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Questions On APB's Future Answered
Having been recently purchased by free MMO publisher GamersFirst, dead MMO APB is getting a new lease on life with a free-to-play relaunch planned for the first half of next year. The answers to several pressing questions about APB's future are below.
Is GamersFirst going to fix any of the gameplay problems APB was slammed for at release?
Yes. Wholly owned development subsidiary Reloaded Productions is handling development, and has a nearly complete patch previously developed by Realtime Worlds to start with. The work that RTW had done on the much-talked about Chaos free-for-all ruleset and toward adding headshots and other combat enhancements is owned by the GamersFirst now as well, so you can expect to see movement on that front. GamersFirst is aware of the problems with shooting, driving, matchmaking and more, and intends to address them.
Who is behind the new development of the game?
Reloaded Productions is a GamersFirst-owned studio that has yet to release anything, but has been working on an original RPG concept for the last year and a half. The former APB development staff has nothing to do with it, though GamersFirst encourages any of the old team looking for a job to apply at Reloaded.
How will APB: Reloaded be monetized?
The game will be free to download and play, with premium features costing money. Two microtransaction models will exist for sure: leasing weapons and purchasing "premium" status, which has a host of advantages including expanded creation tools. GamersFirst plans to explore additional monetization schemes, but assures us that basic gameplay will remain free. The company relies on the 80 to 90 percent of its players who don't put any money whatsoever into its games to create a vibrant population, so it has a stake in making the free experience worthwhile.
Will former APB players be able to retrieve their old characters?
Maybe. There are legal issues with acquiring the databases that hold players' information, and technical issues with bringing that data into a changed game. GamersFirst would love to be able to do that, and guarantee a certain audience for the relaunched game, but the company is unsure whether it will be feasible. GamersFirst also wants to find a way to give former players some kind of in-game recognition, but again isn't sure how to make it work.
Will APB's advanced character customization technology be put into other GamersFirst titles?
Unlikely. On a technical level, that side of APB is closely tied with its use of Unreal Engine 3. Adapting the tech to work on GamersFirst's other games would be extremely difficult, and the company has no current plans to do so.
Is APB: Reloaded worth my time or attention?
Maybe. I've always thought that the game had a lot of great ideas hiding behind questionable execution and a strange monetization model. If GamersFirst can sort out those two (admittedly large) issues and let the fascinating core idea shine through, APB could fulfill its promise in its second life. On the other hand, the company isn't known for triple-A products and the developer doesn't have anything on its resume yet. I'll be surprised if APB: Reloaded isn't a better game than the original, but whether it ends up as enough of an improvement to carve out a profitable niche in a competitive market is anyone's guess.
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