Publisher Electronic Arts has announced that the Realtime Worlds anticipated cops and robbers massively multiplayer online video game is expected for a June 29 release in United States.
The retail game will come with 50 hours of playtime for $50, which allows players to engage in ‘Grand Theft Auto’ style gameplay in APB’s ‘Action’ districts. Once time has run out, players can opt to purchase 20 more hours of additional gametime for $6.99. However, APB’s ‘Social’ districts will not drain player’s time at all.
An alternative method of payment, players can simply pay $9.99 for 30 days of unlimited play – with discounted 90 and 180 day packages on offer – similar to the traditional MMO subscription. In addition, players can pay for their game time through earned virtual currency.
Realtime Worlds founder David Jones explained the payment model,
“We wanted to provide a simple and flexible way for occasional and core players alike to pay for their play without being financially tethered to the game”
“The model also provides an opportunity for customers to subsidize their costs by leveraging their talent or market savvy in the ‘points’ Marketplace. Highly talented players could potentially even play for free in this way.”
APB releases June 29 in the US, July 1 in Europe, and July 2 in the UK. Preordering the game provides in-game exclusive content such as cars, clothing, and emoticons in addition to ‘APB VIP’ early access and access to the ‘Key to the City’ demo.
