Recently the console wars reignited, though with Xbox not present. Both a Nintendo Direct and a Sony State of Play took place very recently making them ripe for fans to draw comparisons. Well, this time around Nintendo got absolutely demolished. Sony wasn’t afraid to show off big hitters Tekken 8 and God of War II, alongside many other impressive looking titles. Meanwhile everyone made fun of Nintendo for… introducing like 6 games that were either farming sims or had farming sim elements. Which considering the genre is a very high amount of farming games. After further highlighting by online publications like Kotaku and online personalities like videogamedunkey, fans are now talking about why Nintendo thought this was a good lineup. Perhaps they simply didn’t have much else going on, or perhaps the farming game market has been ramping up thanks to Animal Crossing and now gamers in the genre are expected to divulge out and see what other devs could bring to the simulation experience.
Eh, I'm good guys I had my fun with Farmville.
Personally speaking, I couldn’t be less excited. I think as you get older, and this may also depend on your life experience of course, but the older I get the less time I could fathom spending on simulating tasks that I already have to do in real life. Plant the potatoes? I mean I actually did that this summer. Round up the animals? I’ve had to chase cows back into their designated area before. Maybe since I’ve already experienced those tasks in real life, I have no desire to revisit them in a virtual format when I could be fighting people across the globe in Guilty Gear or exploring a new country in Genshin Impact. Of course I do understand the appeal of being able to create a farm and work your way up to make it large and productive, I too was on the Minecraft craze back in the day. However these days my time for gaming is limited and the last thing I want to do when I plop down on the couch is to feel like I’m STILL doing chores/work. I remember my friend and I tried to play Stardew Valley a few years back when it was everywhere, and I didn’t make it past the first 30 minutes or so. I never understood the appeal as it felt like bonus virtual homework but hey not every game is meant for everybody.
Oof y'all gotta be careful with artwork like this, it's trying to deceive you. And it's working on me right now.
Regardless of my personal feelings, it’s clear that farm gaming is on the rise, and has been for a while. Whether the pandemic’s devastation influenced gamers to long for a simpler life, or if increased urbanization around the globe has led to people romanticizing the country life they no longer are able to find that easily, I can’t say. All I can say is that these games are cropping up in full force and I hope fans of the genre are shaking with excitement. Cause I know us Sony fanboys ate good this week with our 5 IQ BEAT THOSE FUCKERS UP games. Have you played any farming simulators? Does the genre appeal to you, or does it sound lame? Buy some seeds, grab a shovel, and plant your thoughts in the comments below!
