Founded by Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones, Realtime Worlds was responsible for the super-powered open world title Crackdown (X360). The company is currently working on All Points Bulletin (PC, X360).

Alternatively known as APB, the game is an Unreal Engine 3-powered massively multiplayer title that dynamically pits cops against criminals in a vast online city. Featuring extensive character customization and a number of missions, such as robbing an armored truck, the title is expected later this year.

WPP, Maverick Capital, and New Enterprise Associates were the investors named in today's announcement. WPP independently clarified that it had acquired a minority stake of Realtime Worlds for $8.1 million. Two members of NEA attained positions on the studio's board of directors after a $31 million investment in 2006.

Reports of the additional funding initially surfaced a few weeks ago, though no further details or confirmation were available at that time.

The plan, dubbed "Operation For Tomorrow", is aimed at restricting access to online games that the Chinese government considers violent or undesirable for young people. The announcement clarifies a statement released in January in which officials condemned online gaming as a "spiritual opium."

The government intends to close several unlicensed internet cafes and increase regulation on legal ones, citing the presence of readily-available access to online gaming as breeding grounds for internet addiction.

As a means of regulating the industry, China has enacted laws barring anybody under the age of 18 from entering internet cafes, and mandated time restrictions on adult players. Recent figures released by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency estimate that over 40 million people in China play online games.

Kim explained that while Realtime Worlds has moved in a different direction, Microsoft's ownership of the Crackdown franchise leaves open the option of developing a sequel with a different studio. "We have a great partnership with Realtime Worlds, and they're pursuing a different path from a company perspective," Kim told Game|Life. "So I wouldn't say that it's Microsoft not picking up the option there."

Kim added that Crackdown's commercial success marks the title as an easy choice for a sequel. "I think that customers would like to see more in that space," he said. "Any intellectual property that we own can always be on the table."

We have noticed an increase in behavior where leased servers are being used by clans solely to pad players stats, even to the extent where clans are institutionalizing rules that forbid normal play. Currently the favored method is for player admins to set rules where players must use either a knife or Pistol, players must revive each other, and players must not take flags. This creates environments where players gain stats unrealistically and creates an imbalance in the ranked server playing field. In our opinion, these players are breaking EA's Terms of Service, and we have begun taking action on the clans involved. However, clan coordination to this extreme requires us to create a long-term solution for this (separate from any scoring changes in 1.03).
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In general, I've enjoyed the entire rewards/badges system in Battlefield 2. Havingthose cute little awards pop up every so often telling you how super awesome you are isreally fun. I mean everyone knows on the inside that they are awesome, but it's nice tohave some validation in your life by a computer program.