APB and Crackdown dev collapses

By Johnny Minkley Published 17 August, 2010

Realtime Worlds' games to be sold on.

Realtime Worlds, developer of ABP, has gone into administration – the first word coming earlier this afternoon from an employee via Twitter.

The news comes after 60 staff were made redundant at the troubled studio last week.

Speaking to Eurogamer this afternoon under condition of anonymity, a source close to the developer revealed that RTW CEO – and former Take 2 boss – Gary Dale flew into Scotland earlier today to break the bad news to staff.

The source added that the APB team has been "given until Friday to clear their desks" – mirroring the situation of those working on MyWorld last week. The US office in Boulder, Colorado is also believed to have been "stripped down of staff".

Senior management – including some already axed from the company last week – are understood to have been made aware of the move, and Dale's visit, via email yesterday.

Further employee chatter on Twitter this afternoon suggests moves are currently being touted to retain a core team of staff to support online game APB.

Eurogamer attempted to contact the studio for clarification, but was told initially by a representative: "All management are in a meeting – there's no-one you can speak to". We've just been called back and told to direct all enquiries to the administrator, Begbies Traynor Group - we'll update with more information when we have it.

Realtime Worlds was understood to be close to completing social networking project MyWorld, in addition to the recently launched online game APB. Both games will likely be sold on as part of the administration process.

Picture of Johnny.

About Johnny Minkley

Johnny Minkley is a veteran games writer and broadcaster, former editor of Eurogamer TV, VP of gaming charity SpecialEffect, and hopeless social media addict.

Read more articles from Johnny by visiting the Johnny Minkley archive page.

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Comments (62) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • MDK2310 #1 2 years ago

    ... And thus, no new, unique, experimental MMO style games were developed again.

    It's a shame when a unique project is at the heart of a company's demise, but APB was very poorly made.
    Edited by MDK2310 at 17/08/10 @ 16:47

  • coolbritannia #2 2 years ago

    Noooooooooooooooooooo I promise I'll buy Crackdown 2, I don't care how similar it looked to the first game now. I'm sorry!

    edit: oh I see Ruffian actually made Crackdown 2, why didn't you guys tell me?
    Edited by coolbritannia at 17/08/10 @ 16:57

  • DDevil #3 2 years ago

    Well it's not so much it being new, unique and experimental... It just wasn't very good.

    I was looking forward to APB - until I played the beta.

  • JimWest #4 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    They didn't make Crackdown 2. So that promise would mean nothing to them.

  • ziggy_played_guitar #5 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia: That won't help, RTW has nothiong to do with Crackdown 2. Thanks anyway.
    Edited by ziggy_played_guitar at 17/08/10 @ 16:53

  • darleysam #6 2 years ago

    That really is horrible news. So sorry to hear it. You earned my love and admiration with Crackdown.
    Edited by darleysam at 17/08/10 @ 16:49

  • SniperZoz #7 2 years ago

    ok ... so APB turned out to be so&so ... Crackdown (both) thou' is/was an interesting ip which can go somewhere some proper direction ... overall - pity!

  • javvyman #8 2 years ago

    What a waste, they looked so promising a couple of years ago after crackdown, i guess that game was just a fluke then as crackdown 2 barely showed any improvements to its core, now utterly dated, gameplay.
    Also, APB was a clear example of trying to make a game for an audience that doesn't exist

  • aphexstwin #9 2 years ago

    regardless of whether the games they made suited everyone, they pleased some people, which makes this news a bit of a downer for those to be laid off. crackdown was a piece of polished brilliance, i hope that those minds will make their future employers games more fascinating and fun to play.

  • darkmorgado #10 2 years ago

    A shame, but not unexpected after the article last week. Also a bit of a shame if the APB servers get cut off so soon after release for those playing it. In hindsight they probably should have taken up MS offer of making CD2, but hindsight is rather pointless in these situations.

    I just hope that they all manage to move on somewhere good, or perhaps open a new studio.

  • coolbritannia #11 2 years ago

    Ah my guilt is lifted.

