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E3 2011: GamersFirst talks APB Reloaded's new features and player politics
We told you earlier today about GamersFirst's involvement with Fallen Earth. The company is, of course, more renowned for its All Points Bulletin resurrection project, and we sat down with both Darek Connole and Jon-Enee Merriex at E3 this week to discuss APB Reloaded's open beta as well as the progress that's been made through the extensive closed testing process. Follow along after the cut as we find out about what's new and what's coming, including a nifty iteration on the original title's witnessing system and an interesting player political experiment that evokes comparisons to EVE Online's Council of Stellar Management.
GamersFirst releases All Points Bulletin: Reloaded development road map
Are you tired of developers telling you that the game you're anticipating will be done "soon"? Well, the folks at GamersFirst understand your pain, and as a result they have released the All Points Bulletin: Reloaded development road map for your perusal. They specifically indicate that they are doing their best not to use the World of Warcraft definition of "soon" or to lapse into "Valve-Time." The road map itself is currently in its infancy and includes only a short-term plan. This plan outlines what the development team hopes to accomplish within the next 30 days and includes latency fixes for European players, car customization kits that players can use to pimp their virtual rides, and appreciation kits for closed-beta testers. To see the full contents of the road map -- and all of its future updates -- you can head over to the official blog post. But don't stray too far from Massively because later this week we'll have some words with GamersFirst straight from E3.
GamersFirst tweaking APB beta threat levels
The latest APB Reloaded blog entries reflect the ongoing adjustments being made to the resurrected free-to-play MMORPG as it rolls toward a summer re-release. It seems that threat level displays in the city of San Paro were in need of some tweaking, and today's update, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EDT, looks to address the discrepancies as well as a recently identified problem with low-level matchmaking. GamersFirst's Bjorn Book-Larsson wrote extensively about the issues with threat level visuals in a post over the weekend, and he follows that up with a brief blurb that explains how the devs are tackling the problem. It's not a quick fix, though, and Book-Larsson cautions that GamersFirst is "likely to perform yet another update later this week as we continue tweaking the system."
All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta beginning on May 23 for reals!
After the delay of the All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta test last week, TechMech announced via the APB blog today that the beta-stopping bug has been fixed and open beta will go forward on May 23rd. TechMech reminds players to keep in mind that the game is still in beta, so players shouldn't expect a perfect gameplay experience simply because this bug has been fixed. He does note, however, that the folks at Gamersfirst are "confident the game will hold up technically while we work on the series of game items we need to improve on and polish." A disclaimer at the bottom of the post also states that, while TechMech is making no promises, "there is a chance we will have some super-double-secret number of accounts enabled to enter the Closed Beta during both Saturday and Sunday leading up to the beta launch, which 'might' permit access to the game for people who had previously registered an interest in the game." So if you registered previously and would like to try out the game, there's no harm in giving it a download and trying your luck. And of course you can register for the upcoming open beta on APB's official site.
All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta delayed
As we reported a couple of weeks back, the All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta test was scheduled to begin today. Unfortunately, we've got some bad news for all you wanna-be gangsters and law-enforcers out there: The game will remain in closed beta while the team rolls out a new patch this afternoon in an attempt to fix a "player disconnection issue." In the post, TechMech says, "The issue manifests itself in disconnecting some groups of players after one to two hours of gameplay, which clearly is not acceptable in Open Beta." As a thank-you for the continued efforts of all of APB's closed beta testers, the team is preparing a "goodie-pack" of in-game items for everyone who has participated in the closed beta test so far. This bag o' fun will be available to players the week after the open beta is released to the public. When will that be? "If we determine after the next patch that the issue has been resolved, we will then proceed to release the game to the public," the post explains. For further details and any updates, check the official post.
The MMO Report: Beerds!
