Kotaku: Crackdown

Microsoft Trying To Fix Dodgy Indie Ratings

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EDT

Microsoft's Xbox Live Indie Games Channel has been hit in recent weeks with some ratings manipulation, which is affecting how games are displayed (and as a result sold) on the service. Here's what the platform holder is doing about it. More »

APB Developer's Social Game Project Snapped Up By Mystery Buyer

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EDT

Realtime Worlds, the U.K. developer of cops-and-robbers title APB, has entered administration, which is somewhat analogous Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the U.S. More »

How APB 'Torpedoed' Developer Realtime Worlds

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:00:00 EDT

The developer of Crackdown and APB, Realtime Worlds, was recently hit with layoffs. Members of the APB team were axed, as was much of the team developing social gaming software Project MyWorld. So, what happened to the promising studio? More »

APB Developer Realtime Worlds Hit With Major Layoffs

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:40:00 EDT

The studio behind ambitious cops and crooks online game APB and the original Crackdown may be on the verge of closure, according to sources claiming to have knowledge of the situation. But developer Realtime Worlds says it's "fully committed" to the massively-multiplayer game. More »

Project: MyWorld Is The Vision Crackdown And APB Were Built Upon

Mike Fahey — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EDT

How did developer Realtime Worlds go from creating violent free-roaming shooters like APB and Crackdown to working on the massive social gaming undertaking Project: MyWorld? They don't. It was the other way around. More »

Crackdown 2 to Get More Colorful With DLC

Owen Good — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:30:00 EDT

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Among many criticisms of Crackdown 2 was the game's duller color palette, which swapped out the bright hues of the 2007 hit for duller, grittier tones. The developer said while this was intentional, it will be remedied with DLC. More »

Crackdown 2 Demo Out Later Today

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:37:00 EDT

Seems we're getting a Crackdown 2 demo later today, which has accelerated levelling, 4-player co-op and even achievements. More »

Crackdown 2 Gets A Cartoon Series

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:30:00 EDT

Crackdown looks like a cartoon. I guess. With the cel-shading and everything. Not sure it needed an animated prequel series, though. What is this, 2008? More »

Crackdown 2 Preview: In The Name Of Fun, They've Risked Disappointment

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:40:10 EDT

My morning Crackdown 2 appointment started awkwardly last week. Double-booked. Game not running properly due to a technical mix-up. And then, those things rectified, I cheerfully mentioned one my favorite Crackdown features: Oh, the sequel's creators said. We cut that. More »

Crackdown 2 Screens, Only 492 More To Collect

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EDT

Crackdown's Pacific City sure ain't what it used to be. The buildings got crummier, and the cop's armour got better. Those delicious green orbs, however, look unchanged. Just goes to show, you can't improve on perfection. More »

Yup, Crackdown 2 Will Have A Demo

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

The first Crackdown had one of the best demos of all time. So it stands to reason that its sequel will also let players get their hands on it prior to the full game's release. More »

Microsoft Puts Crackdown, Katamari On Demand

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:20:50 EST

The Xbox Live Marketplace offers two new ways to fill up your Xbox 360's hard drive. Crackdown and Beautiful Katamari join the list of available Games On Demand titles as of today. More »

New Crackdown 2 Screenshots, Artwork

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:20:00 EST

Crackdown 2 has been running quiet for a while now, rarely popping its head up for a look. That changes today, with more screenshots and pieces of concept art than you could shake a zombie's leg at. More »

Welp, China's Crackin' Down on Games Again

Owen Good — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

China's Ministry of Culture sent out another nastygram to the country's game operators, demanding they knock off the "low-brow cultural content," and get their games back in line with the "core socialist value system." More »

Crackdown 2 Has Helicopters, Zombie Monsters

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:20:00 EDT

That Crackdown 2-themed issue of Game Informer we told you about yesterday is already finding its way into people's hands, meaning we're now armed with the knowledge that Pacific City ain't what it used to be. More »

Crackdown Wasn't The Success You Think It Was

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:30:00 EDT

Crackdown was awesome! And it had a Halo 3 multiplayer beta key included! So it did great business for Microsoft and developers Realtime, right? Nope. Not even close. More »

Crackdown 2 Has "Entirely New Map"

