Australians may not be able to properly play All Points Bulletin when it launches, but the rest of us can rejoice. For a while now, I’ve seen a lot of complaints by players towards downloadable content (DLC) and microtransactions worming their way into various MMOs, be it the recent goggles/dog in Fallen Earth, the new mounts in Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and the ever-growing Cryptic Store, it seems many MMOs are including a cash shop in some form or another. There are enough of us willing to tolerate it and accept it that the fad is growing, but there is a group (albeit much smaller than many of them will admit to) that does not want anything to do with any MMO that offers cash shop items in a subscription game, whether they be useful or cosmetic.
Well, there is at least one MMO holding out for the time being. Realtime Worlds lead designer EJ Moreland has announced that All Points Bulletin, the upcoming cops and robbers shoot-em-up MMO, will not feature downloadable content or microtransactions in any form whatsoever. Even better, the game won’t even feature small paid “adventure packs” (I’m looking at you, Cryptic), but will only charge when…I’ll let Moreland explain it:
“We won’t be offering items for sale for real money. We have no DLC. Any update we do throughout the cycle is free except when we do a major retail event, which will add almost a completely new game. Throughout the year, we’re going to release both content updates, which are new missions, new clothing assets, new weapons, new vehicles. Basically, new things for the players to earn, customize, or experience. Then we have much larger updates, which will come less frequently, called activity updates. [These will] introduce new gameplay, new rulesets, or new large additions to the game. Then probably once every year or so, we’ll also do a retail event, which will be an expansion.”
Supporters of no-dlc-ever should be giving respect to Realtime Worlds, even if you don’t necessarily like the game. The above was stated in a round table phone interview with EJ Moreland.
MMO Fallout 
As someone who is interested in APB, I’m glad to hear this. But ShackNews updated their story on the interview with a less-staunch clarification from Moreland.
Also, from what I can tell from my limited open beta experience, there are two types of currency, the first being in-game dollars, the other being some sort of RealTime Worlds currency. So we’ll have to see.
If they do choose to include some DLCs, it wouldn’t be the end of the world for me, so long as they were cosmetic.
The clarification was published here.
It looks like RTW Points are going to be like EVE’s Plex.
Hello again,
I talked about APB’s system back in April when they announced that players would be able to sell their home-made customizations for RTW Points, that could be then used to buy more game time. From my research, the RTW cost to make a customized decal has been removed, and the cost to place a customization on the marketplace costs in in-game money, or RTW (your choice).
In effect, a person who makes their customizations popular and gets a good amount of buyers can pay their way through APB without a single real-life dime. So yes, similar to Eve’s PLEX.
As for the clarification: Companies always say “it’s possible in the future.” I’m not saying it will 100% absolutely never happen, because as I’m sure you know the #1 rule to live by on MMO Fallout is: MMOs are always evolving, anticipate radical change. If the community wants microtransactions, I assume against what Realtime Worlds predicted, then it will likely be placed in in some form or another.
What I believe you’ll find is that when said system comes out, the players who had been selling customizations at the time will be in a great position where they have plenty of RTW points stacked up not only for subscription time but for these new items.
I’m not against microtransactions, being completely irresponsible with my money as I am (I did buy the dog from the Fallen Earth cash shop), but I know plenty of people who will enjoy this news, at least for the time being. Cosmetic appears to be the way to go with cash shops, as generally when the developer starts putting high-end weapons/armor on sale, the game’s population drops like a stone.
Realtime Worlds is going to have to handle the matter of DLC very delicately, as it wasn’t that long ago that Champions Online had a major uproar over paid adventure packs.