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Realtime Worlds raises $50 million

Scottish game developer secures more pots of money in third round of financing.

Realtime Worlds is currently working on APB, a modern-day massively multiplayer online game from the mind of Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones. Eschewing the swords-and-sorcery or proton-blaster pistols of many popular MMOGs, Realtime Worlds' latest lives in an urban environment, and promises to redefine the genre by sidelining repetitive quests and monster slaying, and emphasizing player personalization and customization options, along with ramped-up graphical fidelity.

To aid it in its goal, Realtime Worlds has secured $50 million of financing led by Maverick Capital, according to Tech Crunch. Realtime Worlds previously nabbed some $33 million in capital from CIM fund and NEA, and now has a total of $82.7 million in funding. Announced in 2005, APB is being published by Korean publishing house Webzen and is slated to arrive on the PC and Xbox 360 some time before the end of the year.

Founded in 2002, the company is based in Dundee in Scotland, where it is the largest independent game producer, and also has offices in Colorado and South Korea. Realtime Worlds won two BAFTA awards last year, for Best Use of Audio and Best Action and Adventure Game for Crackdown.

For more on APB, check out Dave Jones' session from this year's Game Developers Conference.

47 Comments

  • uberjannie

    Posted Apr 5, 2008 4:57 pm GMT

    the same as most other MMORPG's t8trg8tr.
    Webzen is making a more interesting MMO game though.
    Huxley. My money is on Huxley.

  • t8trg8tr

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 6:16 pm GMT

    How much will the monthly fee be?

  • Hedfix

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 5:48 pm GMT

    Have the fee payable upfront in MS points in monthly/weekly amounts and I'll consider it.

  • BangBangBoom

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 10:40 am GMT

    I really wanted this game but i don't know how i feel about additional fees to play. I hadn't even thought about them before reading these comments and now i feel let down.

  • Avenger1324

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 7:36 am GMT

    Crackdown was great, but I'm not paying extra fees on top of Live just to play one game.

    I think monthly/annual fees will massively reduce the number of people playing, and any MMO needs that first M to be successful.

  • GeigerdolylWodd

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 6:21 am GMT

    Wait a minute when did Emma post this? I mean sure its just now April Fool's day here in the U.S. but in U.K.? Isn't possible this could be an April Fool's Day joke because of the time zone difference?

  • chevydriver1123

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 5:09 am GMT

    I really have high hopes for this game.

  • MOB712

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:47 pm GMT

    @ haesuse

    That may have been a fanboy comment but he's right

    RTW has an exclusivity deal with MS and i doubt they're stupid enough to break that contract.

  • X-RS

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:05 pm GMT

    wow, das alotta money. weish i had higspeed...

  • ctg867

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:17 pm GMT

    Really? Before the end of the year? I so very much doubt that, but it is possible. Hey, Alone in the Dark, Too Human, and Duke Nukem: Forever are all rumored, or announced to have a release dates this year, and those games have been in development for YEARS, so APB getting released wouldn't be all that weird.

    Personally, I'm not really interested too much. Not an MMO person myself, don't like paying by month to play a game, regardless of it's justifications. I'd much rather prefer a Crackdown 2, which I'd expect mid to late next year.

  • Sydwynder

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 3:58 pm GMT

    Man I hope APB is something unique and different. Where's the screenshots?

  • Pete5506

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:48 pm GMT

    Sounds cool, I will watch it

  • tatu2004

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:10 pm GMT

    i'm buying APB no matter what....

  • majidok

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:09 pm GMT

    And thanks Emma , for the Pun-Free headline .

  • majidok

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:50 pm GMT

    And if the game didnt sell , what happens with that 88 million dollars ?

    P.S : I can see that jeff did the video review for crackdown . sigh*

  • Trooperdx3117

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:32 pm GMT

    If this game is as good as Crackdown then I might get it.

  • Superdude475

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:30 pm GMT

    Sounds cool, I hope you have to pay monthly for it though.

  • Dilan120

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:15 pm GMT

    Cool sounding game

    Might get it

  • Treifla

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:09 pm GMT

    the fact that the just secured 50 mil doesn't necessarily mean they haven't started, or they aren't that far in. it could just be a case of financing optimistically.

  • Josepiphus

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:09 pm GMT

    If the game is going to be released in the next 9 months I imagine most of this funding is being raised for a marketing push. If they managed to get 50 million out of an investment firm based on whatever beta they have playable now I'd say the chances of this game being good are extremely high.

    Too bad I hate MMOG.

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:06 pm GMT

    I remember when PC gaming news was all about games! Now, with so few PC game releases , we now get news like this - of interest to hardly any gamer, and would not have been missed by any gamer if it wasn't reported!

  • Gribb85

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 12:25 pm GMT

    Top of the world, Laddy!!

