MMOs are risky business. While ordinary bad games can be released then moved on from, an MMO requires constant maintenance for the duration of its run. Failing this can result in a total disaster for the developer. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to Scottish devs Realtime World, and their crime-based action MMO, APB: All Points Bulletin. A typical example of promising more than could be realistically delivered, APB had a compelling premise but not much else. Despite early interest in the title, the hype began to wane quickly, following a series of delays that pushed the game's release back by two years. Reports of the developers ignoring negative beta tester comments, as well as sub-par gameplay, were exacerbated by a review embargo that lasted until a week after the game's release. Reviewers weren't happy with the embargo, which often indicates a bad game, or with APB: All Points Bulletin itself. Six weeks after release, Realtime Worlds entered administration, and the game was announced to be shutdown only 3 months after APB's launch. APB: All Points Bulletin was bought up and redesigned as a free-to-play game in the form of APB: Reloaded. A husk of its original vision, the F2P re-release garnered even worse reviews than the original game, and APB became legendary as a prime example of how not to do an MMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNGuR8SO9xk
