APB beta "weeks not months away"

APB, the cops-and-robbers MMO by Crackdown creators Realtime Worlds, will go into closed beta testing within "weeks", a spokesman told Eurogamer at last weekend's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle.

"We're weeks rather than months away from starting closed beta," community officer Chris Collins told our Tom after showing him an extensive demo of, according to Tom, "slick" gameplay.

APB beta registration is open if you want to stand a chance of trying out some open-world multiplayer driving, shooting, thieving and customising.

APB is due for release on PC "early" next year, with console versions under consideration but unconfirmed for release (as is so often the case with MMOs). EA is handling publishing duties. The game won't require a subscription to play.

You can read more about it in our E3 preview - or wait a couple of days for Tom's full report on the PAX demo, including an unexpected dose of the hot Mark Rein action we know you all like so much.