  • The_SandRock

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 12:08 pm GMT

    I was just in Dundee two weeks ago, it would've been cool to see their workplace, but I always find out about stuff like this after the fact.

  • ZhugeMarc

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 11:54 am GMT

    I should probably walk along to their offices and ask for some of that cash.

  • haesuse

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 11:32 am GMT

    to the fanboy saying there is not PS3 version, he can sleep well at night. This may be a quality title but probably a rather small time one. These guys are securing their profits from one title, and if there is a need for a PS3 version, there will be one, once some money comes in!

  • FraserAlexander

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:55 am GMT

    I think they could raise the money based on crackdown...but how did they raise money to make crackdown in the first place is what i want to know. ps. i think i owned a genesis game called crackdown that was top down co-op w/ crap graphics, but was fun at the time.

  • TooQuickStix

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:54 am GMT

    I agree, if they just locked up nearly half their funding, its a ways off. I like the modern age approach though, always good to try something new. While Crackdown did some good things, and for the most part I enjoyed it, I will say that towards the end of the game I really didnt want to play it anymore. The 'sandbox' world is great, but I need some structure and goals and rules and regulations. Crackdown just ended up with me blasting people with missles repetetivly. As I read in one review, once you get the grenade/missle launcher, the game is basically over, and I played on Psycho the whole way.

  • Alastes

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:36 am GMT

    If they are still securing funding for the game (Assuming all 50 mil is for APB) then what are the chances this will be out by the end of the year? I bet were looking at next year before we see APB.

  • stevo_360

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:34 am GMT

    Come on Scottish developers!

  • warmaster670

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:30 am GMT

    "@ Gwarpup, yeah lots of 360 games do end up on pc, but most people can't really afford a $600 ps3 and a $1500-$2000 computer. A $275 xbox 360 is a much better choice."
    $600 doller PS3? $2000 computer? jeez, get your prices straight, you need no more than $1000 for a good computer, and if the 360 is "$275" then the PS3 is $400, not $600.

  • miiiguel

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:28 am GMT

    And it's not only that, I'm not "allowed" to put a PC and its cables and thingys in the living room, and it's massively more imersive to play in a big HD telly, with a proper surround system then "office desk". That's my feeling, though...

    I can't "office-desk" game anymore... it feels like work.

  • bessy67 posted Mar 31, 2008 10:15 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    bessy67

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:15 am GMT (hide)

    @ Gwarpup, yeah lots of 360 games do end up on pc, but most people can't really afford a $600 ps3 and a $1500-$2000 computer. A $275 xbox 360 is a much better choice.

  • BigDaddy973

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:13 am GMT

    I want to see more on the game, and really take it for a spin!!! Beta???

  • mysterylobster

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 10:00 am GMT

    I used to play this in the arcades 20 years ago.

  • Gwarpup posted Mar 31, 2008 9:59 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Gwarpup

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:59 am GMT (hide)

    Again if you have the best combo of systems, namely the PS3 and a good PC. You are the most covered gaming wise as well as in every other home capacity. You'll get everything that the 360 has eventually. Plus all the exclusives on the PS3 and bluray for all the new HD tvs being sold to families now on the cheap. Its a win win combo.

  • juggalo

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:51 am GMT

    After the joy that was Crackdown these boys have my vote of confidence!

  • -GhostMLD-

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:36 am GMT

    no ps3 version. im sleeping good at night!

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:18 am GMT

    yeah thorpe gots it down. it would be pretty awful if the money didn't go straight to making the game. but i think Realtime is gonna pullthrough. any release date?

  • Thorpe89

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 9:02 am GMT

    I hope that funding gets put to good use.

  • Calmed_Fury

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:57 am GMT

    hope to see it this year on the 360. they had a great gdc presentation so i cant wait to see more!!!

  • ColdRush88

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:44 am GMT

    If only I could secure myself $50 million. Looking forward to APB so this should mean that more effort is going into the game and thus the game turns out awesome. I loved Crackdown. Amazing fun on multiplayer.

  • Hitman2500

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:41 am GMT

    thats good more money to make the game better

  • reza

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:30 am GMT

    "yippe the world was screaming for another mmo! Now I will get into the beta just to see how bad it can be to play with xbox360 people on p2p server lol"

    dude, you have no idea what you are talking about.

  • Franko_3 posted Mar 31, 2008 8:26 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Franko_3

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:26 am GMT (hide)

    yippe the world was screaming for another mmo! Now I will get into the beta just to see how bad it can be to play with xbox360 people on p2p server lol

  • fearrich

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:25 am GMT

    Blimey, never realised Crackdown was from Scotland! My respect for that game has just risen dramatically.

  • klugenbeel

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:14 am GMT

    Crackdown 2? You really should, that game had a lot of potential, so a sequal might unlock the rest of what the frirst lacked!

  • jdukes247

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:07 am GMT

    i hope this means apb is still going to be released

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