Realtime Worlds raises $50 million

By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UKPosted Mar 31, 2008 7:46 am PT

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 PT

    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 PT

    How much will the monthly fee be?

  • Hedfix

    Posted Apr 1, 2008 5:48 pm PT

    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 PT

    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 PT

    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 PT

    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 PT

    I really have high hopes for this game.

  • MOB712

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 8:47 pm PT

    @ 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 PT

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

  • ctg867

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 5:17 pm PT

    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 PT

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

  • Pete5506

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:48 pm PT

    Sounds cool, I will watch it

  • tatu2004

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:10 pm PT

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

  • majidok

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    And thanks Emma , for the Pun-Free headline .

  • majidok

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:50 pm PT

    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 PT

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

  • Superdude475

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:30 pm PT

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

  • Dilan120

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:15 pm PT

    Cool sounding game

    Might get it

  • Treifla

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 1:09 pm PT

    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 PT

    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.

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