Today on The MMO Report: World of Warcraft subscription numbers, RIFT's new advertising campaign, Star Wars: The Old Republic's (lack of) release date, Aion's latest patch, All Points Bulletin: Reloaded, and BEER WITH BEARDS! BEERDS! Ahem. Sorry, getting ahead of myself a bit. Today's MMO Report starts by talking about Blizzard's WoW subscription numbers, specifically that they are dwindling. But it's OK -- they'll be back. Next up, RIFT's new advertising campaign, the RIFTcast. Parodying morning news weather forecasters, the advertisements are short, clever, and effective at spreading the word. Massively gets another shout-out for our coverage of the Star Wars: The Old Republic release window, and Casey admits a bit of surprise at TOR's adoption of a subscription model, adding that regardless of pricing, "we'd still play this game if it required half a pint of blood on startup." Aion's patch 2.5 gets some coverage as Casey points out the improved graphics, the mentor system, new instances, and in-game events to celebrate the occasion. And to top it off, All Points Bulletin: Reloaded is entering open beta soon. I swear I'm forgetting something... OH YEAH! Beer with beards! Go check it out after the break!
GamersFirst hires Dave Jones as APB Reloaded advisor
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming: Dave Jones is back on the All Points Bulletin team. The former Realtime Worlds boss and the brains behind APB's original incarnation (as well as Crackdown and the first two Grand Theft Auto games) has joined GamersFirst "in an advisory role and will share his vast game design experience during critical design stages" according to a new press release. Jones has flown under the radar since the meltdown of Realtime Worlds and appears to be excited to get back on the development horse. "The game was my passion back when I was developing it with Realtime Worlds, and I'm extremely excited to be able to participate in fulfilling the long term vision for the title," he said. Jones also goes on to praise GamersFirst's free-to-play vision for San Paro. APB Reloaded is currently winding down its closed beta stage, with open beta scheduled for May 18th.
APB Reloaded rolls out new patches, East Coast server move
Looks like we have ourselves a convoy... of patch notes! As All Points Bulletin continues to truck down the highway toward open beta and re-release, the APB Reloaded dev blog continues to deliver the news of progress, and today that includes two sets of patch notes and word of a server move to an East Coast location. APB Reloaded's East Coast server move to Washington, DC will be taking place later this week. This should help improve latency times for those playing in the eastern half of North America. The blog also lists the nitty-gritty details of Releases 79 (May 5th) and 80 (May 10th). These changes include exploit fixes and tweaks to several weapons to bring them in line. GamersFirst is saving the really big bullet points for the May 18th update, which will coincide with the open beta. The blog hints that we should hopefully be hearing about the features for this mega-patch soon. You can read the full details over on the APB Reloaded dev blog.
APB Reloaded beta version 1.5 is live
We've talked a lot about version 1.5 of APB Reloaded's closed beta client in our last couple of updates and today we're pysched to report that the patch has officially made its way onto the live testing shard. The APB Reloaded blog has the extensive patch notes courtesy of Bjorn Book-Larsson's latest post, and you'll want to grab a tankard of your favorite caffeinated beverage and block off some reading time. The notes feature quite a bit of info about everything from open world crimes and witnessing, to spawning and equipment leasing, to progression tweaks. There's also some space devoted to the environmental updates that GamersFirst has been working on, as well as a full listing of the default game controls that should come in handy for new testers. Head to the APB Reloaded blog for more info.
New APB Reloaded blog dishes on beta version 1.5.0
The newest APB Reloaded dev blog is up, and this week finds GamersFirst in the midst of an "insane crunch" to get the 1.5.0 version of the beta client ready for prime time. Bjorn Book-Larsson gives us the details in his latest dev diary, and he also takes the time to answer many of the questions that fans are likely to have as the week wears on. Most of the pre-emptive Q&A pertains to beta invites, and there's also a blurb relating to possible future character wipes (aside from the one that we know is coming with 1.5.0). In addition to participating in the question-and-answer session, Book-Larsson lists a few of the core changes that the GamersFirst team has already completed. These include a new spawning system, the witnessing mechanic, modifier tweaks, and fixes for memory usage (as well as a reduced client size). Despite all the progress, there's quite a bit of work left to do as APB Reloaded's beta rolls on, and you can read all about it on the game's official dev blog.
APB Reloaded blog details the matchmaking makeover
This week's APB Reloaded blog entry is a pretty lengthy one, and Bjorn Book-Larsson has a lot to say about the game's matchmaking system as well as a warning for the hackers who have showed up in the free-to-play title's closed beta. Matchmaking is a huge issue for GamersFirst's APB redesign, and Book-Larsson relates that "it was a bit of a shocker to discover that in spite of relying almost exclusively on computer-generated matchmaking... no real thought was made to create a decent skill rating system to feed those matchmaking decisions." Book-Larsson also provides some insight into how GamersFirst is tackling the problem, illustrating several approaches to matchmaking including algorithms founded on Chess ratings, Glicko, and Microsoft's TrueSkill system. Read all about these topics and more on the official APB Reloaded blog.
