APB Pricing Structure and Release Date Revealed

Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin has been given a UK release date of 2nd July, along with payment structure details for the open-world MMO shooter.

The game will be available either as a download or a boxed copy for $49.99 USD. For that, you get 50 hours worth of gameplay in order to tackle the social districts of the crime-ridden fictional city of San Pero. You can either choose to be an Enforcer of the law, or a Criminal that works in the city's shadow.

If it sounds like Grand Theft Auto as an MMO, that's because it basically is - David Jones of Realtime Worlds is the creator of GTA, Crackdown and... er, Lemmings amongst other things.

Once those 50 hours are used up however, players will need to pay to continue to play in the persistent online world. Here's where the options lie - you can either top up your time in increments of 20 hours for $6.99 USD a pop, or you can subscribe on an unlimited playtime basis for $9.99 USD a month. You can also opt for a 90-day and 180-day package at a discount.

You can even earn more time by playing the game and being quite good at it. That's a nice idea.

Quote time! David Jones: "We're delighted to finally be announcing the release date for APB, and we're looking forward to welcoming players on to the mean streets of San Paro. Gamers will soon get to experience a world of unparalleled customization, conflict and celebrity - whether they choose to be a Criminal or an Enforcer.

"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."

There you go! SPOnG will be getting its metaphorical mitts on the game very soon, so we'll let you know in advance how addictive it truly will be.