GrainsWest Fall 2020

Fall 2020 Grains West 10 THE FARMGATE IT’S NO SECRET MANY FARMERS relax by playing video games. Rather than indulging in NBA 2K , Fortnite or Call of Duty , however, an increasing number escape the daily stresses of real-life agricul- ture by embracing the digital challenges of an extremely popular farm-themed game. Farming Simulator has even entered the eSport realm in which competitors vie for big money. In a pleasant, realistic digital farm environment, Farming Simulator players choose their preferred machinery and carry out central tasks such as seeding fields, baling hay, harvesting grain and hauling their crop to sale points within the game as well as completing further tasks. While amassing in-game money and points, play- ers can add challenge and complexity with the option to expand their operations and invest in additional equipment. The game is available for PC, mobile and all gaming consoles. Initially played solo, recent versions including the latest Farming Simulator 20 can be played solo or with multiple players. Participants can operate their own farms as well as interact with other players on the same server and even lend a hand during harvest or trade equipment. First released in 2008 and updated annu- ally, Farming Simulator is the brainchild of GIANTS Software, a Swiss game develop- ment company. Co-founders Stefan Geiger and Christian Ammann created a digital gaming engine as a university project. They decided to use it as the basis for a farming game when a number of friends suggested they wanted to play a game in which they could drive a really big tractor. The game has now sold more than 25 million copies, with 90 million downloads on mobile platforms. The big-tractor factor continues to draw new players, said Lars Malcharek, GIANTS community manager and eSports coordina- tor. “Even a lot of farmers tell us they love it,” he said. “They either play with their kids because it’s safer than having them out in the field, or they play it alone to drive tractors they can’t have at that point in real life. It seems to be a big motivation for them.” The game environment can be person- alized by adding modifications such as branded farm equipment, products such as inputs and machinery as well as garages, Videogaming’sbig-tractor factor Farming Simulator League takes agriculture into the eSports From left to right: Markus Steinmüller, Fabio Auerbach, Benedikt Dahme. Members of the John Deere Gaming Team harvest digital crops during Agritechnica 2019. arena, makes agriculture cool again