Though currently at work on the MMO APB, Realtime Worlds is still engaged in talks with Microsoft about a possible Crackdown sequel, according to videogaming247.

It was reported last week that Ruffian Games, a new studio founded by several former Realtime Worlds employees, might get the opportunity to develop Crackdown 2. Though the original was developed by Realtime Worlds, the property is owned by Microsoft.

In a statement, Realtime Worlds studio manager Colin MacDonald noted that the company is in "ongoing discussions" with Microsoft, though no offer has been extended. Should a Crackdown sequel be awarded to another company, MacDonald said Realtime Worlds founder Dave Jones would "be gutted not to be involved, but if it had to be that way, I would want to see it done justice -- by an established, renowned developer that had the track record of delivering the quality gaming experience Crackdown players would demand."

Ruffian Games would not be that kind of developer. "I also very much doubt that Microsoft would harm an otherwise fruitful existing development relationship by gambling on funding Crackdown 2 with a startup on RTW's doorstep, for obvious reasons," said MacDonald.

MacDonald also mentioned about five or six people had left for Ruffian Games, with the majority of the original Crackdown team still at Realtime Worlds.

A new studio titled Ruffian Games has been formed by ex-Crackdown developers, and their first project may be a sequel to the open-world shooter, according to Gamasutra.

Crackdown lead designer Billy Thomson and other key members have set up shop in Dundee, Scotland, and rumors indicate a Crackdown sequel might be their first project.

The first Crackdown title was developed by Realtime Worlds, which is now developing its cops vs. robbers PC MMO titled APB. Microsoft apparently owns the Crackdown property, which would lend credence to the story of a Ruffian-developed sequel.

Gamasutra also cites a recent Game Informer article as evidence that Crackdown 2 is in the works. The article stated: "[Realtime Worlds] is currently working on APB and not Crackdown 2. The sequel is in production with a different development team."

Independent and Scotland-based developer Realtime Worlds today confirmed that it has raised $50 million in funding for its current and future projects, a feat that required the company to sell off a minority of itself.

Founded by Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones, Realtime Worlds was responsible for the super-powered open world title Crackdown (X360). The company is currently working on All Points Bulletin (PC, X360).

Alternatively known as APB, the game is an Unreal Engine 3-powered massively multiplayer title that dynamically pits cops against criminals in a vast online city. Featuring extensive character customization and a number of missions, such as robbing an armored truck, the title is expected later this year.

WPP, Maverick Capital, and New Enterprise Associates were the investors named in today's announcement. WPP independently clarified that it had acquired a minority stake of Realtime Worlds for $8.1 million. Two members of NEA attained positions on the studio's board of directors after a $31 million investment in 2006.

Reports of the additional funding initially surfaced a few weeks ago, though no further details or confirmation were available at that time.

The Chinese government has announced details of its plan to target internet cafes, illegal computer markets and specific online games to reduce juvenile crime, the Associated Press reports.

The plan, dubbed "Operation For Tomorrow", is aimed at restricting access to online games that the Chinese government considers violent or undesirable for young people. The announcement clarifies a statement released in January in which officials condemned online gaming as a "spiritual opium."

The government intends to close several unlicensed internet cafes and increase regulation on legal ones, citing the presence of readily-available access to online gaming as breeding grounds for internet addiction.

As a means of regulating the industry, China has enacted laws barring anybody under the age of 18 from entering internet cafes, and mandated time restrictions on adult players. Recent figures released by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency estimate that over 40 million people in China play online games.

Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim said that a sequel to its 2006 sandbox superhero game Crackdown (X360) is still a possibility, despite developer Realtime Worlds' movement towards other projects.

Kim explained that while Realtime Worlds has moved in a different direction, Microsoft's ownership of the Crackdown franchise leaves open the option of developing a sequel with a different studio. "We have a great partnership with Realtime Worlds, and they're pursuing a different path from a company perspective," Kim told Game|Life. "So I wouldn't say that it's Microsoft not picking up the option there."

Kim added that Crackdown's commercial success marks the title as an easy choice for a sequel. "I think that customers would like to see more in that space," he said. "Any intellectual property that we own can always be on the table."

Next week Microsoft will release Crackdown, an exclusive Xbox 360 title from Realtime Worlds, the studio formed by DMA Design (aka Rockstar North) founder David Jones. The game puts players in the role of a superhuman law enforcement agent with the goal of ridding a large open city of crime, aided by guns, explosives, cars, and rather powerful thigh muscles. I've explored just about everything there is to explore in the game, and so I offer you my full review.

Crucially, jumping is hardly any kind of limiting factor when dealing out desctruction. While sailing through the air, you can still lock on to and shoot enemies, toss aimed grenades, reload, and throw things basically just as easily as when on the ground, meaning you can be in motion a great deal of the time. Crackdown makes very few concessions of any kind towards reality, and the ability to conduct all of your job-related duties (you know, blowing stuff up) with full effectiveness while jumping is largely what gives the game its superheroic quality. Rather than feeling simply like the aforementioned heavily armed tank, you become a nimble jumping heavily armed tank, whatever that is. It is immensely satisfying to take a running jump over a barrier while locked on to and firing rounds into an enemy, then plant a satisfying kick into his face to finish him off.

GTA co-creator David Jones and his studio Real Time Worlds are currently working on Crackdown for Xbox 360, a free-roaming futuristic action game that puts players in the role of a nearly superhuman agent out to clean up a massive crime-infested city. There's a lot of exploration and a lof of destruction. There's also co-op. I recently checked out both the single-player and co-op modes of the game.

Really, though, Crackdown's mechanics were clearly not intended for player versus player combat, so while that's an amusing diversion for a minute or so, it's a lot more satisfying to back each other up and bust into a kingpin's heavily defended den, where you can outflank (and out-jump, and out-throw) your AI opponents. The game is already fairly insane and extreme with one player, and adding another just makes it all the more so.

Of course, even when the two of you are cooperating, you're not necessarily safe from the other. I managed to inadvertently but utterly destroy my partner while desperately trying to survive an assault from about a dozen gang members. After ramming my own vehicle into a pile of enemy vehicles, running to safety tossing several granades, and plugging my car's gas tank full of lead, I initiated an impressive display of pyrotechnics that consumed most of the street block. Unfortunately, my partner happened to walk over there at the wrong moment.

Looks like stat whoring is bugging the folks at EA enough to start cracking down on it a bit. Here is a note from EA concerning some planned crackdown on people being naughty that was sent out to ranked server admins.

We have noticed an increase in behavior where leased servers are being used by clans solely to pad players stats, even to the extent where clans are institutionalizing rules that forbid normal play. Currently the favored method is for player admins to set rules where players must use either a knife or Pistol, players must revive each other, and players must not take flags. This creates environments where players gain stats unrealistically and creates an imbalance in the ranked server playing field. In our opinion, these players are breaking EA's Terms of Service, and we have begun taking action on the clans involved. However, clan coordination to this extreme requires us to create a long-term solution for this (separate from any scoring changes in 1.03).
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In general, I've enjoyed the entire rewards/badges system in Battlefield 2. Having those cute little awards pop up every so often telling you how super awesome you are is really fun. I mean everyone knows on the inside that they are awesome, but it's nice to have some validation in your life by a computer program.