"Farming Simulator 19 sold over 2 million copies"

[Deadeye]

For someone in Europe, it doesn't register. Tractor sales are much lower on a per country basis. Western Europe & Russian tractor sales combined were less than the USA. That doesn't even include Canadian sales. Then take into consideration that across Europe as a whole, Deere is the most popular single brand. Those numbers may not be by very high margins but now consider that Deere owns about 60% of the US tractor and combine market. Aside from that, they also have a very large share in the lawn and garden market.

There is no doubt that Giants would have sold a large number of FS19 copies. One would have to take into account the growth trend of previous releases and compare to this year.

However, if you don't think Deere has brand selling power, you don't have a clue what you're talking about. There are people who have no association with farming that know the Deere brand. No other brand can say that on such a widespread level. When a Challenger is in the cover of FS17, no one cares...it simply doesn't turn heads. New Holland? Nope. The farm target market is small. They have to appeal to a wider audience. Deere stands out that way. 40 Years ago, IH would have as well. Today, not so much.

Europeans like to tout Fendt and Claas. There are a lot of farmers here that have yet to know of Fendt's existence or to even see one in person. If it wasn't for Claas forage harvesters and combines, no one would know the brand. Forage is a very small market and their combine sales here are very spotty.

I dare say I disagree quite strongly with your second and third points. Deere definitely has a name. Many people who have never touched a tractor or piece of farm equipment know what John Deere is. In the equipment industry, they're a giant. I'm as much a construction guy as I am a farm equipment guy.I do not claim to be an expert on either, just a love and fondness for all things farming and equipment related. Back to my original point, without pulling up statistics I'd reckon that John Deere is the ONLY manufacturer of construction equipment in the US that even comes close to competing with CAT. They're simply massive, as I said. To say that them coming on with this version of the game had a drastic impact on sales doesn't make sense to me though. Sure, everyone knows the John Deere name. I just don't think it's the right audience that it made that big an impact. Perhaps a few, but not enough to make a significant difference.

As for talking about farmers "there" not knowing what a Fendt is, I can only speak for myself. Any farmer in my area that actually made a living off farming alone knows what Fendt is. I've also talked to farmers 2 hours to the south of me in my state, and they knew what a Fendt was, and actually there were a handful you could see in the fields. We have a few up here, but they're few and far between. Even so, Fendt is a big name, even without being super prevalent in an area. They are known for at one time having a kick *ss transmission. I don't know if that's still true or not, I've read that others in the industry (such as Deere) have since caught up with Fendt in that respect. Claas is just the same. A farmer just up the road has a Claas rake that he's ran for several seasons now.


In the end, I don't think it made an impact. Without surveying every person who bought FS19 and asking why they purchased the game, and then doing the same with FS17, there would be no way to tell. I obviously don't agree with you. That is acceptable. I don't think it's ok to tell someone that disagrees with you that you don't know what they're talking about either. Especially with something that can't be proven.

[Jagtractor]

In the end it doesn't matter. Game is doing good and that means it will keep on going. Next game when there is another tractor brand on the cover and when it out does the previous title, no one will even think about the cover being a reason for additional sales.

I'm just happy people are seeing how fun it can be. Now we just need some decent competition in this market to force innovative.

[Farming Girl]

In the end it doesn't matter. Game is doing good and that means it will keep on going. Next game when there is another tractor brand on the cover and when it out does the previous title, no one will even think about the cover being a reason for additional sales.

I'm just happy people are seeing how fun it can be. Now we just need some decent competition in this market to force innovative.

I Agree 100%

[DeereJason]

Putting aside the tone of this belittling people from across the pond, i could say you don't have a clue what your talking about, people in this thread have not said it would not have had an impact, of course it has, it is clear that a game that has branded products does far better than ones that don't, and we all know that Deere is a very well known brand in farming, However it would only account for a small portion of sales.

