APB Brand and IP expanding in Asia

[MattScott 15242]

Hi all,

 

Several of you stumbled across an update to http://apb.com. This showed a group named UNIT GAME.

This press release will be going out later today, so I can finally share some exciting news.

 

I'll cut to the chase. We sold APB.. sort of.

 

Before anyone overreacts, this is all good news.

 

No change in management. No changes for you guys. We basically realized that developing both APB Reloaded and APB2 was too much for us. The Australia team was struggling to get their head around the massive amounts of tech, and we lack mobile experience to expand the brand. APB Reloaded is staying with Little Orbit so we can continue on developing and expanding the game in perpetuity. UNIT GAME will spearhead a new game starting on mobile in Asia.

 

This move puts Little Orbit in a very sound financial position, which will make it easier for us to continue with our plans for APB Reloaded.

 

EDIT: We sold the APB Brand and IP to Unit Game, but retained all rights related to APB Reloaded.

 

Thanks,
Matt

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APB BRAND AND IP EXPANDS TO ASIA

 

Irvine, CA, August 27th 2019 - Little Orbit has reached an agreement with Unit Game to sell the APB brand and IP for an undisclosed amount. In a ‘Best of both worlds’ deal, Unit Games will develop and launch an all-new APB mobile game starting with the Asian market, and then expanding world-wide, while Little Orbit will keep the rights to the current APB Reloaded title on PC, XBoxOne, and Playstation 4 so they can continue to develop and expand that title.

 

The CEO of Unit Game said, “For years, I have been an avid player and fan inside the immersive world of APB. The gameplay, stories, and customization system still remains unique today. We are looking forward to developing a new experience for mobile and PC.”

 

Matthew Scott, CEO of Little Orbit, said “We are very excited for Unit Game to give APB fans a new avenue of modern content. At the same time, we are preserving our ability to keep expanding and improving APB Reloaded. It has been over a year since we took over the game, and we are just now learning all the ins and outs. I would not put players through another change in management again.”

 

 

APB Reloaded is the world’s first and premier Action MMO Third Person Shooter game, allowing you to choose between two sides of the law. Play as an Enforcer or a Criminal, customize your gear for the task at hand and hit the streets and play how you want in a city filled with more action this side of a Hollywood blockbuster.
http://www.gamersfirst.com/apb

 

Little Orbit is a worldwide video game publisher formed in January 2010 with a focus on AAA licensed-based entertainment products. The company acquired the GamersFirst.com portal with more than 22MM registered players in May 2018 and has been focusing on extending the work of popular creators through online video games.
http://www.littleorbit.com

 

Unit Game is a Hong Kong based company that develop games with strong IP. The company starts its market from Taiwan to China, and later on expands its influence in some Asia Markets.
http://apb.com

 

 

---

Edit by Flight:

 

Due to a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation it felt necessary for me to do a quick writeup of what is currently happening. I will dump information in the format of a Q&A.
(a chunk of this is admittedly just paraphrasing - will add more later if it becomes relevant)

Does this mean Little Orbit will no longer develop APB?
No. The sale concerns the APB franchise, but Little Orbit is still able to develop APB: Reloaded as they please.

Does UNIT GAME decide what goes into APB: Reloaded?
No. UNIT GAME has no creative control over APB: Reloaded.

Does this sale come with new faces or people controlling the direction of the game?
No. There will be no change in management or anything that the players would be impacted by.

Does this give APB less of a life time?
Little Orbit can run APB Reloaded indefinitely and still control all their own social media and web presence through GamersFirst.com. They dont have to do any content approvals with the new owners either.

In short:
What was sold was the rights to all future APB titles (the brand itself). Nothing current was sold.

 

---

Edit by @mayii (1st of September 2019)

 

A post was made with further answers, those are included below.

 

What is "Unit Game" exatcly, and what are their plans for APB Mobile?

Unit Game are a well funded startup in Hong Kong led by a long time fan of APB. I believe the company was created just to pursue this new opportunity for them.

 

Can we get examples of UNIT GAME's games?

Unit Game added the description of their company at the bottom of the press release, so I can't speak to that line or examples.

