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APB Facing Console Port Challenges
Like many MMOs before it, the original plan for APB was to release it on both consoles and PCs. But unlike Cryptic's Champions Online, which allegedly ran into problems regarding how much of a cut Microsoft would receive of the subscription fees, APB developer Realtime Worlds is running into a more practical issue – a publisher willing to fight those battles with them.
Speaking to Eurogamer about the possibility of the game coming to consoles, Realtime Worlds creative director Dave Jones said, "That won't happen until we have a console publishing partner. That's the only thing that will trigger that." EA Partners published the PC version, but as Jones states, "they tend to work with something that's fully funded, along the way, and just needs distribution." For APB to make it to consoles, Jones doesn't believe you can simply port the PC version over considering how different the market and mechanics are between the platforms.
For now, Jones said the focus will remain on fine-tuning the PC version. "We're going to stay heavily focused on building upon what we've got. We'll have conversations with people. If there's interest there, then of course we'd love to bring it to console. But I think, quite rightly, the console people are sitting there watching how the game does, how we build upon it, how good the service is, what would be the cost involved in running dedicated servers for console, for example, I don't think anybody's ever done that yet. There are still a lot of things they have to think about."
You can read more about APB's launch on PC and the game's future in Eurogamer's lengthy interview.
It's disappointing that more MMOs can't gain traction on consoles. I, for one, would prefer to sink hundreds of hours into an alternate life from the comfort of my couch and my 40-inch HDTV with surround sound as opposed to basking in the glow of a smaller PC monitor.
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