Direct2Drive, has put together a special package for those who pre-order. The APB pre-order bonus will include a Key to the City pre-launch demo event that will take place between June 10 and June 19.

There will be a APB VIP* that gets you into the action before the official launch date. APB Early access begins June 26th at 10AM PST, giving North Americans 3 days of APB early access, and 6 days early access for those in UK.

For the other bonuses, there will also be special emotes such as the Chicken emote and Strike A Pose Emote.  There will be some Preset clothing for both criminals and enforcers, as well as Exclusive cars such as Exclusive Cisco JX01 “Asylum” upgraded criminal car and Exclusive Moirai 631i upgraded Enforcer patrol car. There is also a special edition “Pioneer Decal” that is unique and not re-creatable with the editing tools in the game.

APB release date for PC is set on June 29 in North America, and July 2 in the UK  so they are quite decent incentives for those who intend to play the game from day one and play it before others with the APB Early Access…

*APB VIP access gets you into the action before the official launch date. Limited to 10 hours in action districts, unlimited social district gameplay.

Speaking at his studio, Dave Jones, the founder of Realtime Worlds stated that development of the Xbox 360 version stopped because “it just didn’t feel right.” He continued to state that “we [Realtime Worlds] wanted to make it absolutely right for PC first before thinking about anything else.”

APB is due out at the start of July in Europe and it differs greatly from the original concept. Look forward to our preview in the coming days to find out more about the new APB.

[Source]

* Purchase a retail version of APB – either in-store or online.
$49.99 US – £34.99 UK – €49.99 EU (Suggested Retail Pricing)

* APB includes 50 hours of Gametime and unlimited free access to the Social Districts where all of the game’s customization takes place

* After the 50 hours of Gametime are consumed, choose either:

* Gametime 20 hours for $6.99 US – £5.59 UK – €6.29 EU – for those who expect to play infrequently. (Gametime Hours never expire)

* Unlimited Gametime 30 days for $9.99 US – £7.99 UK – €8.99 EU – for those who expect to play frequently. (With discounts for 90 day and 180 day selections)

* All Realtime Worlds services, including Gametime packages are purchased with RTW Points – real money values shown above are RTW Points-value equivalents.

* No commitments – you’re only charged when you select additional Gametime to purchase, no automatic payments are required.

* Earn RTW Points by selling your customized creations or rare item rewards on the Marketplace, and use these RTW Points to purchase services such as Gametime packages!

What are RTW Points, and what are they used for?

RTW Points are a virtual currency purchased with real world money and are used to purchase services from Realtime Worlds such as Gametime.

You can also use RTW Points to purchase items from other players on the Marketplace or sell your own items on the Marketplace to gain additional RTW Points.

When you purchase a copy of APB, we give you an initial 100 RTW Points free to spend any way you choose.

How do I buy RTW Points?

You can purchase RTW Points at any time, whether in-game or from our website.

The following RTW Points packages will be available at release:

Package (US Price, EU Price, UK Price)

200 RTW Points package ($ 4.99, € 4.49, £ 3.99)

400 RTW Points package ($ 9.99, € 8.99, £ 7.99)

600 RTW Points package ($ 14.99, € 13.49, £ 11.99)

1400 RTW Points package ($ 34.99, € 31.49, £ 27.99)

2600 RTW Points package ( $ 64.99, € 58.49, £ 51.99)

What is the difference between Gametime Hours and Gametime Unlimited – why the choice?

We believe that everyone plays online games at different levels of participation – some only play for a few hours per week or month, but many others play for several hours a week or more.

Because of this diversity, we are offering the choice in value based on your specific play-style.

The following Gametime packages are available at release:

GAMETIME Packages (RTW Points Cost)

Gametime 20 Hours (280)

Unlimited 30 Days (400)

Unlimited 90 Days (1140)

Unlimited 180 Days (2160)

Gametime Hours allow you to play at your own pace – jump in and jump out when you want, and only the hours you actually play in an Action District are consumed. In addition, Gametime Hours never expire without use – so you always know the time you’ve purchased will be available until used.

