NOV. 11, 2010 • K2 Network, which specializes in localizing Asian games for Western markets, acquired the rights to Realtime World’s ill-fated MMO All Points Bulletin for £1.5 million ($2.3 million). Expectations are the title will re-emerge later as an F2P experience supported by micro-transactions. K2 says it has 28 million users spread between 160 countries, all of which have access to the firm’s G1 Credit online currency. Those consumers would likely be able to purchase APB items immediately when the game resurfaces.
Impact: All Points Bulletin was a high-profile MMO that had been in development for years as a high-end subscription online game where users would buy the title and then have to pay a $15 a month subscription. The game was developed by some of the team behind the smash Grand Theft Auto series and thus received a great deal of buzz. However, the originally planned 2008 launch was pushed back two years until mid-2010. When the game came out it was clear it had been rushed to release because of the financial troubles of developer Realtime Worlds. Realtime, based in Scotland, had received over $100 million in funding but that wasn’t enough and the company entered administration in August 2010, only a month after APB launched. For K2, being able to purchase such a high-end game for a low price could be a real smart investment.
