![Realtime Worlds enters administration [update 2]](/static/images/news/35644/184_7494_RTW.jpg?i=1282057508 "Realtime Worlds enters administration [update 2]")
Business handed to corporate rescue firm; "170 staff cut, with 50 staff left to save APB"
Famed Scottish studio Realtime Worlds is on the brink of closure with the company entering administration, Develop can confirm.
Studio sources say the business has been handed over to its new administrator, the corporate rescue firm Begbies Traynor Group.
Realtime Worlds now has a deadline to find an investor that can save the firm from liquidation.
If no willing investor is found, Realtime World’s final game will have been All Points Bulletin – an ambitious, five-year gamble that attempted to merge the sandbox action genre with an MMO monetisation structure.
That gamble, which convinced investors to supply at least $80 million to the studio, failed to pay off.
Rumours of studio breakdown surfaced just weeks after APB launched to market. Sales have been poor and server capacity – built to house huge volumes of players – has barely been scratched.
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The fate of APB remains unclear, for now, though Develop has heard the title will live on - likely in the hands of another company.
The news has led to an emotional outpouring from former developers and connected individuals, responding to the news across Twitter.
One source said 170 staff have been laid off, with 50 kept on to support APB – though this has not been confirmed.
Develop’s earlier report - that Realtime Worlds has axed its US office - is now virtually confirmed with multiple accounts of its closure across Twitter feeds.
[Update 2: Realtime Worlds' new administrator is, for now, looking to rescue the US business It is thought that a skeleton crew remains.]
Official confirmation on the fate of APB remains elusive.
The sharp turn of events at Realtime Worlds brings to light the bleak, cut-throat nature of independent game development.
After Crackdown (2006), faith in Realtime Worlds hit its peak, and its newest project was widely anticipated.
The studio slaved over APB for nearly five years, yet in the space of weeks the game was stung by mixed reviews, as well as a controversial payment model and, to top it off, unpopular PR techniques.
After the release of APB, Realtime Worlds initially fought against the paralysing truth - that few were playing the game.
The studio pledged to release a patch that hoped would improve the game and draw in more players.
Soon after, Realtime Worlds announced its next game, Project MyWorld; a title which, in what seemed to be in a moment of desperation, was revealed to the public and potential publishing partners.
Publishers declined to sign the game and the once-impervious dev powerhouse began to find itself stranded.
Sixty staff were laid off from the Project MyWorld job. Studio boss Colin Macdonald tried to rally the rest of his team by telling Develop that the outfit would hold firm.
He added: "I just want to say how hard this has been for everyone. We’ve prided ourselves on building a fantastic calibre team – and a very close-knit team, and it's regrettable to let even one of them go.”
Today Develop was told by too many trusted sources not to run a story that Realtime World's US office has closed, before talk of administration broke.
Realtime Worlds opened in 2002. It developed Crackdown and APB.
Here's to RTW - hopefully you guys will somehow pull through and emerge out the other side leaner and stronger. There's still time for a buyer to be found, and you're a good proposition at what will be a cheap price.
And if you don't, hopefully those affected will find other roles soon as.
All the best.
@Fran Mulhern
"There's still time for a buyer to be found, and you're a good proposition at what will be a cheap price."
They're looking for investors, not buyers. That is unlikely to be cheap. Five years of development costs on an AAA title generally are anything but.
Horrendous news. The effect on Dundee, Abertay and the Scottish industry will be disastrous if it ceases trading completely.
Best wishes to all affected, and I sincerely hope that a buyer can be found.
The administrator will look for whatever can save the company. If that's a buyer, so be it.
Going into administration doesn't look too good, but some companies can and do go into, and then out of, administration. They've got a core staff and a set up already there and in a very cheap part of the country, so who knows - maybe they'll find someone who wants a relatively easy way into the games development business, or a studio expansion.
You never know.
Without appearing predatory, if anyone has been affected, please feel free to get in touch. I have numerous games industry roles globally, so would be only too happy to help. I'm already working with a large number of RTW staff from the MyWorld project, so would definitely have opportunities for those involved in the latest round of redundancies.
alexander(at)creativepersonnel(dot)co(dot)uk
Good point, actually.
But surely nobody would want to take on a company that (seem) to have no money?
I hope they do, by the way, I'm just asking.
My heart goes out to all those affected.
I really hope something can be done to save RTW in time. Such cruel fate for having ambition and trying something different.
