Players have been beta testing the crime-ridden fictional city of San Paro since March and now the rest of us know when we'll get to create our own Criminal or an Enforcer. APB will launch in North America on June 29 for the PC, July 2 in Europe. The release puts it a week ahead of the planned launch of Crackdown 2, the sequel to the 2007 Xbox 360 hit created by Jones and Realtime Worlds. Crackdown 2 is being developed by Ruffian Games and is set to ship on July 6.
"We're delighted to finally be announcing the release date for APB, and we're looking forward to welcoming players on to the mean streets of San Paro," Jones said in a statement. "Gamers will soon get to experience a world of unparalleled customization, conflict and celebrity -- whether they choose to be a Criminal or an Enforcer."
In announcing APB's release date, Realtime also revealed how gamers will pay for the MMO. Purchase the game and receive 50 hours worth of online action out of the box. Once the 50 hours are up, players can purchase an additional 20 hours for $8 or an unlimited 30-day package for $12.
In addition, players can actually earn playing time simply by playing the game. APB includes challenges that award gamers with rewards, including game time. "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," Jones said. "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."
Sharkey says: Jones has proven he's a maestro when it comes to conducting open world mayhem, and we expect to see his best yet with APB. APB may be a PC MMO, but it will undoubtedly be compared and contrasted with Crackdown 2 given Jones' history and the proximity of launch dates.
