Ever since I wrote a preview for the original Realtime Worlds version of All Points Bulletin, I would say I am somewhat invested in this game. The original game lasted only six weeks before the servers went down along with the whole company, leaving the game to be picked up by K2 Networks for chump change -- a mere $1.5 million.
Now the game has been renamed, relaunched and appears to be met with success as the open beta of APB: Reloaded joins the ever-growing world of free-to-play online gaming and micro-transactions.
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The game is great but I can see it going the same way as the original APB as frankly the micro-transaction prices are frankly ridiculous. With some items like a permanent gun being priced at £31/$50 I have no idea how they plan to keep a profit in future.
They've failed to understand that the easiest way to sell digital items is make them fairly affordable so people buy them spontaneously and without knowing it could potentially spend that kind of cash but on several items in a spending spree. When people see that kind of price tag for one item only people with money to burn will buy.
APB:R is probably the best F2P game on the market right now.
The only problem is that the paid weapons are utterly absurdly priced, and if you want to get anywhere with designing or progression in the long term, you kinda need premium. I've done a fair bit on the editor, because around 200h in, I've pretty much run out of content to play.
It's worth a look, at least.
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Contest:
12:00 PM on 06.15.2011 | 
APB IT IS!
They've failed to understand that the easiest way to sell digital items is make them fairly affordable so people buy them spontaneously and without knowing it could potentially spend that kind of cash but on several items in a spending spree. When people see that kind of price tag for one item only people with money to burn will buy.
The only problem is that the paid weapons are utterly absurdly priced, and if you want to get anywhere with designing or progression in the long term, you kinda need premium. I've done a fair bit on the editor, because around 200h in, I've pretty much run out of content to play.
It's worth a look, at least.