Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

APB To Close Mere Months After Launch

Posted by Soulskill on from the ran-out-of-gas dept.

APB, the action MMO created by Realtime Worlds and launched at the end of June, will soon be closing its doors. The game was very expensive to make, and news of the studio's financial difficulties has been circulating in the wake of disappointing sales numbers and reviews. Today, less than three months after the servers went live, community officer Ben Bateman announced that service will be discontinued shortly. One of the developers said, "In every way APB was a dichotomy. I have witnessed the project alter from a fragile and delicate entity used to show the world the depth of our vision through to the sturdy beast we released to the public. There were the unusual errors and crashes which are to be expected, but it worked. Once in the hands of our community I have never seen something elicit such a polarization of people. It was dismissed as overhyped and broken or else taken to heart to be loved and cherished, buoyed on by a fanaticism I was proud to have played a part in bringing to the world."

7 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Again?! by Boona · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hellgate London (with Founders), Tabula Rasa and now APB ... The next time I purchase an MMO I'll let you guys know ahead of time so you know that it will fail.

    1. Re:Again?! by Dyinobal · · Score: 1, Funny

      Make sure you buy Cataclysm.

    2. Re:Again?! by Mathness · · Score: 2, Funny

      Please stay away from Hello Kitty online, pleeeease.

      ( I actually miss Tabula Rasa. :( )

      --
      Carbon based humanoid in training.
  2. Re:Woah, economics by alen · · Score: 1, Funny

    salaries, rent, servers, electricity, etc

    50 guys with an average cost of $100,000 per year is $50,000,000 per year. not everyone makes $100,000 per year in salary but when you figure in health benefits, taxes and other employee costs it's about right.

  3. Re:Cheating was rampant by mdm-adph · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think you're missing the deeper gameplay mechanics obviously secretly built-into a game based around a life of crime...

    --
    It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
  4. Aggrandize much? by interval1066 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The developer's quote sounds like they were on a humanitarian mission to cure cancer or bring world peace. It was a game that failed. Games are expensive to produce. Movin' on...

    --
    Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
  5. Ack! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wait, this game was released in June!? I was looking forward to this game very badly, and I missed the release AND it's entire life cycle?