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EDT

I'll tell you a funny story. For all the pomp, all the circumstance, all the celebrities present during Microsoft's E3 keynote address, one game was more exciting to me than all others. And that was Crackdown 2. More »

Realtime Worlds Aiming To Expand

Mike Fahey — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:20:00 EDT

Following a very successful showing of APB at E3 2009, Crackdown developers Realtime Worlds are kicking off a major recruiting drive, aiming at employing more than 300 game industry professionals by early 2010. More »

Former Crackdown Devs A Little Upset Over Current Crackdown 2 Devs

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EDT

The original Crackdown was developed by Realtime Worlds. At the moment, they're busy with APB, so another developer, Ruffian, will be working on the sequel. Does that surprise you? It surprises Realtime. More »

Crackdown 2 Adds Competitive Multiplayer, Hits In 2010

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:37:04 EDT

The sequel to Microsoft's hit open-world crime-fighting game has some new features. More »

APB Devs Working On Another Game?

Brian Crecente — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT

So that headline's probably stating the obvious. I would imagine there are lots of studios working on something besides what they've already announced. More »

Xbox 360 Gets Crackdown Theme

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:00:00 EDT

If your Xbox 360 is looking a little drab - and you're not adverse to spending money on tarting it up - then hey, this new Crackdown theme might be just the thing you're into. More »

Crackdown Devs Form New Studio, Working On Crackdown 2?

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:05:00 EST

Oh boy. According to a Gamasutra report, several members of the Crackdown development team - including lead designer Billy Thomson - have formed a new development studio. And "may" be working on Crackdown 2. More »

Microsoft Exec Wants Crackdown 2

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Microsoft Games published Crackdown selling 1.5 million copies pretty much guarantees a sequel. If that doesn't, then two Microsoft execs talking about how they'd like Crackdown 2 should. More »

Crackdown 2? It Could Happen

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:40:56 EDT

Crackdown fans, all hope is not lost. You do have a reason to get out of bed, clear the room of Taco Bell wrappers, put on a smile and face the world. Crackdown 2? It could still happen, says Colin Macdonald of Realtime Worlds. Sure, the team is neck deep in APB development — which looks completely awesome — but, should the stars align, high jumping supercops may be in your future. More »

Crackdown Creators Bought Their MMO Back Just To Sell It To Rockstar?

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:20:00 EDT

Put these pieces together. Realtime Worlds made Crackdown. Realtime Worlds are now at work on an MMO called APB, which is not entirely dissimilar to Grand Theft Auto. Realtime Worlds were founded by David Jones, who created Lemmings. Oh, and Grand Theft Auto. Last month, Realtime Worlds bought back the rights to APB from Korean company Webzen, who were originally scheduled to publish the game. Why the buyback? Eurogamer are reporting that, according to "a credible industry source", it was so they could turn around and sell the game to Rockstar, who could then rebadge it as a GTA MMO. Realtime are keeping quiet on the rumours, saying only that they bought back the rights to their game to "give themselves some options". More »

Make a Game For Less than $50 Million? Whatever!

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:40:51 EDT

Grand Theft Auto creator and Crackdown mastermind David Jones points out the obvious: Games are pricey to make! New IPs have gotten so expensive that they're quickly approaching US$50 million plus! Here's the quote: More »

The Great Crackdown Markdown

fdemarco — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Kotakuite Michael N. sends in this humorous and rather sad photo from his local Target. It seems that this particular Target had a surfeit of copies of Crackdown and is now offering them all up on an endcap for $15 a piece. Michael claims he checked and each and every one of those is a copy of Crackdown. Even for a large retail outlet like Target this seems like a ridiculous amount of copies to have of one game. It's also a bit of a shame considering I really liked Crackdown. It was one of the first games I got for my 360 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. On the other hand, it's a perfect opportunity for those of you who haven't tried it out yet to get it for a cheap price. More »

Free Running Through Popular Culture

torif — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:20:46 EDT

In an article over at Gamasutra, Andy Robertson takes a look at the use of popular culture in video games, specifically Parkour (or Free Running). He takes an in-depth look at some of the games that have used Parkour, namely Crackdown and Assassin's Creed, and discusses what they did really well, and what leaves much to be desired for free-running fans. More »

