Background information
Little Nightmares 3 looks eerily good
by Kevin Hofer
«Watching the wheat grow in real time wouldn’t benefit the fun factor of the game.»
3.8.2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Is «Farming Simulator» more game or more simulator? And how much do its developers know about agriculture? I asked the crew at Giants Software.
«Farming Simulator» is the oldest and most popular simulator of its kind. It’s kept Zurich-based developer studio Giants Software on a road to success since 2008. Millions of players around the globe chug about on virtual fields in their tractors and harvesters. To keep the experience realistic but not too realistic, Giants Software relies on insider knowledge.
Is there much collaboration between Giants Software and the farming industry?
Martin Rabl, Head of Marketing & PR at Giants Software: When it comes to introducing machines to the game, we need to see them in action first. We’re in touch a lot with manufacturers and farms.
«If you had to connect all the cables on every trailer, it might be fun only the first time around.»
How much do you all know about farming?
This used to be on the extreme side back in the day. When the company was smaller, our first programmers were from that line of business. So either farmers themselves or related to someone who was. Now that the team’s larger, it’s also more mixed. We need to keep a balance between fun gameplay and farming.
How do you achieve this balance?
There are activities that are often repeated in real life but don’t pose much of a challenge in the game. Watching the wheat grow in real time wouldn’t benefit the fun factor of the game. If you had to connect all the cables on every trailer, it might be fun only the first time around. We need to try out this type of activity to know if it’s still entertaining after many hours of gameplay.
Have you ever overshot the mark?
We once developed a feature that makes the crop rot after a certain amount of time. This caused an uproar in the community. Many players thought it was too stressful to lose their income just because they neglected a couple of fields. They prefer to play a relaxed game. The feature is now optional.
How do you record the sounds?
We’ve got sound experts who are in charge of that. An earlier DLC once featured the Big Bud 747 – the largest tractor in the world. It’s a machine that would be far too big for Germany, but there is one in the USA. That’s why we sent out a team member to take a look at the tractor and record the sound it makes. After all, Big Bud has two engines that create a unique sound.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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