APB Reloaded prepping for open beta
The beta train for APB Reloaded is rolling right along, according to the latest dev blog update. As of March 20th, GamersFirst has welcomed 25,000 testers to the title's closed beta, with 250,000 waiting in the wings -- and apparently champing at the bit. GamersFirst is also looking to the future, and Bjorn Book-Larsson writes that "the dev, design and art teams are still working on a few minor tweaks in [closed beta], but are mostly now focused on the open beta build that's coming up." While there's no word on an open beta date as of yet, we're not anticipating a lengthy wait given the speed at which GamersFirst is powering through updates and the enthusiasm permeating the entire enterprise. Book-Larsson also gives fans an update on the European closed beta, which has suffered a slight delay thanks to a pair of crucial networking components that were held up by EU customs. He notes that at least 25,000 testers will be needed when the EU servers are up and running, and "anyone already playing closed beta in the US can also play on the EU location, just for the heck of it."
[UPDATED] Enter to win one of 20 APB: Reloaded closed beta keys from Massively!
[Update: All winners have been chosen and contacted. Check your email, and congratulations to our winners!] Last week, the powers that be at GamersFirst gave us 100 closed beta keys for APB: Reloaded. We shared them with our readers, and they proved to be a hot commodity! The keys were gone in the blink of an eye, scooped up by those lucky enough to be around at the right moment. GamersFirst has given us one more batch of keys, and we decided to share the wealth a little more evenly this time! We've been passing them out on our Twitter and Facebook pages, but what if you missed those -- or worse yet, don't follow us on Twitter or Facebook? Take heart, because we've reserved 20 for one last giveaway! Leave a comment here letting us know what you are most looking forward to in the game. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 17th, we'll choose 20 comments and email each of those commenters a key for the next APB:Reloaded closed beta event. We're leaving the event up for 24 hours to give everyone a chance to participate regardless of his or her schedule, so hit that comment button and good luck! [Editor's note: We're thrilled to see so many of you coming out to snag a key! Just remember that in this and all other Massively threads, commenters are expected to abide by our site-wide code of conduct. Keep it clean, and good luck!]
APB Reloaded keeps us up to date on development
It's always good to see a games company keep the lines of communication open in regard to an upcoming title. It's especially nice to see those frequent morsels of communication presented in an open and downright amusing fashion! The team behind All Points Bulletin: Reloaded is certainly managing to do just that, as we can see in its most recent update. According to none other than the COO/CTO for GamersFirst, Bjorn "TechMech" Book-Larsson, the team currently working on ABP: Reloaded has made a huge find in terms of server bugs. Apparently, the way the current in-game death camera is coded, the entire sector hits a lag spike -- or as he puts it, "take[s] a brief 100ms moment of silence" when a player is killed. This, in turn, causes a lot of the rubberbanding that players see on their end. Finding this bug means that the team is now hard at work on a fix, and Book-Larsson is hopeful that we may even see it released to closed beta players within a matter of days. If you're curious about the progress GamersFirst is making on APB: Reloaded, then be sure to head over and check out the newest blog post or go get signed up for closed beta! [Thanks, Connor!]
APB: Reloaded closed beta application keys received a get-out-of-jail-free card
San Paro may be waiting for you again! The free-to-play publisher GamersFirst has sent out application keys for the forthcoming third-person shooter MMO APB: Reloaded. Fans have been anxiously awaiting the reopening of the game's crime-ridden streets since Realtime Worlds walled off the city. Yesterday, email messages poured into many an inbox asking players to fork over their computer specs for a chance to enter the closed beta. Check your email -- you may have one of the invitations waiting for you. Although there is a key to be redeemed, you will not qualify for an actual beta invite until the GamersFirst development team has had a chance to review and accept your application. If your inbox is like many gamers' inboxes, you will want to sift through every piece of mail you received yesterday and look for the one titled "Your Key to San Paro inside." You may even have to dig through your spam box. If you have not signed up for beta testing yet, jack a car and speed over to the Gamersfirst website now, yo! [Thank you tipsters for letting us know!]
