APB coming to PS3 too?

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 April, 2008

"We'll be looking seriously at it."

Realtime Worlds has told GamesIndustry.biz that will be "looking seriously" at the possibility of bringing MMO All Points Bulletin to the PS3.

So far, APB has only officially been confirmed for PC and Xbox 360. But an article published by The Scotsman this morning suggested the game could come to PlayStation in the future. The article also quoted Realtime boss David Jones as saying APB is slated for a 2009 launch.

Studio manager Colin MacDonald has since clarified the situation, sort of, telling GamesIndustry.biz: "The situation is that yes, all the consoles are an option for us, and we'll be looking at them. But there's nothing decided, nothing to report at the moment I'm afraid.

"Yes, we'll be looking seriously at it," He continued. "But that doesn't mean it's going ahead, and it doesn't mean it's not going ahead." Right.

For those who aren't familiar, All Points Bulletin is a GTA-style MMO. It's looking rather spanky, judging by what was shown at this year's GDC.

At GamesIndustry.biz, there's always something to report.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (49) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • BadBoyBonner #1 4 years ago

    The more you hear of GTAiV's multiplayer - the more it seems to be stealing APB's thunder

  • Widge #2 4 years ago

    I wonder if this related to the ancient coin op!

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #3 4 years ago

    Hurry up and finish it so you can make Crackdown 2!

  • rudedudejude #4 4 years ago

    Looking forward to this!

  • JonFE #5 4 years ago

    Hasn't been stated that there won't be Crackdown 2?

  • Crea #6 4 years ago

    It's not explicitly been stated that there won't be a Crackdown 2, just that Realtime Worlds have moved on and likely won't be doing it.

  • thedaveeyres #7 4 years ago

    One of the finest coin ops ever made.

  • muscleblade #8 4 years ago

    This is the spritual sequel to Crackdown.

  • Prodigy_BE #9 4 years ago

    Hm...and another 360 exclusive dev that moves to multiplatform.
    So one less exclusive for ol' MS then.

  • Kiigan #10 4 years ago

    Did you actually read the piece, Prodigy_BE?

    Try as you might to put a fanboy spin on it, APB has never been slated as a platform-exclusive title. The quote confirms that... nothing has been decided yet.

    As for Crackdown 2, I believe it has been stated publicly that RTW aren't available to do it, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

  • LetsGo #11 4 years ago

    can't blame 'em, there will be a bigger PS3 userbase than 360 by the end of the year in europe and the rest of the world will follow shortly after...

  • Prodigy_BE #12 4 years ago

    Yeah, sequels done by other companies are always better than the original.

    And Kiigan, I'm no fanboy, I like what's happening now (MS is pushing Sony to give it all they've got, and lose their arrogance), but the writing's on the wall: MS will get butchered from in the not too distant future.

  • LeeroyJenkins #13 4 years ago

    GTA IV has the Cops and Robbers multiplayer game mode, but this takes it further... a lot further.

    I can't friggin wait for APB, more so than GTA.

  • BillyBrush #14 4 years ago

    Prodigy

    MS have lost 0 devs

    This was never an exclusive

    Ninja Theory on the other hand are going multiplat, as is Okamoto (with Brash), so that's 2 of the exclusive devs PS had that have actually made a jump to go multiplat...not that these things are huuge indicators

    Take a step back, is the current situation the PS3ownage you'd have expected before this round of consoles? if it is you had low expectations, i would have thought no PSfanboi's would have been happy with the kind of situation that exists in the USA, or dared to have such nasty nightmares tbh

    go to the console fight articles, realise 70% of the little precious's games play better on other hardware

    Also did you miss this weeks Chart Track figures? Wii appears to be shifting software at the moment, there was no PS3 game in this weeks top 10 games sold in the UK...

    it's like a tidal wave isn't it, i bet MS and Nintendo execs cannot sleep anymore

  • Benno #15 4 years ago

    Of course it will come to the PS3, MMOs are such high investments they need all the market they can get.

  • zuljin #16 4 years ago

    @BillyBrush
    Didn't they split form Bungie? And there were some other devs they were close to that have gone multiplatform. I think thats because they're not publishers for them anymore though (Bioware - thought there was another...).

