box? Ambivalent about the release but fond of screenshots? Either way, there's a whole lot of new screenshots from the game to coincide with said release, showing off two of the new maps for the game's new Fight Club battle mode and new SWAT gear for Enforcer players who like to take down crime in style. And heavy armor, which seems practical. There's also a new revelation about the retail pack itself, as it seems that GamersFirst has sweetened the pot slightly. In addition to all of the bonuses listed in our post on the release yesterday, GamersFirst has confirmed that there are extra weapons in the package for those who purchase the pack within the first 30 days. So if you're curious about what you could do on the streets and have the $30 to check it out, now might be the time to do so. %Gallery-141485% %Gallery-141484% %Gallery-141483% %Gallery-115829%
The Firing Line: Gravity-defying gameplay edition
Hullo shooter fans, and welcome back to Massively's weekly dose of pew pew news and views. The past seven days were quiet ones for three of the The Firing Line's "big four" MMO shooters, as newsmakers on the PlanetSide 2, Global Agenda, and Firefall dev teams were all silent. Thankfully there were a couple of cool DUST 514 tidbits to chew on, but before we get to those, I'd like to call your attention to some interesting Tribes: Ascend, APB: Reloaded, and CrimeCraft news that you may have missed.
APB retail edition to hit store shelves tomorrow [Updated]
Would you buy a box set for a free-to-play game? It might seem like an odd question, but GamersFirst is hoping that the answer to that question is "yes" once you see what's being offered with the APB: Reloaded boxed edition. With a suggested retail price of $29.99, the box is set to go on sale starting tomorrow, December 9th, and will be sold at Best Buy, Target, GameStop, and Walmart. And what do you get when you buy the game? Aside from an installation disc and manual, you get 30 days free of Premium account status and 500 G1 credits for use in the game's microtransaction store. You also get a faction-specific sports car and a special secondary weapon to help ensure that you're never without a holdout in a protracted firefight. Time will tell if this addition to the game's marketing proves profitable for the game under its current business model. [Source: GamersFirst press release] [Update: We've since been told that the retail launch of APB: Reloaded has been delayed. The team hopes to have an updated date by Friday, December 16th. We'll update you when we know more!]
First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day
On June 29th, 2010, Realtime Worlds launched All Points Bulletin, an MMO that was highly anticipated for its character customization options, open-world "gang warfare" PvP, and similarity to the wildy popular Grand Theft Auto series of video games. In fact, the original APB's lead designer was David Jones, creator of such classics as Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto. But six weeks later, Realtime Worlds entered administration, which essentially means that the company was having financial troubles but was allowed to continue running while looking for a new owner. That new owner didn't materialize quickly enough, forcing the company to announce the game's closure during what may be the shortest MMO lifespan of all time. But who should come to save the day on November 11, 2010? None other than K2 Network, parent company of free-to-play publisher GamersFirst, which swooped in to rescue the game under the new title APB: Reloaded. Today marks the official re-launch of the crime MMO on Steam, and I've been spending entirely too much time with the game, rediscovering why I both loved and hated the original version. Follow along after the cut for our second look at a First Impressions of APB.
New trailer for APB: Reloaded encourages you to be someone else
When we're young, we're usually told that we can be anything we want when we grow up. After the ensuing 20-minute discussion in which our parents explain that we cannot grow up to be a caterpillar, a race car, or James Bond, we quickly come to understand that our options are a bit more limited than we were told. And that's something that the newest trailer for APB: Reloaded understands, as evidenced in the first few moments with its declaration that the real world sucks. The trailer's goal is to highlight some of the gameplay and customization possible within the engine, encouraging players to be more than is possible within the real world. (Well, to be fair, it's very possible to have shootouts with the police in the real world, but it's not something you can log off from.) Click on past the break to see the whole trailer in all its glory.
