It had been over a month since we last heard anything about Cattle and Crops. Perhaps longer. Just this week we’ve had two teasers. Here’s the first.
I’ve read on many farming simulator communities where virtual farmers would like to have better control of their hired help. Who knows if Giants will ever listen to our suggestions. Looks like who ever is behind Cattle and Crops ARE listening. Just enjoy this screenshot for a few minutes. I’m off to go shovel my driveway now. It’s Saturday, April 16 and it’s snowing in Denver, Colorado.
Oh My Gosh….I received the below screenshot in an email today. I subscribed to the Cattle and Crops development newsletter. The below is being referred to as user interface concept art for livestock.
I don’ t know any more than this and yes…I’ve also read the comments on forums where some speculate that Cattle and Crops is only vaporware or just a big tease. I hope not. But only time will tell…
I know some have been anxiously awaiting the next version of Farming Simulator from sometime shortly after FS2015 was released in the fall of 2014. As a matter of fact, I began seeing postings in the forums asking this very question within only months after the release. Yea, it’s safe to say that Giants Software really has a hit on their hands with this franchise. I would even go as far to say the popularity and success of Farming Simulator very closely rivals that of what Microsoft had with Flight Simulator. Time will only tell if Giants repeats the mistakes Microsoft made. But that is a different story for a different article.
Am I looking forward to the new version? You betcha! Farming Simulator 15 was really my first experience with a simulation style game that WASN’T Flight Sim based. So this will be my first experience with making the transition from an older version to a new version and all the pains that may be part of that process. Like in the example of Flight Sim, when moving from Microsoft FS9 to FSX, nothing really worked initially. It took some time for the add-on community to begin to make the transition and I’m sure the same will apply for Farming Simulator. I wouldn’t necessarily expect many of the FS2015 mods to immediately work in FS2017. I suppose DLC might be a different story. But then again, I’m really not sure. The only FS15 DLC I currently own is the JCB pack. But I find it somewhat interesting that we are perhaps less than 6 months away from the release of FS2017 and Giants is taking pre-order purchases for their Holmer DLC. Will the Holmer DLC purchased in March 2016 be usable in FS2017 when it is released later this fall?
Yes, you’ll most likely find me purchasing FS2017 the day it is available to download via Steam. Yes, you’ll also most likely hear from me via this blog (and perhaps via Twitch) regarding my first opportunity to play FS2017. Of course, we are still several months away from all this. But the good news of course is Farming Simulator 17 is coming….
While I’ve known about “other” farming base simulation games such as Pro Farmer and Farm Expert…and I’ve watched YouTube videos showcasing these games…I didn’t see them as competition for Giants and their Farming Simulator franchise. But competition (real competition) is about to come to the virtual farming world.
In addition to the news from Giants regarding FS2017, we are also learning about a brand new entry into the “all things farming simulation” genre with a new simulation game titled Cattle and Crops. You can visit their website here. They also have a Facebook page here. Cattle and Crops is due to be released sometime this calendar year (2016) and boasts the following (and I must say impressive) list of features:
Simulation – Detailed machinery and realistic harvesting techniques.
Management – Your employees will help you take care of your farm, your animals and your estate.
Vegetation – Plant growth and health depending on multiple ground conditions.
Weather – Advanced weather system influencing your farming strategies.
Brands – Supported by our license partners in the industry.
Multiplayer – Join your friends in conquering the maps.
Modding Support – Enhance the game with your own vehicles and maps.
Made with Passion – By Gamers – For Gamers
You can view a short “pre-alpha” video which was released a few weeks ago below
In closing, like me…I’m sure you have many questions regarding the new release of Farming Simulator 2017 and of course, questions about the new Cattle and Crops simulation game. With FS2017, I think we sort of know what we can expect from them. With Cattle and Crops, well…this truly excites me. While the jury is still out, my opinion is that the folks behind Cattle and Crops have been listening to many Farming Simulator users and have taken many of the requested enhancements which Giants may have been slow to implement (or not wanting to implement at all) and are planning to provide what we all want into the new game. But again, the jury is still out. But I say competition is good…and competition will help bring us forward.
I know some have been anxiously awaiting the next version of Farming Simulator from sometime shortly after FS2015 was released in the fall of 2014. As a matter of fact, I began seeing postings in the forums asking this very question within only months after the release. Yea, it’s safe to say that Giants Software really has a hit on their hands with this franchise. I would even go as far to say the popularity and success of Farming Simulator very closely rivals that of what Microsoft had with Flight Simulator. Time will only tell if Giants repeats the mistakes Microsoft made. But that is a different story for a different article.