Gametime Hours are great value for those planning on infrequent or short play sessions.

Gametime Unlimited Each Gametime Unlimited package grants unlimited Action District access for a period of consecutive days.

Gametime Unlimited packages are a great value for those who expect to play frequently and in longer sessions.

Why do I have to pay an ongoing cost?

APB is a persistent, online game with servers hosted by Realtime Worlds out of state-of-the-art datacenters to ensure the highest quality experience for all players – no inconsistent peer-to-peer hardware or networking issues.

Your ongoing purchases go towards the costs of maintaining this high quality service and help fund additional development for ongoing content and gameplay additions.

What can I do in APB if I don’t want to pay further costs?

Once you’ve purchased APB via retail and established your Realtime Worlds account, you will always have free access to the Social Districts – including the Customization studios and the Marketplace.

Does Realtime Worlds offer items for sale that cost RTW Points?

No. We believe that you and other players should drive the item economy within APB via the Marketplace.
Additionally, it is our belief that the prices for Marketplace sales should be set by you the player. You can choose to sell items on the Marketplace for either RTW Points or in-game currency.

Can I create items and sell them to other players?

Yes. However, selling your creations to other players incurs a small RTW Points fee. This process is called Manufacturing a customized item.

The following Manufacturing costs will be present at release:

Item Type (MFG cost in RTW points)

All vehicles (10)

Clothing – Major (head, torso, legs) (5)

Clothing – Minor (accessories, underwear, and footwear) (2)

Theme / Song (2)

Symbol (2)

Remember, there are NEVER any charges for all personal customization.

Why charge such low RTW Points value Manufacturing costs at all?

We believe the quality of the experience would suffer if the Marketplace were inundated with junk. The intent of the nominal Manufacturing charge is to prevent high volume of low quality items from crowding the Marketplace listings.

Additionally, we are investigating systems that would recognize reputable sellers and save on their Manufacturing costs.

Why is the amount I receive for a successful Marketplace sale different than the final auction price?

Similar to other auctions, there is commission on successful transactions.

However, there are no listing fees nor is there any charge for unsuccessful Marketplace auctions.

What about items I’ve already equipped or worn?

When you equip a weapon or wear a customized shirt, for example, that item becomes “worn”.

“Worn” items cannot be traded to other players without first paying a Refurbishment cost.

This Refurbishment cost is charged in the same currency as the original item.

For example, if you wear a customized shirt that you purchased from the Marketplace – the Refurbishment fee would be in RTW Points as that shirt would require a Manufacturing fee before it could be traded or sold.

However, if you purchased an N-Tec Assault Rifle from a Contact, equipped it, and then decided to trade it to another player – the Refurbishment fee would be in in-game currency because the item was originally purchased in the same fashion.

Simple rule: if the item was originally a customized item – such as clothing or a vehicle – Refurbishment would cost RTW Points; otherwise, if it was purchased from a Contact – Refurbishment would cost in-game currency.

The following Refurbishment costs will be present at release:

Item Type (REF cost in RTW points)

All vehicles (10)

Clothing – Major (head, torso, legs) (5)

Clothing – Minor (accessories, underwear, and footwear) (2)

Theme / Song (2)

Symbol (2)

Realtime Worlds and EA Announce Global Ship Dates for APB (All Points Bulletin™), Pre-Order Incentives AND EVOLUTIONARY PAYMENT MODEL.

Summer Global Release Set for the Year’s Hottest Online Action Game

Dundee, UK – April 30, 2010 – Realtime Worlds, Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that APB (All Points Bulletin™) will be released for the PC on June 29th in North America, July 1st in mainland Europe and July 2nd in the UK. APB takes the universal theme of Criminals and Enforcers and brings it to a persistent, open-world, online multiplayer setting in the modern, crime-ridden fictional city of San Paro. Some players will achieve notoriety by feeding on the city, its people and its businesses…the Criminals. Some will live by a higher code and instead feed on the criminals and their organizations…the Enforcers. This dynamic where players become the core content for other players is one of the many unique features of APB.