The story of saving APB
While many of us are aware of the basics behind the rise, fall, and re-rise of All Points Bulletin, it's only been from a partial, fragmented perspective. GamesIndustry.biz conducted an in-depth investigation into the story of how GamersFirst swooped in to save the drowning APB, which barely had 130,000 registered users at the time of its shutdown last year. As the game and company went into administration, GamersFirst sent in a team to assess the title and see what could be done. The company decided to purchase it and convert it to a free-to-play model, although Bjorn Book-Larsson said that the price tag for the company was higher than initially anticipated: "It ended up not being a cheap deal for us, but obviously a lot cheaper than the initial development." In restructuring the development team, GamersFirst reduced the number of developers by 90% to make it more agile, often recruiting former Realtime Worlds employees who showed promise. "Our production designer used to be the lead QA person. He'd spent years taking notes on how things should have been different. Essentially, when I met him the first time he rattled off a huge list of what he thought should have been different. Just an insane amount. We just said, maybe we should just hire you as a designer," Larsson said. So far, it looks as though the restructuring and new focus is paying off, as APB Reloaded's beta is currently seeing five times as many players as those who registered for the box product last year.
Massively Exclusive: GamersFirst on yesterday's layoffs and the future of APB
It's been a whirlwind couple of days for the folks at GamersFirst. Yesterday we broke the story of layoffs at the company, and today the free-to-play firm has come forward to chat with us about what exactly is going on (and what exactly it's thinking in regard to the new Occupy Free2Play promotion). We talked with Rahul Sandil, G1's senior vice president of marketing and business development, and he had some interesting things to say about the future of both APB Reloaded and Fallen Earth.
GamersFirst challenging players with Occupy Free2Play
Occupy Wall Street is the phrase on everyone's lips these days, and the folks at GamersFirst are getting in on the action with a lighthearted spinoff of the movement. GamersFirst is making the bold statement that it's "challenging video game players and consumers to break the cycle of MMOs that require you to commit to a subscription after spending as much as $60 for the honor of playing their products." The company continues, "Worse is the latest crop of subscription-lite and freemium games claiming to be Free2Play. GamersFirst is challenging gamers to reject this propaganda of what other publishers are calling free and demand more from their gaming experience." It's an interesting take on gaming, but G1 has even more to say and a very clear idea of what F2P is not: "Free2Play is NOT a thinly-veiled game trial. Free2Play is NOT titles that require cash shop purchases to play. Free2Play is NOT experience level caps. Free2Play is NOT exclusive content for paying players. Free2Play is NOT pay-to-win." Strong words, but is there anything behind them? The answer seems to be yes, since GamersFirst is backing up its words with -- what else? -- free items. Massively has been given 5,000 codes for APB: Reloaded gift packages that include three days of access to both a Colby CSG-20 PR2 shotgun and a ACT 44 Golden Marksmen pistol. The package also includes three days of premium access to the game. Head to our giveaway page to pick up your items, and make sure you hit the comment button to give us your take on Occupy Free2Play!
Preparing for the apocalypse (again): GamersFirst on Fallen Earth's F2P shift
Today was my last day in Fallen Earth. My subscription ran out, so I was cut off from everything: glorious crafting, expansive exploration, black humor, and gas mask fashionware. Fortunately, my adventures will resume on October 12th, when Fallen Earth officially makes its transition to a hybrid free-to-play/subscription model. Like many current players and potential clones, we are understandably curious about the implications and (pardon the pun) fallout from such a fundamental shift in the business model. Will F2P be the savior of this niche game? What's being done to prepare for the change? To answer these questions and more, we talked to Joseph Willmon, an associate game director for GamersFirst. Massively: How are you preparing your servers for the added influx of free-to-play tourists? Joseph Willmon: We're still wrapping up some of the final stages of settling the Fallen Earth servers into their new homes at GamersFirst, so soon they'll be as optimized as we want them to be. We're lucky in that Fallen Earth was designed from the ground up to support lots of people playing -- we'd have to blow all estimates out of the water really quickly in order for population to be an issue, which wouldn't be such a bad problem to have!