However if feel this game has been so popular due to the large modding community associated with it, and their adaptability to make this game so great, no one in their Right mind would buy a game just because it has a nice picture on the front, John Deere or not! They would also have a look at what this game has to offer!

FS19 sells small numbers in comparison to games such as COD

	Modern Warfare 3 edition of CoD was the highest-seller in the franchise, with 30.71 million units sold

or Forsa

	Forza Horizon 4 now has over seven million players across Xbox One and Windows 10

that is because simulation games have a much smaller and in my opinion more intellectual following than these games! and intelligent people will look past one brand and look at the full package! thus making it a multitude of reasons why it has done much better in the 19 version!

Well, there are several responses I could choose to reply to but I'll settle on this one. As far as 'belittling' goes, if someone feels belittled, then maybe it's justified. Personally, I'm not concerned with someone's ruffled feathers. I don't belong to the millennial generation where that seems to take precedence. If someone wants to make a slight on me...fine. It makes no difference to how I feel about the subject matter. You may say I don't know much, but I'd argue that I know far more than most when it comes to what is popular and where. The simple fact is...numbers don't lie.

While some brands are known and some are "growing" there are some that are far more established. "Growing" simply means that a brand is coming from obscurity. This farmer here may have a Fendt and that farmer over there may have a Claas...but all the guys in between are running Deere, New Holland and Case. Given the vastness of people involved in agriculture...I will reiterate...there are STILL some that have yet to hear of those brands. You may chose to believe what you wish, but whether your beliefs and the truth align is an entirely different matter.

What is recognized is very much depended on the area it is recognized in. For someone in western Canada...just how many farms are in a 20 or 50 mile radius? Probably not nearly as many that are in places like Wisconsin, Michigan or the Northeast USA. That said, a large farmer is going to have far more exposure to the wide range of agriculture than a smaller one.

In terms of what sells and what doesn't, many...if not most are thinking with tunnel vision. What sells to the player that frequents a specific game's forum is far different than what sells to the passerby in Walmart. Packaging and cover images mean everything when it comes to swaying the common customer. Most people on here take for granted that FS is a known commodity. To much of the potential customer base out there, it is relatively unknown. It could be sitting on a sales shelf right in front of them and they won't see it because it doesn't strike a chord with them. It's no different than anything else. Ask your grandmother if she's heard of The Beatles, Elvis or Michael Jackson...regardless of what type of music she listens to, she will probably say yes. Then ask her if she's heard of Metallica. They are a top 20 all time selling artist but for the vast majority of people over 50, they are unknown...where would someone more obscure fall in?

Remove yourselves and your mindsets from the ag community. If Giants had to rely on all or even most of their sales coming from the ag community, they would fail. I know people that have never stepped foot on a farm yet they own the game. Why? Because it's a game. If they didn't play the game, they probably couldn't tell you more than one or two brands...if any, in the game. When it comes to a brand like Deere...or any other, it's about exposure. TV ads are playing during sporting events. This weekend the John Deere Classic PGA event will be getting a couple full days of coverage. EXPOSURE.

Giants doesn't need to sell to the people on this forum...they are already here. In order to grow, they need to sell to the discerning buyer. Someone deciding between FS and a non-farming game. That yellow tractor on the front cover means nothing to that customer. It could just as well say "Lizard" as the brand name. To them, Challenger is a car made by Dodge...if that even registers. They need association of some sort.

There's a reason Deere fights so vehemently to protect their green and yellow trademark on ag equipment....it's because people associate that color pattern with that brand...regardless of their background.

[Farming Girl]

Putting aside the tone of this belittling people from across the pond, i could say you don't have a clue what your talking about, people in this thread have not said it would not have had an impact, of course it has, it is clear that a game that has branded products does far better than ones that don't, and we all know that Deere is a very well known brand in farming, However it would only account for a small portion of sales.

However if feel this game has been so popular due to the large modding community associated with it, and their adaptability to make this game so great, no one in their Right mind would buy a game just because it has a nice picture on the front, John Deere or not! They would also have a look at what this game has to offer!