David Jones, Creative Director of Realtime Worlds said: “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. Gamers will soon get to experience a world of unparalleled customization, conflict and celebrity – whether they choose to be a Criminal or an Enforcer.”

Founded by industry legend David Jones, creator of Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2 and Crackdown, Realtime Worlds’ latest project, APB, introduces a unique payment model defined by three core concepts: value, flexibility and no commitments. Players pay precisely for time spent in the game’s action districts.

Gamers can purchase a retail version of APB either in-store or via digital download at standard retail price of SRP $49.99, £34.99, €49.99. The game includes 50 hours of action gameplay out of the box plus unlimited time in APB’s social districts customizing, socializing and trading in the marketplace. Once the 50-hours are up, players have flexibility: top up their game time from as little as SRP $6.99 (£5.59, €6.29) for an additional 20 hours, or opt to purchase a 30-day unlimited package for only SRP $9.99 (£7.99, €8.99) with discounts available for 90 and 180 days. In addition to this flexible payment model, players can also earn game time by actually playing the game. APB provides avenues for accomplished gamers or creators to earn rewards for their creativity and subsidize their ongoing costs with their in-game efforts.

David Jones added: “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. 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”.

Customers can pre-order the game from leading retailers and online from www.apb.com and www.eastore.com. Pre-order incentives include early access ‘APB VIP’ game time, access to the ‘Key to the City’ demo, exclusive in-game Asylum Upgraded Criminal Car and Enforcer upgraded Patrol Car, C.S.A Enforcer and Asylum Criminal clothing, ‘Chicken’ and ‘Strike-a-pose’ exclusive Emotes.

David DeMartini, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, EA Partners, added: “It’s an honor to be working with Realtime Worlds to bring an exciting and original new IP to PC gamers. We’re confident that the action and customization in the game will prove to be a huge hit.”

APB is rated 18 by PEGI and is not yet rated by the ESRB. Please visit www.pegi.info for more information. For more information on APB, please visit www.apb.com. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/apbgame and Facebook www.facebook.com/apbgame.

* Internet connection required

About Realtime Worlds
Realtime Worlds is one of the largest and most successful independent game developers in the world. Founded in 2002 by Creative Director David Jones with gaming industry veterans Ian Hetherington and Tony Harman, and joined by CEO Gary Dale in April 2009, the company has grown to more than 300 exceptionally talented staff. Realtime Worlds’ experienced teams have a tremendous history of creating some of the world’s bestselling video games, including the global hit franchises ‘Lemmings’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto’.

Realtime Worlds launched its first title, Crackdown, on Xbox 360 in early 2007. The debut game broke records for demo downloads, sold approximately 1.5 million copies, and won multiple awards including prestigious BAFTA and Develop Industry Excellence awards. Realtime Worlds is currently working on All Points Bulletin (http://www.apb.com), a persistent, online action game with a contemporary urban setting and themed around celebrity, conflict, competition and creativity. In June 2009 Realtime Worlds entered into an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with EA Partners to bring APB to PC in Summer 2010.

About Electronic Arts

A SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. © 2005 – 2010 Realtime Worlds. All Rights Reserved. APB All Points Bulletin is a trademark of Realtime Worlds Inc. and its affiliated companies.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

[Via Source]

Those top two games were indicative of the rest of the list: together, the WarCraft and The Sims series were responsible for six out of the top ten bestselling retail PC games, including The Sims 3‘s predecessor The Sims 2: Double Deluxe, which bundles the main game and various expansion packs.

NPD says PC game retail sales were hit even harder than the broader industry in 2009, with revenues down 23 percent year-over-year to $538 million, as compared to a total 11 percent software decline for the industry as a whole. In addition to the general environment of weakened consumer confidence, PC game retail sales likely suffered further from the ongoing growth of digital distribution.

Outside of the two main PC juggernaut franchises, the PC version of Infinity Ward’s multiplatform hit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the highest-selling game on the list, coming in at number five. And Spore, from original The Sims creator Maxis, ranked at number eight.

