Actually, everything seemed to be on track for a smooth release this year for the economic simulation Transport Fever 3. Now, however, there’s trouble within the community. That’s because the development studio Urban Games hassurprisingly signed a publishing deal with Paradox Interactive.
The publisher is notorious among strategy fans for unfinished releases and, above all, a seemingly endless flood of overpriced but mediocre-quality DLCs. The fact that the Swiss developers are now partnering with this publisher of all companies is driving many fans up the wall.
Since its founding in 2013, Urban Games has been an independent studioand has financed many projects through crowdfunding or private investors. Fans fear that with this deal, the developers are relinquishing control over their games and placing themselves in a position of dependence on a major publisher. The creators of Transport Fever have now spoken exclusively to GlobalESportNews.
What exactly was announced?The new strategic partnership was announced to fans on May 6 in a blog post by the developerson Steam. In it, the developers write:
We know this announcement comes as a surprise—but it’s a pleasant one, and we couldn’t be more excited. […] The collaboration [with Paradox] is a perfect match, as we both share the same values and are committed to aPlayer-First
approach.
From the very beginning, the interests of the Transport Fever community have been at the heart of this decision. Transport Fever 3 will be developed exactly as planned—now bolstered by the additional support and expertise that this partnership brings. This collaboration allows us to further improve what we’ve already planned, and together we’ll continue on the path we’ve set for Transport Fever 3, delivering the greatest possible value to players and modders, both newcomers and veterans alike.
We remain fully committed to all the promises we have made to the community, and Transport Fever 3 is proceeding as planned. We and Paradox have agreed on a shared vision for the release, in which we combine our strengths. The rights to the brand remain entirely with us, and they have full confidence in our creative direction. This partnership is about strengthening Transport Fever 3, not changing it.
– Urban Games
In announcing that Paradox will now serve as the publisher for Urban Games’ titles, the development studio sought to highlight the positive aspects of the deal: They share the same values, and the support of a major publisher is important for the studio’s future.
For fans of Transport Fever, however, what matters far more is that the third installment of the sim series is set tobe released this year as plannedwith the intended scope of content. Therights to the brandand control over the creative direction of Transport Fever also remain entirely with its creators at Urban Games.
Discontent in the Community
However, the community is not reassured by this. They fear that the partnership with Paradox would also portend DLC chaos and aggressive monetization for future Urban Games titles. In theIn the comments section below the announcement, fans are up in arms about the decision:
Curaitis writes:I’m not a fan of this decision, to be honest. I just hope we don’t end up with the usual Paradox DLC madness because of it.
TigerRus writes:This is the end of Transport Fever 3, now that Paradox is getting involved. Why would anyone want to burden a quality product like TF with Paradox? An idiotic move.
Shackamaxonwrites:I’ve been a fan of Transport Fever for a long time, but I don’t like this development at all. After the disaster that Cities: Skylines 2 is (or was), I’m very concerned. I’m still excited and looking forward to TF3, but please don’t let the bad guys ruin it.
PepaJahodawrites:The worst news I could have imagined. A prime example of how to kill a good game. Teaming up with greedy sharks like that, who don’t care about players and just run you over. I don’t understand why people in the IT industry never get it and are so naive. A huge disappointment.
Others see it as a bit less fatalistic. For example, userJDM Ghymkana:
Don’t jump to conclusions and read more than just the headline. Paradox is merely a publisher in this case; they may offer support on some things, but the game remains in the hands of Urban Games. I have no doubt that UG will quickly tell Paradox to go to hell if Paradox tries to sell every move as a $29.99 DLC. UG knows what they’re doing; I’m pretty sure of that.
Here’s how the developers are responding to the criticism
Urban Games is also aware that the partnership with Paradox is drawing criticism from the community. We asked the developers about the reasons behind this decision and received the following exclusive responses:
GlobalESportNews:By far the biggest concern among many fans is that Paradox will also rely on numerous DLCs for Transport Fever 3—and that mechanics and content planned for the main game will be outsourced as a result. What do you say to these fears?