APB Reloaded cracks down on cheaters
Cheating and exploiting are problems that plague all MMOs, and developers often go to great lengths to detect offenders. In a new APB Reloaded devblog, developer TechMech explains the company's latest and highly successful attempts to rid the game of cheaters. Three major hacks were targeted, and every account that had ever used the hacks was banned overnight. TechMech won't go into details about how exactly the hackers were observed, but he does say that a second anti-cheat patch is coming to wipe out any players who choose to continue hacking. TechMech is considering offering a kind of amnesty to cheaters, stating that anyone who uninstalls all hacks and plays legitimately may be permitted to continue playing. Perhaps the most shocking statistic in the devblog was that almost 50% of the banned accounts were paid accounts, and some had over 1500 hours of gameplay on them. TechMech went on to estimate the revenue that the three main cheat-makers had been generating as between $15,000 and $50,000 per month each, with users spending $30 per month on hacks.
All Points Bulletin Reloaded blog post focuses on the "home stretch" to launch
Enforcers and criminals better listen up, because it's time for another All Points Bulletin Reloaded blog post. This one focuses on the open beta "home stretch," as the post's title refers to it. With the game's patch 1.5.3 hot off the press, the team is gearing up for patches 1.5.4 through 1.5.7, which are the last planned patches prior to the game's official launch. So what kind of issues have been spotted throughout the span of open beta, and what does the team hope to accomplish prior to the game's official release? Well, sit down and get comfy, because the team has put together quite a list, included after the jump.
GamersFirst states All Points Bulletin had huge future plans
By now, we are all familiar with the sad story of All Points Bulletin by Realtime Worlds. RTW's closing down shop ended not just APB as it was but also the future plans for the game as well. According to GamersFirst, which picked up and relaunched the failed title, Realtime Worlds had ambitious plans for the future of the game that ultimately lead to design issues. As GamersFirst Public Relations Manager Darek Connole stated to VideoGamer.com: I can't give you too much detail because I'm not a coder. But as I understand it they were looking to make APB the entry level to this whole series of games. So like you'd go into the APB district, and the social district would take you to other games and from my world you could take your APB car and drive it into my world and shoot things. They had all these crazy cool ideas that was just very ambitious. But don't get excited just yet. Connole also stated that GamerFirst would not be pursuing that content. However, because APB: Reloaded does not have the extraneous code, the developers can make a smooth, more streamlined game.
One Shots: Welcome to bug week!
We're kicking off bug week here on One Shots with an APB: Reloaded screenshot from Massively reader Xarrin: In APB, getting run over by a teammate normally means instant death. However, getting a teammate's car to diagonally crush you can lead to an awkward fusion of your character's body and the pavement. It's all fun and games until you're only a head and arms. We'll be revisiting an old favorite of One Shots this week: bug week. Whether it's unwanted guests in cutscenes, funny graphic glitches, or a prank you played on a buddy, we want to see. Send your screenshots in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature them in next week's One Shots! %Gallery-112285%
PAX 2011: On the (re)starting line with APB: Reloaded
There's nothing like a car crash to slow down traffic as everyone rubbernecks at someone else's misfortune. Likewise, gamers and media alike were fascinated with the premature demise of last year's All Points Bulletin, craning their heads to see how extensive the damage was. But out of the wreck a new and improved version of the game was born, and now the crowds are equally taking notice of this resurrection. Not every canceled MMO gets a second chance at life, after all. This is why we were glad to sit down with GamersFirst's Jon-Enee Merriex at PAX to discuss how APB's reloading is going, what the devs have planned between now and launch, and what other projects they're tackling. Put the pedal to the metal and hit that jump -- this interview can't drive 55!