  • Riggers #12 2 years ago

    Realtime Worlds didn't make Crackdown 2, Ruffian did.

  • WiZZyWiGG #13 2 years ago

    Sad to see another UK studio close, we need more of them not less :(

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #14 2 years ago

    As a former employee (I left a few years ago, so I've not been affected by their current troubles), I'd say RTW's failure was in a lack of focus on getting its products out of the door from senior management. The technology recently showcased as MyWorld has been kicking about in some form since before 2001 when they were still part of Rage - that they didn't polish it up into somethinhing that could have ridden the late-noughties casual/social gaming wave years ago was a frustration to me even when I was still there.

    With a publisher cracking the whip RTW managed to release their sole successful product. The attitude Dave Jones had that investor cash gave the company breathing space to do things in its own way is what brought them to where they are today.

    It's happened before...
    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/crunch-culture-killed-ensemble-studios
    ]http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/crunch...[/link]
    "It was the developer's culture - its lack of accountability and inability to hit milestones internally - that sealed its fate, Chico said. He said the problems began with the studio's venture capital windfall when it merged with BioWare."

  • MrChuckles #15 2 years ago

    Am i the only one to find it funny that the company is based in Scotland and the administrators are called Begbies?

    Another thought it why does the CEO have to 'visit' the main studio, isn't he normally there, and if not, where the hell is he usually?

  • Spanky #16 2 years ago

    "Begbies Traynor Group"
    That a joke? Rentons Vest Group.

    Anyhoo sorry to hear about your job loss staff guys, hope you all get picked up by the other studios in the area.

  • SAMagic #17 2 years ago

    Is it true that £100 million was invested into APB? Or did someone make that up?

  • hardtech #18 2 years ago

    Sad news, but not totally unexpected

  • marginwalker #19 2 years ago

    that is really sad news. I'm speechless.

  • rojjer #20 2 years ago

    Gah! Begbies! They fucked us over royally when they were called in to an old company I was at. Never saw a PENNY of the money I was owed (2 1/2 months pay) and yet there was more than enough equipment to sell on for employees to see some cash. Crooks.

  • Spekingur #21 2 years ago

    Hopefully MyWorld will be picked up by someone "nice".

    And if APB gets picked up by some other company my only hope is that they will actually change the game.

  • RobotRocker #22 2 years ago

    I think the take home lesson here is that when a publisher decides to hang back on your surprise hit game before green-lighting a sequel to gauge public reaction. Dont get too big for your britches, get snippy about it and go back to your vanity project.

  • urban #23 2 years ago

    bye bye job :(

  • WinterSnowblind #24 2 years ago

    @MDK2310
    Guild Wars 2 is going completely against the grain and trying to very much be a different type of MMO than the typical WoW clones. More importantly, unlike APB it actually looks good.

  • IkariW #25 2 years ago

    :(
    Crying shame to lose another dev team.
    But the guys & girls at Realtime are talented people, I'm sure they will get snapped up, at least... they should get snapped up.

    Sorry to hear this though, never a good thing.

    Ikari

  • Tardie #26 2 years ago

    Such sad news for everyone.

    Guys I hope you find work soon.

  • Concrete #27 2 years ago

    Crappy news for everyone working there . . hope a new studio rises from the ashes as so often happens in these cases.

  • smurphs #28 2 years ago

    We often bemoan the lack of new IP in this industry, but ironically RTW could have done a much better job on Crackdown 2 than Ruffian did, and they would be laughing now.... ho hum.

  • richarddavies #29 2 years ago

    It's always awful when people lose there livelyhoods. Good luck to them all.

  • jmcflash #30 2 years ago

    Horrible news, all the best for those affected by the closure.

  • lockload #31 2 years ago

    Few things what happened to the 50 odd million they got in investment last year?

    Also i though they were independent?

  • metalangel #32 2 years ago

    Things weren't going well as PC Gamer's initially glowing previews got more and more negative as they spent more time with the game.

    The final preview had them lambasting the driving and shooting - and the missions themselves. The enemy assigned to stop you was apparently able to see you on their map at all times so there was no hope of evading them. The PCG guys thought they'd managed it until they reached their destination and were immediately gouda cheesed by their foes' ambush. Because they were basically told where they were going.

