![]() ![]() Older and younger gamers take to simulators as well. Other players just like sampling a career that fascinated them as a child, but that they never pursued. “Then we have a group of gamers that are actually doing the simulated jobs in real life: bus drivers, farmers, truck drivers, construction workers, etc.” These players, Mangold says, enjoy trying out types of machinery they haven’t yet worked with, or even play as a form of stress relief. These hobbyists aren’t attracted to videogames in general, but appreciate the attention to detail presented in sims. “They come from all walks of life and belong to several age groups.” There’s a lot of crossover with model hobbyists, for instance, who like the opportunity to work with interactive versions of the trucks, trains, and airplanes that they build. “There is a wide variety of gamers interested in simulator games,” says Mangold. That’s a strong showing for a niche indie game. According to the company’s press releases, Farming Simulator 2012 sold 500,000 copies across France and Germany. Astragon’s simulation games are extremely popular in Europe. Lots of people, apparently, at least according to Daniella Mangold, PR rep for Buschbaum Media, which represents Astragon Publishing. In a medium where you can be a Space Marine or a Viking Lord, who would choose something so banal? He looked like he was using a phantom toilet while reading an invisible newspaper. My truck disappeared, leaving my mutton-chopped driver squatting in thin air, hands out as if holding a wheel. Pedestrians died beneath my wheels, shrieking in German. Increasingly frantic, I circled the bin like a diabetic dachshund trying to find a spot to lie down. I pressed every button and ground a layer of enamel off my teeth. When I approached the trash can, I was supposed to be able to control the bin man on the back of my truck, but nothing happened. She arched her eyebrows and smiled at me with concern and pity. “Garbage!” I crowed to my girlfriend across the room. I’d always heard about the cleanliness of German cities, but come on.īut all that didn’t matter, because there was garbage now. After that, I learned it was best to drive like a sloth whacked on codeine. On my first attempt at waste management I racked up 17 violations, lost 1,005 Euros in fines, and flipped my truck after riding up on a curb. Crushing pedestrians nets you a fine of 100 Euros. These fines are levied by omniscient, invisible policemen who dock your bank account the moment your speedometer nudges 41 kph. The lack of precision is costly, since I get fined every time I damage property, run a red light, or exceed the speed limit. The truck itself somehow manages to be ungainly and nimble at the same time, like a sperm whale riding a Vespa. I spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to leave the depot. The only indicator of where I should go is a straight yellow line that cuts directly through buildings, across rivers, and leads not to the trash I need to pick up, but to the city dump miles out of town. I’ve been playing Garbage Truck Simulator for over ninety minutes, and this is the first garbage can I’ve found. I’ve been swearing at my computer screen, wondering if I should uninstall and reload, pretty sure the game is glitching to all hell, and searching for the one damn thing that would make this miserable experience worthwhile. ![]() The rain goes with my mood: cold and foul. It’s raining, so I flick on the windshield wipers.
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