Faxion Online closing the doors of heaven and hell
It may not have had a long life, but Faxion Online's certainly was memorable. The PvP-centric MMO with the unique heaven-and-hell theme has announced that it is closing its doors within the month, following rumors that the entire team had been laid off. In a brief statement posted on the forums, players were notified of the game's closure, which will occur in a couple quick stages. This week, players will not be able to register for the game, download it, or use the store, while the servers will be powered down within 30 days from today. "We're eternally grateful for all the support, feedback, and competition our players have provided through thick and thin," the announcement stated. "Faxion's development was a Herculean effort that some said was impossible given the timeframe and resources we had, and we're proud to have delivered a PvP-driven experience that people could enjoy. Alas, all good things must come to an end." Faxion Online launched on May 26th this year, making this one of the quickest demises of an MMO since last year's All Points Bulletin. We at Massively wish the best for Faxion's staff in the coming months.
APB Reloaded gets North American retail distributor
OK, remember last month when GamersFirst seemed to shoot down the notion of APB Reloaded coming to a retail shelf near you? Apparently those rumors were more than idle scuttlebutt, and senior marketing VP Rahul Sandil's statement that GamersFirst was evaluating its options was more than idle PR-speak. In a new press release issued this morning, GamersFirst revealed that it is partnering with Interactive Gaming Software to bring the massively multiplayer shooter to your local gaming store. Sandil says that "the response from retail has been so overwhelming that we are considering launching with a half-million units." What will retail customers get for their $29.95? Aside from the box and manual, the package boasts $50 worth of in-game items including a permanent high-performance vehicle, a permanent in-game weapon, and 30 days of premium account access (which grants increased mission rewards, reputation gains, and a 20% cash shop discount).
One Shots: I need a break
The streets of San Paro can be a rough place, and taking a breather to enjoy the scenery is a welcome respite for criminal and enforcer alike. Massively reader Connor is an All Points Bulletin: Reloaded fan, and he sent us an image of a rare peaceful moment in the game: This is an environment image you wouldn't expect because you can't physically get there -- which doesn't make it any less beautiful or peaceful. It's the social district in APB:R, and I jumped on top of the little gazebo in the corner to grab this screenshot. We're revisiting an old favorite theme this week on One Shots: environments. The game world is an area that most developers put a huge amount of effort into, and it shows. Do you have a favorite landscape, particularly eye-catching weather effect, or hidden jewel in an out-of-the-way location? Snap a screenshot of your favorite MMO area, tell us a bit about what and where it is, and send it to oneshots@massively.com. We'll be featuring the best of them all next week! %Gallery-112285%
GDC Europe 2011: GamersFirst on the difficulties with transforming APB: Reloaded
GamersFirst is practically a household name these days, and a recent panel at GDC Europe played host to COO/CTO Bjorn Book-Larsson speaking up about the difficulties the company has had bringing once-dead APB into the realm of free-to-play. In the interview at Gamasutra, Book-Larsson talks about how it wasn't as easy as GamersFirst had hoped to turn the failed MMO into that diamond in the rough. Although the tools and ideas of the game are impressive, it was the design that caused roadblocks in the resurrection. Players would literally get lost in the original game, and GamersFirst set out to fix that as much as it could. "People would just run around in an endless loop and never realize they had to ready up to get a mission," Book-Larsson said.
All Points Bulletin slays lag and improves matches
The relaunch of All Points Bulletin has brought with it quite a bit more buzz than the game had during its first go-around, but there are still issues to be addressed and kinks to be worked out. Fortunately for the devoted players of the game, the team behind the shooter has been working diligently to try and hammer things out as fast as possible. That starts with the ugly issue of server-side lag, which the most recent developer post claims to have slain for good. That's in addition to NVidia SLI support, a good thing for players who want to run the game at truly breathtaking settings. Beyond the technical side, however, there have been some adjustments and re-examination of the game's threat level system. The rating system is meant to ensure that players fight against other players of roughly equal skill, but due to some issues with the data the average players wound up being pushed into a handful of tiers, resulting in a few tiers with huge variances in levels. The blog entry outlines the changes being put into place to fix the issue, as well as future updates for the game in its current incarnation.
