APB not coming to Australia?

Source: News outlet Kotaku Australia.

What we heard: At the end of April, EA announced that Realtime Worlds' upcoming online shooter APB would be released on the PC on June 29 in North America, on July 1 in Europe, and on July 2 in the UK. While no mention of Australia was made, there's now speculation that the title may never make it Down Under.

According to Kotaku Australia, EA has decided not to release APB in Australia because a local server would be necessary to play the game. The article said an EA rep told Kotaku that Realtime Worlds had no plans to host a server for the game Down Under, which effectively means no APB for Aussie gamers.

APB is a massively multiplayer open-world shooter, in which players will take on the role of a criminal mastermind or dedicated law enforcer in a virtual city populated with up to 99 other players. Because the game is driven by an asymmetrical matchmaking system that assigns players to a game based on their skill level without the use of a lobby, there is no doubt that a local server would be needed to eliminate lag and ensure speed and accuracy during gameplay.

The official story: EA has not returned comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. APB has not yet been rated by the Classification Board of Australia, and while retailers EB Games and GAME both show listings for the title, there is no release date on either site. Interestingly, you can preorder APB from the GAME Web site.

Stay tuned for more updates.