    It's a shame.

  • LOLLERS #33 2 years ago

    "given until Friday to clear their desks" That's handy! I still use the Wacom I 'got' when the first games studio I worked for made everyone redundant...

  • toy_brain #34 2 years ago

    To all those that will be looking for work after Friday, you have my sympathy, though I'm sure having a shipped game or two under your belt will make job-hunting a bit easier. I'm betting you will all do well.

    As for APB, well, its demise came a bit quicker than I was expecing, but the writing was all over the wall from the beta. Way too many years in development comparative to the actual content and size of the game world that shipped, game mechanics that just didnt appeal on a fundimental level (shooter mechanics were too simple, RPG elements too light), and those dammed driving controls!

    While I hope this doesn't mean the end to new experimental styles of MMO being developed, I hope it spells the end to companies taking too bloody long to make them!

  • Pinky_Floyd #35 2 years ago

    Best of luck to all the guys out of a job. Hope the crap business decisions can be something other companies can learn from. This is a big loss to the industry.

  • Collymilad #36 2 years ago

    This sucks.

    I live about 10 miles away from their office in Dundee. Going to be weird not seeing it there anymore.

  • lockload #37 2 years ago

    @Sirish I sort of agree, its not like someone is going to throw another 50m at them

    They should have stuck with 360 development and made crackdown 2, at least as a backup plan (ms only gave it to ruffian because realtime moved onto apb)

  • Eraysor #38 2 years ago

    Well to be honest, APB was rubbish. Now we know it was released simply to attempt to recoup some of their lost Crackdown millions.

  • HappyChimp #39 2 years ago

    What a bloody shame, if only RTW ran with Crackdown 2 when they had the chance! (or worked on *anything* apart from a MMO)

    Had a quick go with the APB beta, didn't really get on with it but probably wouldn't have picked it up regardless tbh - who has time to plough into a MMO who isn't in full time education/unemployed?

    Hopefully something good can come of this (new studio?), and I'm quite looking forward to Crackdown 3 as well :)

  • el_pollo_diablo #40 2 years ago

    What the hell is wrong with the games industry when one stinker sinks the entire company? It's clearly a broken system. What a sorry state of affairs.

    As others have said, good luck to everyone involved. May you regroup next week to form a smaller leaner company that makes millions :)

  • dudefella #41 2 years ago

    shiiit this bodes extremely ill for APB, which admittedly I've skipped out on but was definitely interested in seeing develop, with the intention of jumping on if they fixed the big issues. Tough business.

  • pantherboy #42 2 years ago

    Really bad news for the guys that worked there, I know a few devs there and they really are some of the most talented people in the industry.

  • brseg #43 2 years ago

    > What the hell is wrong with the games industry when one stinker sinks the entire company?

    problem is, a 'AAA' game takes 1-2 years and many many people. Its millions of pounds, often tens of millions. If it bombs, theres no money to carry on. Thats the advantage of a big publisher like EA, Activision etc, they can absorb a failure or 2, not that they cant cancel/fire staff as well.
    Edited by brseg at 17/08/10 @ 20:08

  • Vermillion3000 #44 2 years ago

    Massive shame! Really sad to see devs go under - especially one like RTW who made my favourite game of this generation.
    I have a few friends there - hope you guys find new work soon.

  • dr_shambles #45 2 years ago

    This sucks.

    To all the devs. Stay positive. You have talent. Good luck with job hunting.

  • mingster #46 2 years ago

    I am sorry for the people who got made redundant but it was so painfully obvious that it was going to happen that hopefully anyone with any sense got out before it happened or had been looking for a job in advance.
    I predicted this months ago (Look back in the old APB comments sections you will see i said it would bankrupt the company)
    There was absolutely no way APB could recoup and bankroll the complany and it's employess with it's flawed business model.
    I forsaw it and unfortunately it came true.