    And did you even go to chart track? Prologue is in 2nd place, and theres another 4 PS3 games in the full chart...
    http://ww w.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c...
    Edited by 2 at 16/04/08 @ 16:02

  • BillyBrush #17 4 years ago

    @Zuljin

    Indeed Bungie did..i conveniently (erm genuinely) forgot

    I was looking at week ending the 6th for Chart track, but it does have one in the top 10 sold this week, and many in the wider chart..

    so...i am rather wrong which i accept.

    but anyone expecting any of the 3 consoles to suddenly be crushed is a bit deluded imo, as evidenced by the multiplat titles in there such as Condemned2 and Dark Sector, these games seem to be shifting more copies on teh 360 than the PS (this is only the UK granted)

    If you were about to buy a new console now you'd get the one which also has the only HD movie format i'd wager, but even then the 360 just ain't going to take a PS3 flavoured pasting, as they have a strong software market (which is what determines where publishers put their games)

    Thing which people forget is 360 has early, rather hardcore adopters, i;d wager i'm worth about http://ww w.360voice.com/blog.asp?tag=Bil... maybe 7 - 10 of your of your average game punters for publishers who want to sell games, and this means games come to the system the rabid gamers have (plenty of PS3 hardcore too)

    Basically, i just saw yet another 'PS is on the verge of burying 360' type post, and i often bother to reply (prob should not bother), because it's annoying (especially if you really like the thing as i do)...no one is burying anyone, i suspect all 3 players are currently looking at the way the market has developed and are all fairly happy, if one is not happy, i'd wager that'd be the one who used to sell the most hardware, and if one is the most happy, i'd wager they'd be called Nintendo

  • GamerG #18 4 years ago

    "errrm were running out of funding for this game what shall we do?"

    "we could try and get some $$ out of MS by threatening to make a PS3 version!"

    High fives all round

  • the_dudefather #19 4 years ago

    @GamerG
    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=129614
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    ching ching

  • dadrester #20 4 years ago

    so does this mean they are definitely doing an xbox360 version? haha... someone from management better tell the lowly minion programmers then.

  • zuljin #21 4 years ago

    @BillyBrush
    "but anyone expecting any of the 3 consoles to suddenly be crushed is a bit deluded"

    Oh no I definately agree with that... :)

  • Frandroid #22 4 years ago

    I always had the impression that it was coming to PC and X360 simply because that was their backgound and the platforms they were set-up to develop for. Sure, bringing it out on the PS3 gives them a larger market and more potential income. However, I'd guess that there'd need to be internal growth and the creation of a PS3 dev team, not to mention that they'd have to start-up a relationship with Sony and all the other backgound stuff that goes into targetting a new platform.
    I'm sure the managment at Realtime Studios have been weighing up the pros and cons of a third platform since the project started.
    Of course, this might just raise a little interest in them form Sony and Microsoft. See if either platform can give them additional incentive to add the PS3 or not.

  • Dizzy #23 4 years ago

    Also on PS3!*








    Only 6 months later.

  • LetsGo #24 4 years ago

    Dont forget it will be cheaper on the PS3 too. The game costs £80- on the 360 not including the monthly fee....

  • Frandroid #25 4 years ago

    The game costs £80- on the 360

    Source?

  • MrXBob #26 4 years ago

    He has no source. The game isnt even out this year, it has no price attached. It's highly doubtful that it would cost £80, especially if they want a subscription fee just to play it (not talking Xbox Live - this is an MMO dont forget)

    Also, it's highly LIKELY that it will cost more on PS3, because less people are available to buy it. Just look at GTA IV in some shops and online.

    It's obvious this kid is just trying to convince his 'friends' to wait for a PS3 version if it ever materialises. It's quite sad, bless...

    "can't blame 'em, there will be a bigger PS3 userbase than 360 by the end of the year in europe and the rest of the world will follow shortly after..."

    See, he's even a psyhcic too! He's got PS3 fanboy written all over his greasy little face.
    Edited by 2 at 16/04/08 @ 22:29

  • DAN.E.B #27 4 years ago

    "We'll be looking seriously at it."

    with a frown?


  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #28 4 years ago

    This is the spritual sequel to Crackdown

    No it bloody isn't. Apart from being set in a city and featuring gangs, APB will be as different or more from Crackdown as Crackdown is from GTA.