Urban Games:We understand the fans’ concerns, but we can wholeheartedly confirm that the partnership with Paradox has not changed our course for Transport Fever 3. Everything we have released about the game so far and all the promises we have made will be kept. All planned mechanics and content will also remain in the main game. Since our founding, our philosophy has been to develop complete games that can be expanded and provide long-term enjoyment for players and modders.
Since Transport Fever, we have collaborated with other strong partners for every game in the series, who have helped us deliver the best possible experience for our community.& nbsp;As a leading publisher of management and strategy games, Paradox brings additional resources and expertise to the table in the areas of marketing and publishing. They like Transport Fever 3 just the way it is; they don’t want to change it, but rather support us in helping it reach its full potential.
GlobalESportNews:Following some disastrous releases, most notably withCities Skylines 2, the community is also skeptical about whether the release ofTransport Fever 3will go smoothly. How exactly are you ensuring that?
Urban Games:It’s not without reason that we call our collaboration with Paradox a publishing partnership: that’s exactly what it is. The partnership is based on close collaboration, and all decisions are made jointly. We are already in the final phase of development, with several closed beta tests for PC and consoles having already been conducted and others currently underway. The Curated Mods Program is also continuing as usual, ensuring that a wide selection of mods will be available right at launch. We will make sure that Transport Fever 3 becomes the highlight of the series when it launches later this year.
GlobalESportNews:What were your main reasons for switching from self-publishing to Paradox? Were there other potential partners, and if so, why did you choose Paradox?
Urban Games:For us, self-publishing was the natural next step for our company. It was clear that if we were to bring in a publisher for a game again, the benefits for the game and our community would have to outweigh the drawbacks.
We spoke with several interested publishers, and we’ve also had many discussions with Paradox over the past few months. The longer these discussions went on, the clearer it became that they support our values and long-term vision.A win-win situation has emerged, in which Transport Fever 3 is strengthened by the additional support and expertise of this partnership.
GlobalESportNews:Be honest: How difficult was it for you to put your game, at least partially, into someone else’s hands?
Urban Games:Of course, it wasn’t an easy decision, and we spent a long time weighing our options and negotiating until we established a foundation that brings nothing but benefits to Transport Fever 3 and our community. We retain full ownership of the intellectual property rights, and Paradox has complete confidence in our direction for Transport Fever 3. So this isn’t a handover, but rather additional power we’re bringing on board, and we look forward to the collaboration.
In addition, the Urban Games team emphasizes in their response to us that many of the community’s concerns regarding the future publisher are unfounded and that the majority of the studio’s plans for Transport Fever 3 remain unchanged. This should be particularly welcome news for the modding community.
Urban Games:Since our founding, we have always prioritized the interests of players, which is why we have such a good reputation. We take our community’s concerns very seriously, but it is only a portion of our community that has had negative experiences with Paradox. Regarding Transport Fever 3, these concerns are unfounded, and we are confident that we will be able to convince the critics sooner or later. In fact, everything remains the same with Transport Fever 3:
- We remain fully committed to all the promises we have made to the community
- Together with Paradox, we are continuing to execute our plan for Transport Fever 3; there will be no significant changes
- The content of the base game remains unchanged; nothing will be moved to a DLC
- No launcher will be integrated into the game
- There will be no switch to Paradox Mods
- Mods can still be installed manually
- All mods will remain available for free
- There are no plans for “Creator Packs”
- The Curated Mods Program will continue unchanged
- Plans for post-release DLCs, pricing, etc., are not affected by this partnership
Despite these assurances, the Paradox partnership has shaken up the Transport Fever community—and still holds potential for conflict in the future. After all, fans are likely to scrutinize future DLCs for the economic simulation very closely when it comes to the price and scope of the expansions. Incidentally, there is still no final release date for Transport Fever 3.
