Ferdinand is plowing with his Tractor through the countryside. Curbs are hit, even the use of roads is optional, if it goes across country. For traffic rules, he has no time, because, after all, the young farmer has, ten years old, no driver’s license. Danger for life and limb, there is not yet. Ferdinand controls the Tractor with the mouse and keyboard at home on the Computer. The game is called “farming Simulator”, and is played worldwide by millions of children and adults. Why?
Ferdinand explains the gameplay: “You have a farm with three fields and a starting capital of 25,000 euros.” These three fields must be ploughed, sown and harvested. In addition to agriculture, the trees can be and sold like sheep, pigs, and cows can, as soon as the necessary money for the stables and machinery is available on the own farm. For country romance à la “Bauer woman looking for a” but no space. The Simulation follows a hard-ass the rules of the economy: Only those who have running costs to cover, all of the agricultural machines refuel and the right feed mixes, the profits allow the purchase of new, larger machines. And which are the real Highlight of the series: Over 250 Tractors, wheel loaders, livestock transporters, combine harvesters and manure-trailer are in the game – faithfully recreated. The really cool vehicles you need to develop, explains Ferdinand. “You can be so beautiful.” Pigs, cows and sheep are most worthwhile, he figures, there’s “milk, meat, wool, manure and slurry” as income. “Chicken eggs you can sell, but” – whispers Ferdinand business leaders – “do not bring very much money.”
“The desire to control thickness of fat machines.”
For several years, game developers in Europe, provide more PC games in the shopping shelves of the electronics markets in which occupations or large machinery, are simulated: transport by rail, Bus and Truck simulators, even quirky, such as the forklift Simulator, a drilling Rig and a scrap-yard-Simulator. More than one hundred simulation games the archive of the old releases competent entertainment software self-regulation body (USK) in Berlin in the last five years in Germany. “Cheaply produced goods of the rod” is the rule, explains Christian Schiffer, editor-in-chief of game culture magazine WASD. Such games are often confusingly similar boxes to a whole different audience than Ferdinand – namely, adults: “Many of the people in the Media market, actually want to buy only one printer and then see these games.” As a takeaway product, it was designed, therefore, to be particularly serious. He called simulators “Office product of the game world”.
What is it that fascinates adults? Schiffer is certain: “The desire to control thickness of fat machines.” The games usually cost under 20 Euro – an Event-voucher for an hour in a real excavator is offered for five times. In contrast to other simulation games developer Giants Software have made the farming Simulator with each release, in the meantime, an exception in the mass of Mediocrity.
the World of the Simulator is sold already millions of times
the success of The labor and machine simulations but also a cultural phenomenon: “You could maybe say a bit heretical, that the German likes to work when he has actually already free.” Who would you sit down after a hard day of work volunteering at a work simulation? The current Version of the “farming Simulator 19,” was released in November last year and managed to loose in the Top 20 best-selling games of the year, which is the industry Association for game e. V. is determined. For the year reported 200000 copies may be obsolete. From the predecessor, the developers began in Germany more than half a Million copies. In the world of the Simulator is sold already millions of times.
Such sales in Germany actually, only major international companies such as Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, whose games series “Fifa” or “assassin’s Creed” of Studios are programmed to pay around the world, and with a two-digit million amounts advertised. And the farming Simulator that was programmed a few years ago with 15 employees in the Swiss city of Zurich from developer Giants Software. In the meantime, the Studio was expanded with several locations in the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland and has grown to 50 employees.
in the evening, farmers give it anywhere, says Martin Rabl, Marketing and product Manager at Giants Software. In addition to Germany, France, England and Poland are important markets. In the US it ran off to a slow start. Since the game for consoles was released, selling one similar to that in Europe. “In Scandinavia things are going very well, and in South America, in Come,” says Rabl.
Relaxed, milking the cows instead of adrenaline rush
As he explains the universal success of the game? “As some of the racing games to play, because they love cars from Audi and Mercedes, we have players who know of a John Deere tractor every screw.” It is also possible that a plurality of players to farm a common farm. In contrast to the hectic Play, and Multiplayer battles could spend with the farming simulator together a wonderful celebration evening.
for several years, the Team from Zurich commutes with the product between Gaming and agriculture fairs: Agritechnica, gamescom, Green week, Berlin, Zurich Game Show. With the FarmCon the developer has set up a private Event for the Fans. Three weeks ago, Giants Software has announced an E – sports League, in the European Teams to the tournament funds a total of 250000 Euro will begin to start on the FarmCon in the agriculture construction company Claas device in rabbit angle. But how do you measure the thickest potatoes in digital farmers? The game mode is still a secret. All events will be broadcast live on the Internet and from professional commentators: “We want it to feel like a normal sports broadcast.”
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Perhaps, also, Ferdinand turns on then. In addition to business sense, the basic student has learned in the game a lot about agricultural practices: “Man thinks often, it is necessary to plow a field, thus it is necessary to cultivating it. When cultivating, you don’t take earth from deep below, but from above.“ Whether he will be able to apply the Knowledge of time as a real farmer? “Nah, I don’t think so.” But to design as a mechanic or engineer even better combine harvesters and agricultural machinery – that he can imagine.