  • MrXBob #29 4 years ago

    @JSPOOLE "But like someone said, GTA has crooks and cops for free, so this has to be something special as well as being free to sell me on it."

    This is much better than crooks and cops. All we know so far is that the main premise goes like this:

    It's an open world, you get a huge city to mess around in. You log in, you get a mission. You get grouped with a bunch of other people who are wanting to play, and that is your team. You're either cops or gang members. Everyone else playing (since this is an MMO) are also in your city. Remember this - this is the most important thing that sets it apart from what GTA is offering.

    Your mission could be anything from holding up an armoured car to stealing TV's from a shop window. You and your gang get to the waypoint, and start doing what you're supposed to do. As soon as you get there and start doing your naughty stuff, a team (or two) of people playing cops in the game will get an APB (all points bulletin) to your location.

    Of course then these people playing the cops have to come and find you, and the chase begins. Get to your hideout before you're all dead, and you win. The coolest thing is that everyone in the game is a real person, in an open city. So as you're driving to your missin, you'll be seeing other players being chased by the cops, having shoot-outs in the street etc. You can help out if you like, for the hell of it, or cause a pile up that had nothing to do with your 'little game' between you and your own cops. That's what makes it so interesting and cool and miles ahead of GTA.

  • Greebo #30 4 years ago

    @MrXBob

    That sounds brilliant! Something to look forward to after GTA4. Very excited about this now!

  • LetsGo #31 4 years ago

    "The game costs £80- on the 360

    Source? "

    "He has no source. The game isnt even out this year, it has no price attached. It's highly doubtful that it would cost £80, especially if they want a subscription fee just to play it (not talking Xbox Live - this is an MMO dont forget) "

    Errrm think about it.

    Game = £40-, Xbox Live Account = £40- = £80? Plus monthly charge......

  • Les #32 4 years ago

    "Also, it's highly LIKELY that it will cost more on PS3, because less people are available to buy it. Just look at GTA IV in some shops and online."

    The region-free-ness of the PS3 ensures that those not too scared of importing can get PS3 games at rather low prices. Think EU 40 / GBP 30 range (including shipping).

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #33 4 years ago

    to say they don't have similarities is a bit of a fallacy

    Sure, they have similarities, in terms of theme and some of the high concepts. But unless vast changes happen (and based on what I've heard from people, and seen in the GDC videos it isn't likely to) they will play very muich differently.

    For most of its life, APB was developed entirely seperately from Crackdown, and apart from some environment creation tools, shares none of its technology. APB is Unreal based (and so, logically, could be ported to all the platforms UE3 supports, including PS3), whereas Crackdown was based on largely proprietary engine technology, as well as Havok and Renderware.

    It's wrong to think of APB as being Crackdown: The MMO, because it is'nt. Though that's not to say it isn't exciting and different nonetheless. As far as GTA IV multiplayer comparisons go, APBs differentiators are that it'll have all the MMO social aspects, persistence, progression and their much-promoted customisation in it. The sort of thing that folk play WOW, Everquest, LOTRO or whatever for.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #34 4 years ago

    Look, I worked there, I know what I'm talking about.

    Dave Jones aside, the creative leads on the two projects were entirely seperate, and they share very little tech (although a fair few programmers and artists since the completion of Crackdown). It's like Banjo and Goldeneye at Rare, or Fifa and NFS at EA Canada. Because of the shared themes you're focusing on, the two games may sound quite similar, but I assure you they will not be.

    I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that if you're after another Crackdown (like several people at the top of this thread are), then keep pestering MGS, or making forum buzz about it, because APB, promising as it is, is not that game. I'd certainly still like to see a Crackdown 2.
    Edited by 1 at 17/04/08 @ 10:34

  • Emth #35 4 years ago

    All fanboyism aside, any company that doesn't get paid significantly for their troubles would be stupid to not release games on both consoles now.

  • MrXBob #36 4 years ago

    @LetsGo:

    "Errrm think about it.

    Game = £40-, Xbox Live Account = £40- = £80? Plus monthly charge......"