New APB Reloaded dev blog outlines aimbot policies
This week's APB Reloaded dev blog is live, and GamersFirst CEO Bjorn Book-Larsson gives way to Aphadon, a former AI engineer on the Realtime Worlds version of APB who is currently overseeing the anti-cheat systems for the new incarnation of the game. Aphadon details the original implementation of PunkBuster in APB (and the performance and connection-related disasters that it caused for players in the beta), and states that it eventually was able to detect "every single commercially available aimbot." Due to the financial problems at Realtime Worlds, the APB team was never able to ban the thousands of cheaters that were identified in the original game. For chapter two, Aphadon states that the problems with PunkBuster have been ironed out, and anti-cheat measures will be enabled from the start of APB Reloaded's closed beta. GamersFirst is also planning a hard line approach when it comes to dealing with aimbotters. Aphadon says that first-time offenders will be immediately kicked and their accounts (and PCs) banned temporarily. A second offense will result in a permanent account and PC ban.
APB Reloaded beta signups detailed
If you've been wondering how to sign up for APB Reloaded's upcoming closed beta, you'll want to check out GamersFirst CEO Bjorn Book-Larsson's latest blog post. For now, the process is pretty straight-forward, and basically entails registering with your preferred email address and creating a GamersFirst account. As the beta date draws nearer (currently the devs are eyeballing the first week in February), you'll receive an email asking for your DxDiag and personal info. Book-Larsson says that after the data has been verified, you'll receive a beta key. He also mentions that approximately 20,000 people have registered thus far, and GamersFirst expects to make use of 6,000 to 8,000 closed beta testers (with 800 online during peak hours). Finally, Book-Larsson hints at a unique beta tester reward as well as the fact that no pre-existing characters or accounts from the Realtime Worlds version of APB will be carried over to the beta. Hit up the official APB Reloaded blog for all of the details.
APB Reloaded blog talks new client, closed beta date
Anxiously awaiting the (re)launch of the new free-to-play version of All Points Bulletin? You're not alone, as the folks at GamersFirst are as well. To that end, how does a projected late February closed beta date grab you? Bjorn Book-Larsson drops that particular hint in the latest APB Reloaded dev blog, and also says that the beta application details will be forthcoming in the next week. Book-Larsson goes on to talk about why it's taking GamersFirst a bit of time to turn the lights back on for the resurrected MMO crime opus, and two of those reasons boil down to a new game client and a new company network. While this week's blog is a little light on client details, Book-Larsson does indicate that more info is forthcoming. "The exact config of the client will be the focus for each update in each of the next several weeks, so at the moment all I will say is that the closed beta client will be a little bit smaller than the original shipping client. It will have a basic premium system built in, various balance fixes, and we might be able to turn on the chaos rule-set," he writes. The remainder of the lengthy blog entry focuses on techie details relating to GamersFirst's new network, and for those of you who are prone to glazed eyes at the thought of techno babble, Book-Larsson invites you to tune in next week when the discussion will turn to in-game features.
GamersFirst's predictions for the video games industry in 2011
While end-of-the-year predictions are quite commonplace amongst game industry bloggers and journalists, it's a bit rarer to see prognostications coming from game-makers and executives. GamersFirst bucks that trend with a press release outlining its forecast for online gaming in 2011. Unsurprisingly, the free-to-play publisher sees its preferred business model "taking over the video game market," as well as a massive shift to mobile gaming and digital distribution. Closer to home, GamersFirst senior vice president Rahul Sandil says that 2011 will be a banner year for the company that recently acquired 9Dragons and APB. "We are poised to make noteworthy contributions to the future of F2P online games. We look forward to expanding client-based and web browser F2P MMOs throughout Turkey, Europe, South and North America," he says. Check out the full list of GamersFirst industry predictions after the break.
The Daily Grind: Will you be playing APB Reloaded?
Corpse rezzing is nothing new in the MMORPG space. Most of us do it, or have it done to us, several times a week on average. Reviving the smelly carcass of a dearly departed game is not quite as trivial, as death in the corporate world is usually more permanent than the inconvenience experienced by our avatars. All Points Bulletin is currently undergoing a reanimation process of its own, and while the verdict is still out on how well the transition to GamersFirst will go, several Massively staffers are excited about the prospects of a return engagement in San Paro. Today's Daily Grind question is an easy one, but feel free to expound on it if you wish. Will you be playing the new (and hopefully improved) version of APB? 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!
