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Press release:
Paderborn, Germany (March 8, 2021).
The Germany-based video games publisher Aerosoft and indie games developer TML Studios, are today very pleased and proud to announce that their new bus driving sim game “The Bus” is coming to PC via Steam Early Access on March 25th, 2021.

The Bus ushers in the dawn of a new era in city bus-driving simulation games. Take to the busy streets of Berlin, Germany, on an impressively realistic 1:1 scale, transporting city folk from destination to destination on custom-designed routes that hit all of the vibrant districts, tourist attractions, and popular landmarks along the way. With incredibly high-resolution visuals, players will get an immersive and realistic “public transportation” experience, all from the comfort of the driver’s seat.

“The Bus is a completely new kind of city bus simulator and will, without a doubt, have a significant impact on the future of the genre,” says Winfried Diekmann, CEO of Aerosoft.

“We have already published several highly successful titles with TML Studios, and are firmly convinced that The Bus will see great results.”

“With The Bus, we are depicting Berlin on an extensive and detailed scale. This makes the game extremely realistic and immersive, perfect for casual or hardcore sim fans,” said Thomas Langelotz, CEO of TML Studios.

“But what makes it truly special is that, in addition to the next-gen driving simulation, we are also including a deep economy mode, a plethora of modding tools, and, above all, a multiplayer mode. This combination is unique to the genre, and The Bus is sure to set a new standard for simulations of its type.”

The Bus’ massive, meticulously detailed in-game map allows players to edit lines and routes, timetables, tours, and more. Board and deboard passengers, oversee ticket sales, and maneuver through AI-controlled traffic that features a variety of vehicles, pedestrians, and complex traffic light routines. With the “Free Movement” feature, players can even explore the world “on foot” and walk freely inside of their busses. Dynamic weather patterns make for unpredictable workdays, while the full day and night cycle crank the immersion up to a whole new level.

Early Access Special Features Currently Include:

Three Modes: Realistic Campaign, Arcade, and Custom
Mouse support for convenient driving control with simple keyboard and mouse setup
Supports many gaming steering wheels with or without pedals
Supports Tobii Eye Tracking and TrackIR
“Photo Mode” allows for high quality, UI-free screenshots
Two integrated web radio channels: DoubleBass.FM and FlashBass.FM

As part of The Bus’ Early Access phase, developer TML Studios has announced a development plan broken down into three main phases, the first beginning with the Early Access launch that includes the basic build of the game. Phase two will introduce multiplayer mode, bus lines 100 and 200, additional bus models and variants, and a freely drivable area between the main station and Potsdamer Platz with Tiergarten included, and other features. Phase three will add extensive modding tools, a deep economic system that allows for complete management of a player’s bus company, the final bus line 245, and the original bus depot in Indira-Gandhi-Straße. Working directly with feedback from the community during Early Access, TML Studios aims to develop a true fan-inspired gameplay experience that bridges the gap between immersive simulation and co-op multiplayer.

Stay up-to-date with everything The Bus by following the game on Twitter and Facebook.

About Aerosoft
Aerosoft is one of the leading publishers of deep simulation games, with 40 in-house staff and long-standing connections to many freelance developers and studios. The company also sells periphery products for simulation gameplay.

Aerosoft GmbH was founded in 1991 at the airport Paderborn / Lippstadt in Germany. They started out developing add-ons and periphery products for Microsoft Flight Simulator as well as training software for flight students. Since 2002, the company became a more full-fledged publishing company and branched out into other simulation genres. In 2020, Aerosoft released its first simulation games on consoles. Learn more at https://www.aerosoft.com/us/.