    Oh my god lol you really are the biggest fanboy I've ever come across. Surely that means then, by your logic, that every game on 360 up to now has been double the price of every PS3 game? Of course! Cause that makes sense in your screwed up little world doesnt it.

    You do realise you're paying for your broadband, right? Oh no! You're paying extra for websites!

    OH wait, mummy and daddy pay for that so its fine. Get a life. Or better yet, lose the one you have - I'm sure nobody here would miss you.
    Edited by 2 at 17/04/08 @ 10:46

  • MrXBob #37 4 years ago

    @LetsGo

    Also just spotted this on Eurogamer: [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=132728
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    Makes you look like even more of a fool now for saying "can't blame 'em, there will be a bigger PS3 userbase than 360 by the end of the year in europe and the rest of the world will follow shortly after..."

  • LetsGo #38 4 years ago

    Really? I'll raise that with....

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=91963 ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    Now whos the fool?
    Anyway, it doesnt matter, lets leave fanboyism at the door folks pls.

  • LetsGo #39 4 years ago

    @MrBob

    I'm not a fanboy, all i'm saying is that if someone buys a 360 for APB (which I guess they will do as it looks awsome), they will need to buy a live sub as well.

    Im just stating fact, dont accuse me of fanboy rubbish

    (EDIT: im not the one with a console in my username :s *sigh*)
    Edited by 1 at 17/04/08 @ 11:06

  • MrXBob #40 4 years ago

    "Now whos the fool? " - Of course. Me. I didnt realise EA were the masters of the universe. I don't believe actual analysts like Michael Pacther, why am I going to believe the most malicious publishing company in the world?

    "(EDIT: im not the one with a console in my username :s *sigh*)"

    It's Bob, and I've actually used this username since before the original Xbox was even announced. HL Deathmatch, Counterstrike, Age of Empires - this has always been my username.

    Also, I'm not sure why you're so bothered about Live's subscription fee if you're not a fanboy. It's extremely cheap (its yearly, not monthly dont forget) for what you're offered. I'm not going to go through why it's better than everything else, I already did that yesterday in another thread - but you're crazy to say APB costs £80 because of Live. It's just a ridiculous statement

  • LetsGo #41 4 years ago

    "Also, I'm not sure why you're so bothered about Live's subscription fee if you're not a fanboy. "

    Because the PS3 is free. Yes, it has less features but its slowly coming up to speed and within 6/12 months it will be just as good as the PS3.

    My sub on the 360 will be ending soon and I'm trying to think of games which I will need to buy on the 360 to make me subscribe. Yes, GTA with extra content is a plus but with no 360 exclusives I fancy on the cards within the next 6 months, I'm thinking that £40 could buy me another game. Some people aint rich you know :)

  • MrXBob #42 4 years ago

    "Because the PS3 is free. Yes, it has less features but its slowly coming up to speed and within 6/12 months it will be just as good as the PS3. "

    Definitely not - nothing they can do for free can be as well integrated as Xbox Live is (especially not 2 years into it's lifespan - it will just cause confusion with old games not being supported etc). It's literally a technical impossibility unless Sony want to keep losing money. They need to pay for a lot more than you think to offer this 'free' service. I honestly wouldnt be surprised (and amused) to see them charging by the end of 2009 - especially when people start using Home.
    Edited by 1 at 17/04/08 @ 11:32

  • LetsGo #43 4 years ago

    "I honestly wouldnt be surprised (and amused) to see them charging by the end of 2009 - especially when people start using Home. "

    They will make their money on Home. In Home your be able to buy things for your character/your 'home'. Thats where Sony will make the money.
    MS shouldnt be charging. It's like PAYING valve to download steam. MS should be making their money on the marketplace, not by charging the user to access it.

    Friends List - PS3 has
    In-game XMB - coming next update
    In-Game friends invites - coming this year
    MS marketplace style store - PS3 has.

    All free, and will always be.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #44 4 years ago

    @JSPOOLE

    I don't think you understand the meaning of "spiritual sequel". A discussion of it is available here:

    [link url=http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_sequel
    ]http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_s...[/link]

    Whilst your argument of why APB is a spiritual sequel to Crackdown might jibe with their definition in the initial paragraph, a spiritual sequel needs to have been created with the intent of following up one game with another that uses different IP. And I am telling you, because I actually know the people involved, and was party to some of the process involved in the genesis of APB, that that is not the case.

