Farming Simulator ups realism and eco-friendliness with free EU-backed DLC
Giants Software raises awareness of Precision Farming in collaboration with two European universities
Farming Simulator developer Giants Software has today released free DLC with support from the European Union.
Funded by EIT Food, Europe's leading food innovation initiative, the DLC includes new gameplay elements for more eco-friendly farming. It is also part of the Precision Farming Project designed to spread awareness of modern agriculture.
Initiated by agricultural machine manufacturer John Deere, the Precision Farming Project is set to take place over two years with collaboration from the European Union, the University of Hohenheim in Germany, and the University of Reading in England.
Modern precision farming technologies are introduced in Farming Simulator as one of EITs multiple efforts to raise awareness for sustainable farming, and address the assumption that it's only possible for small farms to produce quality organic crops.
"I'm impressed by the great and very effective co-operation with Giants Software and our partners," said Dr. Thomas Engel, technology innovation strategy manager at John Deere.
"The first version of the DLC already offers more than I expected. Features like soil sampling and variable fertilizing offer a great introduction into the world of Precision Farming. I'm convinced that we're able to massively strengthen the knowledge about modern agriculture within the gaming community."
Thomas Frey, Vice President at Giants Software, added: “Being part of the project from the very first minute, I'm now keen to see player reactions. Together with John Deere, we achieved a great start and I'm really looking forward to an even better integration and more features coming in the future.”
Continuing Giants' penchant for realism and accuracy, the new DLC will allow players to identify four different soil types, working with the individual requirements to optimise yield.
This will involve the player responding to pH and nitrogen levels in the soil in order to save resources like seeds, fertilizer, fuel, maintenance costs and more. In turn saving money while running a more environmentally friendly operation.
The DLC also includes real soil sampling machinery such as the John Deere Gator and fully automated Isaria Scout.
However, there is much more to precision farming than just soil, and this new DLC will be the first step in developing more free content for Farming Simulator.
While the exact course is yet to be determined, the project will continue to develop more gameplay features which build a connection between modern society and agriculture. This will be carried out in collaboration with the University of Hohenheim, University of Reading, and player feedback.
"We're excited to elevate the aspect of realism in Farming Simulator with the expertise of our partner John Deere while contributing to the solution of an agricultural challenge," said Giants CEO Christian Ammann. "We hope the new gameplay features will please our fans while spreading awareness of modern agricultural technology."
The Precision Farming DLC is available today for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. For more information, visit farming-simulator.com.