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APB Gets Date & Unique Price Structure
Realtime Worlds' open world crime MMO APB (All Points Bulletin) has finally gotten a release date. The summer game will also have an interesting price structure that might even allow you to play for free.
The PC game comes out on June 29, and you can join the ranks of the Criminals or Enforcers in their persistent struggle for power in the fictional city of San Paro. Check out the video below for more on the APB's gameplay.
Gamers can purchase the game at a retail outlet for $49.99 and with it you'll get 50 hours of "free" playtime. Out of the box you'll also get unlimited time in the game's social districts, which let you talk and trade with others, as well as customize your character. Should you be sufficiently hooked to play more, you can then purchase blocks of time for an additional cost. Twenty hours will cost you $6.99, or you can get a month of unlimited play time for $9.99. Additional price breaks kick in at the 90- and 180-day tiers.
Furthermore, those who are particularly good at APB or are into creating content for the game, will get free time bonuses as a reward for their work. Realtime Worlds hasn't defined what kind of achievements or content creation would garner these free time bonuses.
APB's creative director and Grand Theft Auto/Lemmings/Crackdown creator David Jones explained the developer's thinking behind this new payment model. "We wanted to provide a simple and flexible way for occasional and core players alike to pay for their play without being financially tethered to the game. The model also provides an opportunity for customers to subsidize their costs by leveraging their talent or market savvy in the 'points' Marketplace. Highly talented players could potentially even play for free in this way."
What do you think of this payment model?
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