Two other core-oriented games, BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins and The Creative Assembly’s PC-exclusive Empire: Total War, managed to make the list at numbers nine and 10 respectively.

NPD’s list of top-selling retail PC games in the United States during 2009 is as follows:

1. The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts)
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (Blizzard, Activision)
3. The Sims 2: Double Deluxe (Electronic Arts)
4. World of Warcraft Battle Chest (Blizzard, Activision)
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward, Activision)
6. World of Warcraft (Blizzard, Activision)
7. The Sims 3: World Adventures (Electronic Arts)
8. Spore (Maxis, Electronic Arts)
9. Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare, Electronic Arts)
10. Empire: Total War (The Creative Assembly, Sega)

Via Gamasutra

Electronic Arts and Realtime Worlds have announced that “All Points Bulletin” will be released in early 2010.
APB is arguably one of the largest and most ambitious independent game projects in development worldwide and I am so looking forward to this one…

APB (All Points Bulletin) is an MMORPG, as well as the latest creation from David Jones and Realtime Worlds, the developer of the well-received Crackdown. Set in a modern, urban city, the game pits law enforcement against gangs, as they both aim to wipe each other out. According to the developer, this will be the first MMORPG in which the player’s skill, not the amount of time invested, would be the main factor in character progression. There have been several rumors surrounding the game, including the main one that Rockstar games was planning on purchasing the software in order to create a GTA MMORPG.

APB is set to release in Spring 2010 on the PC. The game is also being developed for Xbox 360 and there was also an indication that a PlayStation 3 version could be on the table. At GamesCom 2009 it was made known that they are releasing the PC version of APB first, then focusing on the console versions afterward.

The game was originally thought to have been following in the steps of many other MMO’s and charge a monthly fee to play but according to the games website FAQ it will not have any subscription fees to play. It is yet unknown if they will seek other types of income from micro transactions or some other form of payments.

The game is set in the huge metropolis of San-Palo, where all the missions will be started with triggers. Other situations will start inside the game world. For instance, the police would have to escort a van carrying money and all the criminals could attack it in order to get the money. If the police manage to protect it, they will get a reward as well. The quests given by NPCs will be more focused on the PvP aspect of the game.

The main game designer John Morlend says that for example, in other MMOs, players are asked to get 10 bat wings. In APB, you will have to kill other players to get whatever the NPC requires. The police force will be required to protect the average NPCs (citizens), patrol the streets, and catch the more wanted criminals.

The city of San-Palo is going to be made up of 2 large districts: Havalynd (the commercial part of town) and Waterfront (the tourist entertainment part), where each will be the size of a square kilometer and will have 40 blocks, and each block is the size of an average map in an online shooter.

The developers are saying that they won’t just release addons like all average MMOs, but will instead work together with the players to decide on certain things. For example, they could add new blocks, which would be made for a specific event (street racing, capture the flag, etc.)

The amount of weapons a character will be able to carry will be strictly limited, as well as the interface (there will only be a life bar), so the only difference between players will be based on their skill. The main thing characters will be trying to fight for in APB will be reputation; the more famous players will even have statues set up on the streets to honor them.

The developers are saying that jobs in this game will be very different from normal MMOs. For example, a person may get money in APB by designing new clothes and selling these designs at the auction house. This customization will also apply to cars, where various vinyls and other such things will be available for design. The number of people per server will only be limited to 100 people, since the Unreal Engine 3 (on which the game is created) simply wouldn’t handle any more people.

The game will also calculate what kind of opponents to set up against players. If 1 group of bandits is constantly successful, the game might add more cops to chase it or if 1 player is highly skilled, it could throw 3 rookies at him. However, if a police player will, for example, deny the request to chase the band, his reputation will fall, until he would only be able to do the most simple missions. The bandits will also be able to fight other gangs, along with the police.

Finally, the service Last.fm will be available in APB, so players could choose to add any song they like to their car radio and drive around listening to whatever they want.

[Source via GiantBomb]

Since leaving Electronic Arts in April to run entertainment think tank Stupid Fun Club, Wright said he views himself as an entertainment designer rather than game maker and wants to create worlds crossing every spectrum of media.