 

Does LO still have rights to use San Paro and the other lore elements in APB Reloaded to change/expand the plot?

I recognize this is one of the more oddball parts of the deal. It was critical to me that Little Orbit be able to deliver on what we promised and that the players not have to go through another change in management. So we negotiated to keep control and continue developing APB Reloaded. We have all rights to expand the plot, characters, locations, etc, and everything we do is considered "canon".

 

 

[Uhtdred 238]

wow, amazing..

[yood 345]

thanks for not throwing us and the game in the trash .

[Caio Sparkz 74]

APB2? For how many centuries i've been sleeping?

Edited August 28, 2019 by Caio Sparkz

[tajiri 31]

wow

[Nitronik 348]

My reading comprehension is failing me

Did you guys sell the APB Brand and IP to Unit Game

Or are you allowing Unit Game to sell APB Brand and APB IP related products

or neither

[Netzu 30]

insane

[Weeb TheEpicGuyV2 269]

15 minutes ago, MattScott said:

UNIT GAME will spearhead a new game starting on mobile

"Do you guys not have phones?"

[MattScott 15242]

1 minute ago, Nitronik said:

My reading comprehension is failing me

Did you guys sell the APB Brand and IP to Unit Game

Or are you allowing Unit Game to sell APB Brand and APB IP related products

or neither

We sold the APB Brand and IP to Unit Game, but retained all rights related to APB Reloaded.

[Guest]

wait... what?

[Pillowlol 86]

cant wait to play on my razerphone

[WaIeed007 65]

Omg! Tysm for this! i live in Literally the middle of asia so i get bad ping (200+) in every server (except han which is gone) So..yay.

[V2050 31]

I'm confused. What exactly is APB2?

[Nitronik 348]

Just now, MattScott said:

We sold the APB Brand and IP to Unit Game, but retained all rights related to APB Reloaded. 

So :

APB Reloaded is quite literally unchanged (as you claimed)
but LO can't come out with , say, APB Vendetta, or APB Salami, or APB SKay's Birthday without Unit's approval?

[Skilze 11]

nice mini heart attack

[WaIeed007 65]

WAIT A SECOND, IS THERE GONNA BE A F£KING asian server or i read the whole sh"£$!T wrong?
welp

[Nitronik 348]

Just now, V2050 said:

I'm confused. What exactly is APB2?

The UE4 rebuild spearheaded by the Australian team that was mentioned some time ago, early during LO's acquisition

[ok 419]

APB2 Electric Boogaloo

[V2050 31]

Just now, Nitronik said:

The UE4 rebuild spearheaded by the Australian team that was mentioned some time ago, early during LO's acquisition

I must have missed that part, but does that mean we will eventually end up with two APB games?

[WaIeed007 65]

Just now, V2050 said:

I'm confused. What exactly is APB2?

All Points Bulletin 2
jk

[Kiida 455]

1 minute ago, WaIeed007 said:

WAIT A SECOND, IS THERE GONNA BE A F£KING asian server or i read the whole sh"£$!T wrong?
welp

You read wrong. Asian market will eventually be launching a mobile version of APB. That doesn't mean current APB won't eventually get districts located in more areas of the world though.

[Nitronik 348]

Just now, V2050 said:

I must have missed that part, but does that mean we will eventually end up with two APB games?

I'm no Matt Scott but from what I recall it's basically engine upgrade v2. There is a reason the mention was only brief.

[Seedy 324]

as long as this doesnt effect the game.. 

I cant see APB be a game for Mobile though?

 

erm also does this mean you are working or not now on APB2 ? I dont think you would ever be able to build this anyway as RTW had 400 staff working for almost 7 years on the current game.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Seedy

[SpikyKitten 14]

I hope this works out for everyone and doesn't bite us in the butt a few years later with an IP lawsuit battle.
Keep up the good work Matt.

 

[Nickolai 206]

I don't know how I feel about this. 

 

Excited yet terrified. 

 

This means you have no control over the sequel and will just develop APB: Reloaded as much as possible?

Edited August 27, 2019 by Nickolai