  • mingster #47 2 years ago

    This is what i posted and got negged to oblivion....
    mingster
    05/07/10 @ 08:32
    #6
    -23
    You buried this comment
    Comment below viewing threshold

    Well lucky you got an interview with them now.
    Won't be long till they go bankrupt.
    Absolutely no way APB can make the money needed to recoup or sustain the game for any length of time.
    It's mathematically impossible.

  • briguy05 #48 2 years ago

    im shocled i bought crackdown 2 thought it was excellent. Totally shocked APB got very bad reviews.

  • SwitchBladeUK #49 2 years ago

    Should have just made Crackdown 2.

  • SEVQA #50 2 years ago

    APB on Atari Lynx \/

    [link url=http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/screenshots/s_APB_6.png
    ]http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/screenshots...[/link]

  • Bumbuliuz #51 2 years ago

    Im a bit sad, but not suprised. APB was always a tough sell for me. If they would have made Crackdown 2 instead they wouldnt be in this mess and we would have gotten a much better sequel I think.

  • john_silence #52 2 years ago

    APB is one of the few MMO's I ever gave a try - something about it could have appealed to a new crowd beside the usual MMO market, I'm sure - well, something about it appealed to me, for one. But the beta was so all over the place... There was no way I'd buy this upon release.
    I would have loved to play Crackdown 3 on the PC, though... Not owning a console I never got to sample the professed delights of Crackdown, and it seems I have to forget about that now. Expanding over to the PC was a great idea, but the MMO mechanics really let this down for me - gameplay-wise, I mean. The social side could have grown bustling and fun (yeah, past tense - I just don't believe the game can recover from this; it lacked direction from the off and now the design will wander even more).

  • Sunyavadin #53 2 years ago

    "Realtime Worlds 'Fully Committed' to receivership"
    Edited by Sunyavadin at 18/08/10 @ 04:38

  • Sunyavadin #54 2 years ago

    In seriousness, maybe we'll see APB picked up by someone smart enough to increase the customer base with a more realistic pricing plan.

  • Reihn #55 2 years ago

    : ( Shame! I wasn't interested in APB, but it's never nice to see a company go under - particularly when it's a UK game developer. If only they'd put a bit of time into trying to find their small scale, easy-to-purchase equivalent of 'Trials HD' or 'Angry Birds'. There's no way in hell I'd want a hypothetical company of mine to spend all its resources developing an MMO.

  • Darren #56 2 years ago

    A sad day for sure. While I didn't enjoy Crackdown as much as others did (I thought it was underdeveloped personally) and thought APB totally sucked, I would still have liked Realtime Worlds to have done the Crackdown sequel because I believe they'd have done a far better job than Ruffian and we'd have something much better instead of a bland remake set in the same location. Maybe that would have saved them?

  • ignatiusjreilly #57 2 years ago

    Luckily Activision will be there to snap them up: [link url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/activision-to-hold-dundee-recruitment-event
    ]http://www.next-gen.biz/news/activision-...[/link]

    More meat for the grinder.

  • dllord #58 2 years ago

    Looks like ABP sunk them then!

  • Whatsfor #59 2 years ago

    Activision to save the day?

    My warning to ex-RTW employees:

    Watch "Devil's Advocate" before you sign anything...

  • DAN.E.B #60 2 years ago

    what a shame.
    Crackdown was a brilliant game.
    and Crackdown 2 would have been better!
    Edited by DAN.E.B at 18/08/10 @ 16:13

  • hiddenranbir #61 2 years ago

    Christ, a year ago I was being interviewed for a job there!

  • SpaceMonkey77 #62 2 years ago

    What a shame. When I first heard about APB, I thought the idea was great, considering how fantasy based MMOs are. In fact the idea still has weight. While there's a lack of variety in the west, MMOs in general will always be risky, unless a different and more progresive moedl to WoW is developed. Perhaps a Guild Wars style model might have done better for them.

    I think perhaps whoever picks up the pieces of RTW, should look at taking the APB assets, and moulding a single player game with multiplayer option out of it. It might have done a lot better that way, on consoles and a Live/PSN focused audience.

    Good luck to all those out of work. Its tough out there, but hopefully free birds will start their own nests.