14 DAY TRIAL // Realtime Worlds, a Scotland-based developer that is currently working on gang themed MMO All Points Bulletin, managed to secure a 50-million-dollar financing line from Maverick Capital, with consulting handled by Montgomery & Co. The company has now acquired its third financing line and apparently plans to use the money it gets to put the finishing touches on APB and then offer pre-launch and post-launch support for the game.
Previously, the company secured another financing line from companies CIM Fund and NEA, but apparently more money was needed for the final stage of APB development.
Although the exact setting and world of APB is not yet fully revealed, we do know it is going to be gang related and customization is going to be central to the experience and the setting.
Character presentation is more than the usual match-shirt-to-pants of games. Players can decide the length of their hair, the size of the veins that are crossing their hands and whether they'd like to sport a nice looking scar on their left cheek. Even though customization is the main concept here, all creations will look as close to real as possible.
Characters will not be the only things that players can customize. Tattoos, decals and badges will be worn by members of the same gang to distinguish them from other players. Cars will feature customization levels like those usually found in racing games, both cosmetic and mechanical. And if this isn't enough for you, Realtime Worlds has signed a partnership with on-line music service last.fm to provide tracks for the customizable in-game radio.
The developers also think of APB as a "grindless" MMO, in that there would be no levels to determine what areas you can access and what missions you can take. Interaction and teamplay will be the main draw of the game and not the grind time needed to get to level 70.