Farming is hard work. It is physically demanding and mentally challenging, as a farmer has to be a laborer, scientist and entrepreneur all at once. However, it is also rewarding to watch the growth of a farm and to reap the fruits of hard work.
The essence of farming is captured by the popular game, Farming Simulator. Initially developed and released in 2008 by GIANTS Software, it has grown to become an outstanding simulation game and is played by thousands daily.
In the Farming Simulator, gamers can channel their inner farmer and manage their own farm, breed livestock, grow crops and sell assets created from farming through the screen. The game also replicates different farming machinery which players pick favorites from according to their playstyle– or farming style.
The game has continued its development for over a decade and has reached a point where it has its own global competitive platform called the Farming Simulator League (FSL).
Farming became an e-sport and strategy and skill is used in a different way in the Farming Simulator League than it is with real-life farming. In the League, teams of threes race to complete the objectives of harvesting wheat, pressing bales and delivering as many of them as possible within fifteen minutes. Before starting the game, teams have a phase where they pick their favorite vehicles and try to ban the opponents’ preferred machinery. The competition also has many ‘perks’ which serve as boosters for their score or to sabotage the other team’s productivity.
In Season 4 of the Farming Simulator League, Team Trelleborg from Sweden emerged victorious. They defended their title as the former FSL champion and took home €20,000 in prize money.
Competitive play wasn’t in the original plan for Farming Simulator. GIANTS Software had initially catered to the request of Agritechna, the biggest agricultural trade show in the world, to provide something for the younger audience present at the show. Because of that request and growing interest from players, GIANTS created competitive team-play.
Throughout the years, Farming Simulator gained many players which grew into a devoted community, with up to 90,000 players active at peak times. Tutorial and gameplay videos have immediate and booming engagement from fans. The game is available to play on personal computers, various gaming consoles and on mobile.
Farming and agriculture are now appreciated more than ever thanks to the continuous development of technology and charm of gaming.