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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.