Crackdown Team Debuts APB, The Counter-Strike of MMOs

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:20:00 EST

Dave Jones of Realtime Worlds wowed GDC audiences this week with his presentation "My First MMO", debuting the successor to the award winning Crackdown known as APB. APB, Jones explained, is a massively multiplayer online game without the grind, one that draws inspiration from Counter-Strike more than it does from Ultima Online, EverQuest or World of Warcraft. Why Counter-Strike? "There's no persistence, no progression, no customization, its just damn fun," Jones said. More »

China Launching 'Operation For Tomorrow' Crackdown

Maggie Greene — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:30:23 EST

What would modern China be without campaigns? This one's lacking in a snappy name and related propaganda, but the government is gearing up to go after those hotbeds of moral decay, crime, and WoW: internet cafes. Introducing "Operation for Tomorrow," targeting unlicensed websites, internet cafes, and porn. More »

Chinese Government Cracking Down on Online Gaming

Maggie Greene — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:30:38 EST

Despite governmental efforts to the contrary (gaming addiction 'bootcamps,' time-limiting systems and the like), China's gaming population just refuses to be fenced in. The Chinese market is growing by leaps and bounds, which - unsurprisingly - is making the government just a wee bit skittish. Due to rampant piracy, lack of game ratings, and more illegal internet cafés than you can shake a stick at, the government is worried over reports of rising numbers of gaming addicts (and what they see as a related rise in juvenile crime). Will the fact that previous measures haven't exactly had the desired effects mean that the CCP is going to throw their hands up in defeat? Of course not: More »

Realtime Worlds To Talk MMOs at GDC

Brian Crecente — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:00:11 EST

GDC executive director Jamil Moledina's updated his Director's Cut blog with a bit more news about the upcoming Game Developers Conference, cluing us into to the fact that Dave Jones, of Lemmings, GTA and Crackdown fame, will be spilling some beans about his latest project: An MMO. More »

Nintendo's Reggie Totally Mehs Halo 3 Sales

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:00:32 EDT

Halo 3 sales? We're impressed、Nintendo of America honcho Reggie Fils-Aime, he's not. Like really, really not. According to Reggie: More »

Crack Down, E-SWAT Coming To Wii Virtual Console

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:20:21 EDT

Sega has announced a pair of upcoming addition to the Wii Virtual Console in the form of Crack Down and ESWAT. The former, distinguishable from the more recently released Xbox 360 Crackdown by its space and top down shooting/explosives planting thrills, was originally released on Sega's System 24 arcade hardware. More »

Real Time Worlds Says "No" To Crackdown Sequel

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:20:06 EDT

Love Crackdown? I assume a good portion of the 1.5 million of you who bought it did—and not just for the Halo 3 beta key contained within. If you're a big Crackdown fan, you'll have to wait a long time for the sequel, as developer Real Time Worlds says they aren't working on it. Why? According to Develop Mag's report, producer Phil Wilson said that "Microsoft were a little late in stepping up to the plate to ask for Crackdown 2, and by then we had already started working on bigger, better things." More »

Crackdown Nabs 7 Euro Award Noms

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:40:15 EDT

Realtime Worlds' Xbox 360 hit Crackdown isn't just loved for its easy access to the Halo 3 beta, it's totally critically lauded, too. The Develop Industry Excellence Awards finalists have been announced, according to Gamasutra, and it looks like the supercop game managed to score a record-breaking seven nominations. Nice going, Realtime Worlds. More »

Xbox Live Banhammer Whacking Modders

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:20:06 EDT

In an effort to "create a level playing field for gamers" Microsoft has begun banning Xbox 360 owners from Xbox Live who have modified the firmware on their console. According to the company's Gamerscore Blog, users won't have their accounts deleted, but won't be able to access Live from a modded console. More »

Halo 3 Crackdown Beta Is Go

Mike Fahey — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:38 EDT

Man, has it been a long day or what? Well the long day is over now, leading to the long night as Bungie announces the Crackdown problem has been fixed and downloading shall commence! Restart Crackdown, apply a patch, and presto! More »

Crackdown Update Coming To Fix Halo 3 Beta Problems

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:40:31 EDT

For those Crackdown owners who secured their Halo 3 beta slots through that game and haven't made it into the beta, Bungie and Microsoft appear to have your problems solved. According to a news posting on the official Bungie site, Crackdown will receive a title update later today that should clear up the issue. More »