FS19 sells small numbers in comparison to games such as COD

	Modern Warfare 3 edition of CoD was the highest-seller in the franchise, with 30.71 million units sold

or Forsa

	Forza Horizon 4 now has over seven million players across Xbox One and Windows 10

that is because simulation games have a much smaller and in my opinion more intellectual following than these games! and intelligent people will look past one brand and look at the full package! thus making it a multitude of reasons why it has done much better in the 19 version!

Well, there are several responses I could choose to reply to but I'll settle on this one. As far as 'belittling' goes, if someone feels belittled, then maybe it's justified. Personally, I'm not concerned with someone's ruffled feathers. I don't belong to the millennial generation where that seems to take precedence. If someone wants to make a slight on me...fine. It makes no difference to how I feel about the subject matter. You may say I don't know much, but I'd argue that I know far more than most when it comes to what is popular and where. The simple fact is...numbers don't lie.

While some brands are known and some are "growing" there are some that are far more established. "Growing" simply means that a brand is coming from obscurity. This farmer here may have a Fendt and that farmer over there may have a Claas...but all the guys in between are running Deere, New Holland and Case. Given the vastness of people involved in agriculture...I will reiterate...there are STILL some that have yet to hear of those brands. You may chose to believe what you wish, but whether your beliefs and the truth align is an entirely different matter.

What is recognized is very much depended on the area it is recognized in. For someone in western Canada...just how many farms are in a 20 or 50 mile radius? Probably not nearly as many that are in places like Wisconsin, Michigan or the Northeast USA. That said, a large farmer is going to have far more exposure to the wide range of agriculture than a smaller one.

In terms of what sells and what doesn't, many...if not most are thinking with tunnel vision. What sells to the player that frequents a specific game's forum is far different than what sells to the passerby in Walmart. Packaging and cover images mean everything when it comes to swaying the common customer. Most people on here take for granted that FS is a known commodity. To much of the potential customer base out there, it is relatively unknown. It could be sitting on a sales shelf right in front of them and they won't see it because it doesn't strike a chord with them. It's no different than anything else. Ask your grandmother if she's heard of The Beatles, Elvis or Michael Jackson...regardless of what type of music she listens to, she will probably say yes. Then ask her if she's heard of Metallica. They are a top 20 all time selling artist but for the vast majority of people over 50, they are unknown...where would someone more obscure fall in?

Remove yourselves and your mindsets from the ag community. If Giants had to rely on all or even most of their sales coming from the ag community, they would fail. I know people that have never stepped foot on a farm yet they own the game. Why? Because it's a game. If they didn't play the game, they probably couldn't tell you more than one or two brands...if any, in the game. When it comes to a brand like Deere...or any other, it's about exposure. TV ads are playing during sporting events. This weekend the John Deere Classic PGA event will be getting a couple full days of coverage. EXPOSURE.

Giants doesn't need to sell to the people on this forum...they are already here. In order to grow, they need to sell to the discerning buyer. Someone deciding between FS and a non-farming game. That yellow tractor on the front cover means nothing to that customer. It could just as well say "Lizard" as the brand name. To them, Challenger is a car made by Dodge...if that even registers. They need association of some sort.

There's a reason Deere fights so vehemently to protect their green and yellow trademark on ag equipment....it's because people associate that color pattern with that brand...regardless of their background.

I feel That I owe you a response, I never said that John Deere didn't help the game sell more copies, it is undeniable that it did, all i was trying to point out was that there were other aspects of the game that have as much impact, as in FS17 after seasons was released and the game was streamed on different platforms, I would bet there was a peak in the game sales, i know i was one of those people, had i seen the vanilla game, then i possibly would not have bought it, and if i had, i certainly would not still be a FS fan. As with FS19, when it first came out i went bask to FS17 for quite a while, until a few mods came out, and be-leave me when i say, i was looking forward to John Deere as much as anyone, so while JD is popular please don't under estimate contributions from other aspects of the game and the pull the modding community has to the game, who are actually making far better JD equipment that was in the base game.

