It is difficult to explain the appeal of the various truck simulator games to someone who has never played them. The experience is like a chill-out game, where you think about all the routes and loads at the start and then relax for a while, listening to the radio and watching the scenery drift by. I suppose it's quite different from real truck driving life, but for me these games are a kind of highway zen achievement. [because Schneider National, one of the world's largest transportation companies, has its eye on American Trucking Simulator players.

"American Truck Simulator" currently has billboards advertising employment throughout the virtual United States (thanks, GamesRadar+), and players will be directed to Schneider's employment page. And according to the developer, this is the first of many possible.

"We have previously used in-game billboards to showcase a variety of exciting updates," SCS Software said in an update. 'This new addition is currently in the trial phase and we believe it will provide something of value not only to our game, but to the automotive industry as well.'

SCS talks about how Schneider National fits in to provide interesting organic details to the game world, but first let me explain the real reason. Apparently, there is a shortage of truck drivers, which allows SCS Software to "support the needs of the trucking industry in general, given the current shortage of skilled professionals."

SCS says American Truck Simulator is "a testing ground for this dynamic billboard," and hopefully something similar will be rolled out across the various games in the series. The developer rather optimistically calls the ad "a meaningful visual asset that goes beyond traditional advertising," but there is nothing new under the sun: I remember seeing a dynamic ad from Obama's presidential campaign in Burnout Paradise. I remember seeing a dynamic ad from Obama's presidential campaign in Burnout Paradise.

Players' reactions have been mixed, but I think they are generally favorable. Those who don't like it are the type who don't want IRL ads in the game at all. And, lest we forget, there are those who appreciate the added immersion of in-game advertising in a simulation like "American Truck Simulator," where you drive a truck across a country that is rather fond of billboards. pasquale, the ATS fan, saw the big picture behind SCS's announcement: "Maybe one day you'll be able to drive a real truck on the Internet!"