Farming Simulator is about to become more realistic with the upcoming Precision Farming DLC. The DLC will be free for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in early December.
Precision Farming is part of the “Precision Farming Project,” which was funded by EIT Food, Europe’s leading Food Innovation Initiative. Along with developer GIANTS Software, players can experience new gameplay elements to make farming more eco-friendly.
Players can optimize their farm’s yield by taking soil samples. These samples will identify one of four different soil types with individual requirements. Players will have to take their soil’s pH values and nitrogen content in the soil into account. These properties will allow farmers to save important resources like seeds, fertilizer, fuel, maintenance costs, and more in an attempt to make their farms more eco-friendly and save money.
This is only the first step in making the game more eco-friendly. The future development is currently in progress, but the developer is working together with the University of Hohenheim in Germany and the University of Reading in Great Britain. Farming Simulator plans on adding more gameplay features and building the connection between modern society and agriculture.
The project is set to take place over two years with many collaborating partners. The gameplay will continue to be tested among them all, including the dedicated players.
With the Precision Farming Project, the team hopes to spread awareness about farming to the public. Those who reside in big metropolitan areas may not know much about modern agriculture technology or how food lands into grocery stores and onto their table. The overall goal of the project is to help players learn more about modern agricultural technology and raise awareness about sustainable farming.
Dr. Thomas Engel, Technology Innovation Strategy Manager at John Deere, commented about the collaboration, stating:
As John Deere’s project manager of this EIT Food funded project I’m impressed by the great and very effective cooperation with GIANTS Software and our partners. 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.
Farming Simulator is currently available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Premium Edition comes with the base game and all DLCs. Both editions are available digitally and physically.
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Farming Simulator’s Precision Farming free DLC launches on December 8.