Chris from Realtime Worlds sent over an email mentioning all the new stuff that was coming down the pipes with APB.

Currently, Realtime Worlds is getting close to the Beta stage of development and is going to put links on their website soon for beta signups.  However, they are looking to see what the interest is in an APB beta, so they want people to add the APB Facebook page to their favorite list, or whatever it is called in Facebook.  Once they have 500 followers, they will put a link up for those wishing to participate in the Beta.  Quite cool.

Also, Realtime Worlds wanted to mitigate the concerns over their lack of presence at E3 2008.  According to Tony Harmon, president of Realtime Worlds, there was good reason for APB to skip E3. 

“This year we would have had an exciting presence with APB at E3 if we had continued with Webzen as our publisher.  But, given that we re-acquired the rights to APB just this spring and closed a very large fundraising round ($50,000,000) to secure APB’s future, the timing just wasn’t right to attend E3.  RTW is very excited with APB’s progress and we have used our fundraising as a means to invest even more heavily in the APB development team.  RTW hopes to release more information later this year with regards to game play details and beta plans.”

It is good to see this game coming into reality, although their is still no word on a distributor or publisher.  Initially, at the beginning of the year, I had APB down as a vaporware product, due to next to nothing having been shown on the project.  Now we have had gameplay videos, and more, showing the strength of the project.  The game still looks rough, but if they can capture the fun that is currently found in Multi Theft Auto, I am sold on the product.