The new version of the APB MMO Shooter, or maybe we should call it the revamped-free-to-play version of the original Realtime Worlds title (which is now in the hands of GamersFirst), is drawing a lot of attention.

The new APB:Reloaded has apparently received over 100,000 registrations to participate in the beta for the game. The closed beta is said to be starting the week of February 28th and features a conversion from the subscription model to a new free-to-play business model.

The studio that has been tasked with working on the new APB:Reloaded is called Reloaded Productions and they are saying that if all goes well they will be ready to head into beta. Reloaded expects about half of the gamers who signed up for the beta to actually complete the second steps in the process to activate their beta accounts.

GamersFirst normally employs a business model of bringing over Asian free-to-play titles and adapting them for the free-to-play market within North America. GamersFirst has been very surprised at the amount of interest there is in APB:Reloaded. The number of gamers that want to be involved in the beta has exceeded the company’s expectations. The game is still on track to arrive as a free-to-play title at some point during the first half of 2011.

All we can say is that if there was that much interest in APB the first time around, maybe Realtime Worlds might still be around. Of course, that would have necessitated that the studio employed a free-to-play (rather than a subscription model) the first time around.