  • MrXBob #45 4 years ago

    "They will make their money on Home. In Home your be able to buy things for your character/your 'home'. Thats where Sony will make the money."

    They shouldnt call that free. It's like EA saying Battlefield Heroes is free but charging you to get the things that make it good.

    "MS shouldnt be charging. It's like PAYING valve to download steam. MS should be making their money on the marketplace, not by charging the user to access it."

    Steam is a great little peice of software but it's nowhere near the scale of Xbox Live. Go look at my rant about the things Live can do that nothing else offers (at least not all in the same package and not on a global scale across every little area of the system)

    "Friends List - PS3 has
    In-game XMB - coming next update
    In-Game friends invites - coming this year
    MS marketplace style store - PS3 has.

    All free, and will always be. "

    You're kidding yourself. Firstly, the PS3's friends list is a complete joke compared to Xbox Live's. I wouldnt call it a friends list - its more like... if Wii friend codes were names instead of numbers, and you could use the same for all games, that's what PS3's friends list is like. It can't do anything close to what Live does with the friends list. Like I said, go and read what I put.

    In-game XMB - thats all well and good, but for starters it should have been there from launch (hell, they had a year to look at why Live worked so well, so what was the delay in copying it?) and when it is released, again, it wont work as well as Live's dashboard, because that has already been cemented into the core experience for almost 3 years. They're gonna have to work hard as hell to come close to it.

    Same goes for in-game invites. It simply can't work as well as Live's already does, because its not as easy as just adding it to the PS3. If the games aren't made with the knowledge that they can use the system, then they just wont work in the same way. Its easy enough to pop up a message saying 'somebody invited you' - but if the game doesnt know what to do with the invite when you accept it (which no pre-update games will), then its useless.

    Lastly - and this is really just my opinion - the Marketplace is much better, even compared to the latest update to PSN. Everything is in the application itself, meaning no slow loading images - i mean come on, they ditched the web browser version so why still have the images linked to a web host? It's ridiculous.

    Not only that, but the marketplace offers much more than PSN. Demos are always earlier, downloads are faster (common knowledge, not my opinion), more video content, movie rentals, music videos and promos, not to mention the news section that is updated almost daily with fast streaming video tutorials/tips/interviews.

    Let me know when PS3 can do all that, and I'll buy one. But until then, I see no point in owning one personally.
    Edited by 1 at 17/04/08 @ 12:04

  • BobsUncle #46 4 years ago

    @JSPOOL

    Mentalist is an ex Crackdown dev and he tells you APB is not a sequel to Crackdown in any way shape or form, as an ex APB dev myself I can back up his argument wholeheartedly. It's similar in that they both have big cities. And guns.

    Listen to people who know better! :-)

  • MrXBob #47 4 years ago

    Tell you what. Everyone calm down.

    It's a 'spiritual successor' by way of it being by the same developer and in the same vein as Crackdown (both open-world, both involve gangs and law inforcement, both have carjacking) and that is IT.

    It's not a sequel.

    And if anyone wants to tell me I'm wrong, just read this very useful description of the term:

    "A spiritual successor, sometimes called a spiritual sequel, is a successor to a work of fiction that, instead of being a standard sequel, only shares genres, themes, styles, and (often) creators with the previous work, without directly continuing a story within the same fictional universe. While this term can apply to almost any media, it has most commonly been used with video games."

    Nobody can say that's not what APB is.
    Edited by 1 at 17/04/08 @ 14:43

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #48 4 years ago

    Oh, for fuck's sake, I give up.

    Obviously people can't read. Or think.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #49 4 years ago

    I did not contradict my own source. I said

    "your argument of why APB is a spiritual sequel to Crackdown might jibe with their definition in the initial paragraph"

    and then presented a counter to that argument, which you appeared to accept, then went on to reject again.

    "That's like saying Dead Rising wasn't inspired by Dawn of the Dead"

    No it isn't. It's like saying "Dead Rising is a spiritual successor to the Resident Evil series". Despite the fact that it's a Capcom game set in the contemporary world featuring killing zombies, and gameplay which is in places similar to RE4, it isn't a spiritual successor because it features a distincly different type of play.