Iceberg Interactive and game developer Reloaded Productions have today announced that the MMO Action game “APB Reloaded” for PC is now available in retail stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The retail version of the game was released in the Benelux last week and will be available in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia on February 17th 2012.

The boxed retail version includes several bonus items with over 30 pound value at only a 20 pound retail price: a permanent in-game high-performance vehicle, a permanent in-game weapon and 30 days of premium access that provides increased cash rewards, reputation gains and a 20 percent in-store discount, an early redemption (30 days) surprise item (choice from 4 unique weapons) and to top things off a bonus poster.

APB Reloaded is a Free2Play massively multiplayer online third-person shooter game taking place in the modern-day fictional city of San Paro. This open-world environment challenges players to find their way through a city in a state of near anarchy. Players can take up the role of either a Criminal or Enforcer to commit or stop petty crimes and gain notoriety within their own organizations in order to control the city. Be it on foot or from the driver's seat, APB Reloaded melds player-on-player combat within the immersive city teetering on the edge of total chaos. Powered by Epic’s Unreal 3 engine, APB Reloaded features a robust set of customization tools, providing gamers with the ability to create the exact look of their in-game avatar, personalized symbols, clothing, vehicles and in-game music.

GamersFirst have announced today that the free-2-play APB Reloaded has launched the first version of a brand-new gameplay mode called the 'Fight Club'. In Fight Club players can experience faster-paced APB action at the push of a button, and drop in to short-form battles emphasizing player communication and small unit tactics. The first incarnation of the fight club game mode puts players in fights to the finish in a mid-city construction site and at a secure shipping yard.

“Our developers and designers at Reloaded Productions have been working hard for months to create a series of new game play experiences that will let APB players take their custom characters and gear and use them in completely new ways,” said Bjorn Book-Larsson, COO/CTO of GamersFirst and the head of Reloaded Productions. “The first incarnation of the fight club game mode is a stepping stone to an expanded system that eventually includes bi-weekly fight club challenges and a whole series of new clan-focused activities and events, where clans can challenge each other in specific areas of the city, and set the parameters of their fights for clan supremacy.”

“We expect to expand the system to eventually include a lot of different types of Deathmatches, Territory Control and King of the Hill modes that will be fast, invigorating and engaging from the moment each fight starts, as an alternative to the ‘open-world mission’ modes that were the key feature of the Open Beta version of APB”

APB Reloaded’s retail edition is now available at major retail outlets in North America, and can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $29.99 USD. The retail edition comes bundled with a 30 day premium service, exclusive weapon and vehicle, and 500 G1 Credits (redeemable in the Armas Marketplace).

The European retail version of APB Reloaded will be available this January 2012.

In anticipation of the upcoming release of the MMO game APB Reloaded, videogame publisher Iceberg Interactive and GamersFirst have released a brand new cinematic trailer. The anarchy of APB Reloaded comes to life in this ultraviolent live action trailer. Hot girls and blood splatter arrive in equal measure with this tribute to the good old-fashioned shootout.

Iceberg Interactive has entered into a partnership with GamersFirst to distribute the retail version of the upcoming MMOG, APB Reloaded, in Europe. Currently in open beta, this virtual cops and robbers-themed game has already attracted more than 700,000 online players in less than three months.

“GamersFirst has been looking for a partner who can help us revolutionize retail distribution for Free2Play games in Europe. With Iceberg Interactive, we have found the perfect partner. Our pricing model for APB Reloaded actually pays a gamer to come try the game. This is unprecedented for a title which cost more than seventy million dollars to produce,“ says Rahul Sandil, Senior Vice President of Marketing at GamersFirst.

The suggested €19.99 retail version of APB Reloaded will include more than €35 worth of in-game items, including a permanent in-game high-performance vehicle, a permanent in-game weapon and 30 days of premium access that provides increased cash rewards, reputation gains and a 20 percent in-store discount. APB Reloaded will be released early in January, 2012.

GamersFirst today launched the APB Reloaded open beta. In addition to the long list of closed beta improvements already launched during the redevelopment of the game, the APB Reloaded open beta adds a brand new skill rating system, redesigned “witnessing” game mechanics, new items and weapons in the Armas Marketplace, as well as an additional East Coast datacenter to host the game.


Upcoming improvements that are scheduled during the open beta phase include new clan-based combat mechanics aimed at higher level players, additional match making improvements, and brand new district and game modes giving the player more control over the game experience.


“From the start of the development of APB Reloaded last fall our focus has been to remove obstacles preventing players from having fun. While our development and design teams have done an amazing job improving driving, shooting, skill ratings, witnessing and other key elements of the game, I am also thrilled with the changes slated to be released during the latter part of open beta,” said Bjorn Book-Larsson, Chief Operating Officer for GamersFirst and CEO of Reloaded Productions Ltd. “We expect APB Reloaded to set a new bar for what is possible to achieve in a free to play MMO game, and the open beta represents another big step in that direction.”


New In-Game Witnessing Mechanic
Open beta includes a much improved “witnessing” system that captures the core of the cops vs. robbers game mechanic. When Criminals commit open-world crimes they gain a stash of dirty money that must be laundered before it is earned as a mission reward. A stash multiplier grows with the Criminal’s heat rating as they continue their crime spree, while carrying an ever growing pile of dirty money. Enforcers can witness Criminals committing crimes and opt into a mini-mission to stop the Criminal. Should the Enforcer successfully arrest or defeat the criminal, the ill-gotten gains convert to evidence, necessitating the Enforcer to race to their randomly-selected Evidence Locker in order to earn the stash as a mission reward. As Criminals fight to protect and ultimately launder their dirty money Enforcers fight to requisition the dirty money, creating a furious back-and-forth firefight for control of the resource.


New Items and Weapons
San Paro’s in-game merchant, the Armas Marketplace, is expanding during the open beta phase and will launch with 10 never-before-seen weapons as well as a large catalogue of permanent clothing, icons, vehicles and accessories designed to enhance the APB Reloaded game experience. During open beta, players will also be able to lease weapons using in-game cash or using GamersFirst’s exclusive G1 credits.


New Hybrid Skill Rating System
In order to create more-balanced PvP gameplay, APB Reloaded is transitioning from a straight win-loss system to a skill-based hybrid rating system, sourced from several proven skill rating algorithms such as ELO and Glicko. This new skill-based hybrid rating system aims to better reflect all gamers’ actual skill levels when compared to the opponents they defeat.


Players can get instant access to the APB Reloaded open beta by creating a GamersFirst account, downloading the GamersFirst Live! game downloader and installing APB Reloaded. Once installed gamers choose a side and then create customized characters that fight over control of San Paro.


Website– http://www.gamersfirst.com/apb/