That's exactly why they might take it over - it has no money, can't keep going, and they can get it at a bargain price. they don't even have to buy the company, they can buy the assets (employee contracts, equipment, premises etc) and start afresh - the money they pay will then be used to give something back to the creditors.
It's a bit like how Rebellion bought the ex Razorworks crowd, or how Codies bought the Swordfish team. Only problem is, there's less money around atm for stuff like that:(
Every company Dave Jones and Iain Hetherington have been involved with has gone to the dogs - bought up, sold or collapsed. Psygnosis and DMA are just earlier casualties.
Why did anyone honestly think things would be different this time? I blame poor management - APB was miles over budget and miles delayed and, crucially, not very good.
@ Hardly Surprising
Agreed- the way Jones screwed up the DMA Nintendo Dream Team deal back on N64 is still a very sore point for many Scottish developers. Which led to DMA being bought for a pittance by Gremlin and ultimately Rockstar being born.
Also in your blame list, you forgot to mention the cash-burning skills of former Take Two COO Gary Dale. Take Two seem successful on the face of it, but in truth despite having made some of the biggest games of all time they still struggle to turn a profit most years.
It's about time this industry matured a bit and stopped living on the past glories of guys who had a great idea 20 years ago.
Maybe the Heaven's Gate sized disaster this represents will wake up the whole industry to the folly in taking such collosal risks.
My heart goes out to all the talented, loyal staff affected, they know who is really responsible for this...
It is a very sad day for all those employed there, thoughts and best wishes are with you.
5 years to dev APB? In that time the world has changed substantially. The UK games industry has been repeatedly decimated by a succession of so called time served "I've been in this business 15 years and you this is how you make games" experts who only know one thing! Overruns, massive budgets and release slips. Kotick has pointa and its time to take them on-board.
Capitalism - got to love it eh?
Note to ex-RTW employees:
Make better games in future...
Realtime Worlds published 1.4.1 of APB today to the Test World.
Combat (shooting mechanics), Matchmaking, Driving, other stuff and finally there's some new content too. All improved based on the feedback received from the players and the largest GAMEPLAY CHANGING PATCH to date. APB needs your feedback, play on the Test World then shout for Live World. This is what you asked for.
A full feature set is available here - http://eu.apb.com/en/news/2010/08/13/apb-1-4-1-is-on-its-way
If you want this on the Live World, e-mail support@apb.com, write to APB/RTW on Facebook or if you think you know other ways, shout.
This isn't the first studio he's effectively killed. Remember Circle, Without Warning and their Capcom deal? And it probably won't be the last...
@Joolz
Note to ill-informed internet commenters who are insensitive to the livelihoods of many developers - shut the f*ck up.
RIP Realtime, You were looking like to be one of the next RARE for the UK.
But APB always got mixed views from my fans/viewers, not because of the quality/theme, but because many were under the impression the game was going to be released on the Xbox 360 and PS3. So many didn't jump on the PC release as they were holding out for the console release, and I can never see a press release saying it was PC exclusive.
But it's a shame to see you guys go, I spoke to you in the early days and you were really nice guys, quite a laugh! I wish you the best of luck for the future!
Don't forget the 60 people who were laid off last week. They've been sitting at home wondering what's happening and getting their news via Facebook and Twitter. Management couldn't even see fit to send an email telling them the situation.
Of course, after promising that they would definately be paid in August, and get their final settlement in Spetember, maybe the management didn't have the balls to admit they'd lied.
This article rather reads like the Obituary of Realtime Worlds. Surely however someone must have questioned APB's intentions in the development cycle - surely? They'll have to start out small again I suppose, no more big budget titles for a while - but maybe this will be a good thing for them, as it could spark a complete change in the company's philosophy. No more gigantic snadbox worlds that live on bread and butter game mechanics, perhaps now Realtime World's future titles (if any) will really try to innovate in the right areas.
@steve
Joolz may be insensitive towards devs, but it doesn't mean he/she was wrong. APB had some very big flaws with the gameplay, as is apparent by reading reviews or actually playing the game. It is confused about what it is, and does neither of its schizophrenic sides well enough. It is a shame, and I do feel for the developers. But that doesn't take away from the fact that APB was deeply flawed. Not even a 'flawed masterpiece' ... just flawed.
The team at Realtime Worlds are one of the most incredible dev teams in the gaiming industry. Somehow, I have a feeling that this is not the end, stay positive guys! Any assistance we at bluegfx can help with, we are here.