Following on from his bestsellers like The Sims 3 and Spore, Wright is working on new franchises that can go beyond games to the Web, mobile devices, and traditional Hollywood outlets like television and film.

Wright, 49, said he was fascinated by watching gamers using the editing tools provided with Spore to make over 100 million user-generated alien species, space ships and even design games.

“We’re taking the idea that you can have a million people engaged not just in entertainment, but also have them creating huge amounts of content for other people to experience,” said Wright.

“The question is how can you transfer that to other fields besides games,” he added, while refusing to divulge the details of the project he is working on.

In an industry that has more failures than successes, Wright has distinguished himself in the game world by attracting mainstream audiences to his creations.

The Sims franchise has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and it’s relationship-focused, non-violent gameplay has attracted an unprecedented female gaming audience — half of Sims players are female.

EA has already sold over 817,000 copies of The Sims 3 in the U. S. since June, while Spore has sold over 1.7 million copies in the U. S. alone since last year, according to the NPD Group.

“The Sims was always an experiment,” said Wright. “We never thought it’d be a mainstream thing. We simply did a game and started adding expansion packs and did a sequel and added more expansion packs.”

Wright said good examples of “cross-media” companies were George Lucas’ empire, which runs the gamut from special effects house Industrial Light & Magic to LucasArts and LucasFilm, and the Walt Disney Company.

Speaking last week at SIGGRAPH, the annual gathering of computer graphics professionals, Wright pointed to J. J. Abrams’ Lost television show, which has used the Internet, as well as games, to build a story expanding beyond the serialized content.

Wright, in his first public appearance since parting ways with Electronic Arts in April, said the fusion of technology will enable future entertainment to be more than interactive.

“Games and stories are generative with one leading to the other,” said Wright, who added that games allow people to build models in a virtual world to apply back to the real world.

“People can learn lessons about the past, present and future in an entertaining way.”

Greatest hits albums have long been a staple of the recording industry, and it seems only fitting that one of the most popular music-based video games ever created is getting the same treatment.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is the latest installment of the highly popular Guitar Hero series of games. It’s available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and 3 and Wii.

True to its title, Smash Hits does an admirable job culling memorable songs from previous releases, particularly the first two titles in the series. The songs have been remastered, using original versions instead of covers and adding vocal and drum tracks so a full band can play.

While most of the songs rock and game play is as fun as ever, price continues to be an issue for the Guitar Hero franchise. This game would have been a stellar collection at a discount, but Smash Hits carries the same price tag as other new releases. It may be hard for fans of the series to justify paying full price for something they’ve already seen before, and rightfully so.

Smash Hits allows a full band to play the most popular songs from previous installments for the first time. The songs on offer include some of the most challenging and enjoyable tracks, focusing largely on hard rock and heavy metal selections.

Blister-inducing favourites like Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell and Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon and endurance tests like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s nine-minute opus Free Bird will challenge even the most accomplished shredder.

While publisher Activision is still capable of putting out excellent titles like Guitar Hero: Metallica, it has also coughed up the lacklustre Rocks the ’80s and Aerosmith entries.

Smash Hits is more like the latter in that there is nothing worthwhile here that couldn’t have been offered as downloadable content.

The game has a flimsy attempt at a story arc and some unlockable costumes, but these are not nearly enough to justify a full price tag.

The concept behind Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is a good one. The set list reads as a bona-fide compilation of the best songs from the series’ early days.

If not for the inflated price tag, this would have been an easy recommendation.

[Posted By JOHN GAUDIOSI SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA]

Today I decided I would hit the Alan Wake website, sure enough there is a new trailer.�� Better yet I was able to find a newer trailer not even available on the Alan Wake website.� I have only seen bits and pieces of game play and a very short trailer thus far.� The game looks promising to me.� Has a Silent Hill feel and look to it, which in my eyes is not a bad thing.� Designed by Microsoft Game Studios and Remedy Entertainment.� Remedy is best known for its award winning Max Payne games. What is Alan Wake?� http://www.alanwake.com