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Coquihalla Summit, Mount Robson, Rogers Pass, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan Valley — these are just a few of the locations teased in an upcoming British Columbia expansion for American Truck Simulator.
Developed in the Czech Republic by SCS Software, the video game has attracted a huge following online, allowing players to get behind the wheel as a virtual truck driver.
“Most of us have British Columbia on our bucket list for travelling, because you know, we’ve seen a lot of photos and videos from the amazing nature and national parks you have,” said SCS marketing head Daniel Nemec.
He says the B.C. expansion connects nicely to the existing in-game world, with Washington State just over its virtual border.
Several western U.S. states have already been added to the game since its 2016 release with California and Nevada. The B.C. expansion is the first map located outside the U.S.
Nemec says he thought interest in the game would be niche. It's sold over six million copies.
"It's awesome to see how many people are there with some passion for big vehicles and transportation."
Kitwanga Junction at Highway 16 and Highway 37 in northern B.C., one of the locations teased in a trailer for the game's B.C. expansion. (Submitted by SCS Software)Jared Jensen, a retired long-haul truck driver of nearly 30 years who has driven across Canada, the States and northern Mexico, streams the game on his Twitch channel, Viking Hammer Gaming, from his home in Lethbridge, Alta.
"It is a lot of fun, a lot of good camaraderie and a lot of laughs. And yeah, I've met so many awesome people over the last four years since I started doing this," he said.
A former owner of a long-haul trucking business, Jensen says his streams focus on real-life scenarios as much as possible — obeying traffic laws in the game, for example, and stopping for safety checks.
He says he wants to give viewers a sense of what it's like to be a long-haul truck driver, and is excited to revisit B.C. locations from his career.
"Being an owner-operator, you're very responsible for everything, for every nickel and dime that goes into that truck or out of that truck," Jensen said.
"I've always been very particular when it comes to stuff like that, inspecting my vehicles before I actually put them out on the road because lives are at stake."
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The game features models and parts from licensed automakers, such as Peterbilt, Mack, Western Star, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, and Volvo, allowing players to build and drive their own custom trucks.
Nostalgia from his career fuels Jensen’s passion for the game — he grew up on a ranch in southern Alberta, and started trucking as a young adult.
He plays the simulator with a wheel, pedals, clutch, and an 18-speed shifter, getting as close to the real thing as he can.
"I feel at home all the time travelling highways in the simulator that I used to travel," he said.
Nemec says the expansion is a work in progress without a release date yet, and the locations featured in the trailer may change.
Getting a commercial driver's licence is no easy feat, says Dave Earle, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association. He hasn't played the game but says he understands its appeal, and that real-life opportunities in trucking are just as rewarding.
“As a long-haul driver, you get to see the entire continent ... in all its breathtaking majesty," he said.
"This is what that game shows. And that attraction for people to be able to do it virtually behind the wheel and have all the fun that comes with that.”
The R.W. Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous, B.C., a town known as the house boating capital of Canada. SCS Software says it aims for their games to match real life as closely as possible. (Submitted by SCS Software)Earle says he spotted the R.W. Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous, B.C., in the expansion's trailer and an eastbound view of Mount Robson when heading towards Alberta, sights he's very familiar with.
"I think it's an exciting opportunity for people even if they're not, you know, necessarily enamoured with the trucking element of it."