[DeereJason]

Dont misunderstand my position...it would be very naive to think that the sales success of FS19 is solely attributable to the introduction of Deere. There have been so many discussions on this, its difficult to keep track of when I mentioned that.

Like many other products, ag equipment sees a lot of brand loyalty. Loyalty usually comes with a lack of objectivity. I'm not an old man but by in comparison to many here, I probably am. Many of the blind loyalties I had as a younger man have lessened. I see things far more objectively...including Deere. However, I also put more time into actually knowing things instead of speculating. I do my research and establish real and knowledgeable sources. I rarely buy into common speculation.

Case in point...the common misconception that Deere's usually expensive license was keeping them from the franchise. Then again...the license preventing more equipment. I was able to discover the truth from one of my sources...first hand from a first hand source.

Many go by what happens around them...in their neighborhood...or simply just provide an opinion. I read financial reports. I find numbers everywhere and they are all a piece to the puzzle. Am I biased? Yes...but I dont debate unless I have information to support my position.

In today's world, brand recognition can be measured many ways by a lay person...as long as they understand the information fully. One could look simply at FB likes but without understanding that some FB pages are regional, that can skew the information.

That said, no matter how well supported a position is, some refuse to accept even a hard fact (not referring to this discussion).

[Sir_Kutz]

So, what about this first hand source, don't keep us ignorant on the matter.

[Deadeye]

I've been quite inactive on the forum as late, but I decided to check back up on this thread. My simple reply to Jason's more recent comments is this: Where I come from, whether you're a "millennial" or not( hell, I don't care if you're of the baby boomer generation) belittling someone over their opinion is NEVER, I repeat NEVER justified. There are a number of people I may not agree with their opinions on this forum. I might challenge them. When you begin trying to say that belittling someone is justified, you've gone a little too far.

As for the above poster, you know the answer to that statement. "He cannot disclose that information." My answer to that is quite simply, Why mention it then? Oh well. I'm just a dumb young fella. What do I know?

[DeereJason]

To respond to "belittling opinions "...I'm largely going to leave that alone...keep your lectures to yourself.


Sir Kutz
Regarding my source...it would very dissrespectful to said individual to violate trust. This source goes beyond Farming Simulator, so I'm not going to jeopardize that. Quite frankly, most people believe what they want anyway. Plus, there are too many impatient children (literally and figuratively) in the forum. I don't need excessive hounding. I have very little information right now on FS19 and will likely share it at some point...when the timing is better.

[Sir_Kutz]

DeereJason, It's understandable that you would not want to violate trust. In that case however why even mention anything then? There's just not much there when you say "I heard something from someone" and don't elaborate at all.

[DeereJason]

DeereJason, It's understandable that you would not want to violate trust. In that case however why even mention anything then? There's just not much there when you say "I heard something from someone" and don't elaborate at all.

It's a matter of context.

What I was discussing, was using and validating facts vs random biased opinion. Mentioning "the source" was referring to an old thread doscussing the license. While revealing names was and is not an option, some of the information was detailed enough to provide at least some validity. However, it was also presented with the caveat, that the reader may believe what they wish.

The same still holds true. I gain nothing by revealing anything. If I chose to not mention it, I still have the information for my own benefit. Even revealing what I already have, is no benefit to me whatsoever. The only thing I could possibly gain was a small amount of satisfaction of providing everyone else with a small piece of info. It's not as though I have a YouTube channel and am trying to get views. Ultimately, the concept of a community forum isn't lost on me. If no one shares anything, then no one wins. I also enjoy discussion on occasion...otherwise I wouldn't be here in the first place. It wouldn't have been difficult to avoid adding that info above, but it's not really new info either.

[Guil]

Let's keep it civil please.

[ltl.vamp]

I'm really curious, if Seasons got the power to push the sales... over 3 million!?