Developer: Giants Software
Genre: Simulation
Platforms: PC, Mac
Release: Fall 2014
Farming Simulator devs go against the grain
Tractors, trailers, maps, livestock, buildings, gameplay modes and even entirely new games have been created thanks to Giants' generosity toward their playerbase. The developer recalled, for example, a mod that took the Farming Simulator engine to the skies to create a plane-racing game. Giants isn't just inviting players to get their hands dirty though, they're watching and learning what the players want.
When Giants Software moves to develop the next iteration of Farming Simulator, they implement features that they think can't be easily added post-release by the mod community. Leaving tire tracks in the soil – a new visual effect for Farming Simulator 15 – may seem like a small thing, but the developer told us that since the game uses dynamic meshes on its terrain, it's an effect that's difficult to replicate.
Other times, it's the modding community that spurs Giants into action. The developer told us they received "tons" of letters in the past asking for flashing lights on top of the farm tractors, and when said lights were officially implemented, they received a showering of praise. For Farming Simulator 15, Giants is adding a first-person power wash mode, which began life as a mod.
The relationship between developer and modder in the Farming Simulator world is symbiotic, and shows the power of a positive relationship between a studio and its audience. Farming Simulator 15 will be out this October for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC.