APB in retail refund row

Anyone seeking a refund on the now-defunct PC MMO title APB should speak to the retailer from whom they purchased the game, the administrator handling the closure of developer Realtime Worlds has stated.

The Dundee-based studio went into administration in August following the critical and commercial failure of the game, which according to some reports cost as much as $50m to develop.

Customers should revert to the entity from which they bought the game in respect of their entitlement to any refund,” RTW administrator Begbies Traynor told MCV’s sister site Develop.

The servers hosting APB were switched off last night, meaning those who purchased the 34.99 title were left unable to play the product.

In addition, those who had paid additional fees to access the title beyond the 50 hours gametime included in the box are now out of pocket.

20 hours of additional time was available for 5.59. A one-month subscription cost 7.99 with discounts available for 90 and 180-day subscriptions. Another optional digital purchase was RTW Points, which could be redeemed against gametime or marketplace items.

RTW points were obtained directly through the game or via Realtime Worlds’ website, meaning anyone wanting a refund on those purchases will need to speak to the administrators.