Windows Realtime Worlds, creator of APB, goes into administration

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-11003456

"Pioneering Dundee-based computer games company Realtime Worlds has gone into administration putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The company, founded by the creator of Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, is based at a former jute mill in the city.

It employs about 250 people and was seen as one of the biggest players in the global computer games market.

Its newest title, online role-playing game APB, launched a few weeks ago but has experienced "lacklustre" demand."

I'm pretty shocked. I didn't realise APB was doing so badly.

 

Shocked? Not me. APB was a train-wreck of a game.

 

Hmmm looked to try this one, but so many negative reviews... it must have been sh**te

 

Damnit, i love APB. ****ing reviews...

 

I didn't get on with the beta at all, but one feature I loved was the ability to hear people in close vicinity chatting on their mics. As this was happening I was telling a friend on ventrilo about it and some random guy stood next to me says "dude you realise I can hear everything you're saying?". That feature will definitely make many appearances in other games.

Shame about the company, it'll be a sad loss if it goes.

 

Wow, I wasn't expecting catastrophe that quickly

I thought APB was ok...

 

One of the biggest players in the computer games market? Really?

I did like Crackdown...though from what I've seen APB's been quite the disaster.

Does this mean Crackdown 2's on hold?

 

Crackdown 2 came out in early July but it wasn't made by Realtime Worlds, although a bunch of the actual development staff were the same.

 

It's already out? Hm, seems I really am out of the loop with Xbox news. Oh well, I prefer my PC

 

Looks like they ninja'd it to the UK games market

 

And I'd wait until it's on cheap re-release as it really is the same game again - a bit disappointing!

 

What puzzels me is the head of RW saying it was to do with uk not giving them taxbreaks. But investing all your eggs in one pc game is just suicide. Never mind that but if the costs that APB cost to develop are even close to amounts said youve really got to question their buisness model.

Havent played game and from review etc ive seen wouldnt have any. But to risk entire company on mmo game is just crazy. I have lifetime sub for STO and thats it for me for MMO at moment. Plus considering LOTRO is going free to play and multiplayer game in nearly every pc fps is free why would anyone waste money on APB and if it did cost 100 million what did they spend the cash on

 

Loads of people have rushed in, Codies, and Actiscum to name just two. Thing is, is it the games industry ralleying to help a company in trouble, or vultures picking the bones before it's dead?

 

If ActiBlizz are involved i'd guess it's the latter.

Why would Codemasters take over someone else's game? They can't even take care of their own.

 

Come on this was no surprise - the MMO market is high stakes for gaming companies and Realtime World's have really dropped the ball.

It looked like a game designed by people in the board room who only considered revenue market share for game types (APB, WoW with Web 2.0 user generated content) and then releasing it as soon as they ran out of money - even though it clearly wasn't ready.

I feel sorry for the 100,000's of gamers who bought it and are now lumbered with a dud and the staff at RW who are now going to be looking for work in a tough job climate.

So what's the chance of the people who bought the game getting some of their money back or the staff being looked after as the company goes under..... I think none !!

So apparently the head guy was friends with Mark Rein at Epic, maybe he should have showed it to him so he could tell him it was crap, saying that - Epic released Unreal III didn't they - lol