10 Biggest Video Game Flops Of All Time

5. APB: All Points Bulletin

APB: All Points Bulletin is a game whose concept worked better than its execution. Conceived as a sort of cops and robbers MMO experience, APB was constantly referred to by the developers as the next great step in multiplayer experiences. And with David Jones, one of the minds behind the Grand Theft Auto series, as lead designer, there was certainly reason to be excited.

Unfortunately the end result bit off more than it could chew. Despite being in development for many years, APB could not deliver on its promises. In fact, it was even worse than that. The game felt unpolished and underdeveloped, and it was clear that it had been released before it was finished, which is a death sentence for any video game. Matters weren’t helped by a ridiculous review embargo, which was used to keep the horrible truth away from consumers for as long as possible. By the time the game came out, the damage was already done.

APB ended up costing developer Realtime Worlds everything. Its failure put the studio in administration a mere six weeks after the game’s release, and shortly after that the servers were shut down. The ending to this story isn't entirely sad though, as the company K2 Network eventually bought APB and relaunched it as the free-to-play APB: Reloaded. Still, it's one of the biggest crash and burn stories in the industry.