As a gamer with over two decades of gaming experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of launches that were less than stellar. However, none have left me quite as disappointed as Cities: Skylines 2. I was one of the millions who pre-ordered this anticipated sequel, eagerly awaiting to dive back into the world of city-building. But alas, the game’s launch was more akin to a rollercoaster with a broken track – exhilarating anticipation followed by an abrupt and jarring descent into frustration.
Story Highlights
- Paradox Interactive is an industry veteran and a publisher of the long-running Cities: Skylines franchise.
- The CEO of the company Mattias Lilja has expressed his sentiments about players in a new interview.
- Mattias says that the company underestimated how badly players would react to Skylines 2’s broken launch.
Instead of taking off as expected with Cities: Skylines 2, Paradox Interactive seems to have missed their mark at launch. Despite generating much excitement before its release, the game’s initial condition unfortunately saw a significant decline in popularity within a year.
Currently, Mattias Lilja, CEO of Paradox, has shared his thoughts on this matter with Rock Paper Shotgun during the latest Paradox Media Day event.
Initially, we knew the performance wasn’t ideal, but we didn’t fully grasp the gravity of how players would perceive it. Looking back, involving more players during a broader testing phase might have provided valuable insights for Cities 2. In the future, maintaining open dialogue with our players and fostering transparency should be prioritized as much as possible. Tinto Talks is one method we use to communicate with our players, but we also consider conducting closed beta tests and inviting dedicated fans earlier under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to help us spot potential issues.
Mattias seems to be hinting at a long-standing method used by game developers for hitting deadlines and release schedules in the gaming world. This strategy, often referred to as “ship first, then fix,” is a topic up for debate regarding its impact on the gaming industry. However, it’s worth noting that some truly remarkable end results have emerged from this approach, such as No Man’s Sky, Battlefield 4, and undeniably, Cyberpunk 2077.
Paradox Interactive Continues To Polish Its Latest City Builder
In another development, City Skylines 2 presents a fresh narrative. A glance at the r/CitiesSkylines2 subreddit reveals discontent among players, as they’ve been waiting for Paradox’s promised updates with little progress so far. Despite selling over a million units by February 2024, the player base has actually decreased by half within this year.
The sequel to Skylines was launched for PC on October 24, 2023; however, the versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been postponed indefinitely. The gaming platform eXputer reviewed it, giving it a score of 3.5 out of 5. In their review, author Asad Ahmed stated…
As an enthusiast, I must say that City Skylines 2 indeed delivers on many fronts, boasting significant advancements over its forerunner. However, when it comes to the richness of content and overall stability, it seems to leave a bit to be desired.
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2024-10-11 11:13