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APB suffered one of the quickest MMOG deaths in the industry.

APB (All Points Bulletin) may go down as one of the greatest gaming catastrophes in history. After tens of millions in investment and five years in development, the MMOG shooter only managed to operate for less than three months. There have been several stories that have detailed the demise of APB developer Realtime Worlds, but a new tale has emerged from former Realtime Worlds Community Officer Ben Bateman. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Batman explains what it was like to work for Realtime Worlds and how much better they treated him at an entry level position compared to other companies.

But despite the shiny beginning, the grim end of Realtime Worlds became apparent to everyone working there after the launch of APB. The rumor of layoffs began to circulate and Batman recalls that they were much more widespread than anyone had expected.

"They essentially said, 'Here are the 50 people that we want to keep on. Please go to room X,'" recalls Bateman. "It was tough."

Batman recounts the painful demise of the company and the friends and colleagues affected by the layoffs and the inevitable downfall of the company. It's certainly an emotional read for anyone that's seen this sort of thing happen to friends and coworkers or been directly involved in it. The full story is available at Eurogamer.