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Great business simulation

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 91 / 92
Date: January 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Capitalism II is a simulation of running a corporation, with you acting as the CEO. You make the decisions about what products to produce, where to sell them, how much money to spend on research, how much to spend on advertising, who to buy raw materials from (or to harvest them yourself), where to build your stores/factories/headquarters, and so on. It one of the most complex games I've ever played, and undoubtedly the most thorough business/economic simulation available to the general public. Every variable is controllable, from the amount of dividend your stock pays out to the price of eggs in your grocery store.

Many scenarios are available for you to play through, and it is also easy to make your own victory conditions, or just play an open-ended game. In addition, there is a multiplayer mode so you can compete against other human-operated corporations instead of the usual AI-operated ones (although human opponents are currently few and far between).

As you might expect, Capitalism II has a steep learning curve. Even after playing through the entire tutorial campaign, there were things I was unsure about. I then read through the User Manual, which unfortunately is small, repetitive, and lacking an index. Next I did a web search to see if I could find a web site with some hints or a FAQ. No such luck. Only after playing a few open-ended games and experimenting a lot did a feel that I had a good grasp on how to win at the game.

The technology of the game is acceptable, but not what I would call modern: The music is annoying (don't worry, you can shut it off), and the few sounds are repetitive (especially the farm animals -- cute idea, but tiresome). The graphics are very pretty, but low-resolution (feels like 640x480). The interface feels clunky at first, but once I got used to it I found it efficient. Fortunately, the type of person who plays this sort of game is probably not a person who will be too concerned about graphics/sound quality, so long as they don't interfere with the gameplay.

Overall, I give Capitalism II a 4 star rating due to it's originality, enjoyability, and surprisingly low price. It has some areas where it could be better, and it is probably not something you will still be playing a few months from now, but the simulation is excellent and I imagine many economics and business classrooms will find it to be a great learning tool.

Extremely Comprehensive Business Sim

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 52 / 54
Date: September 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

There are almost as many different ways to make money in Capitalism 2 as there are in real life. The game models the complete manufacturing chain -- from raw materials such as coal and iron, to intermediate goods such as steel and plastic, through consumer products such as PCs and leather jackets -- for over 80 different products. You can buy products from other companies and focus on retailing, or get involved in any or all stages of the manufacturing process. (Of course, the biggest profits can be had by seeing a product all the way from raw materials to the retail checkout counter.) There's a stock market, commercial and rental properties, and three different advertising media.

The game's economic model is highly sophisticated. There are a number of factors that determine how well a product will sell. Of course, the price and quality of the product relative to its competitors is very important. Product quality is based on a combination of the quality of the input goods and the quality of the technology involved in the manufacturing process. (You can open research centers to improve your manufacturing technology levels and can also buy and sell technologies with your competitors.) For simple products such as bottled milk, the quality of the inputs (namely, milk) is the dominant factor. For high-tech products such as mobile phones, the manufacturing technology is much more important.

Other factors in the economic model include brand recognition (which is increased by advertising and also increases naturally over time if the product sells well), brand loyalty, the location and type of the store (there are about 16 types of stores ranging from mega-warehouses to specialty boutiques that only sell a few products), and the overall economic climate of the city (during a recession, luxury items will suffer but people will continue to buy staples such as food items.)

I'm sure I've failed to mention a dozen cool features of the economic model, but hopefully this is enough to whet your appetite.

As impressive as the economic model is, the true brilliance of the game lies in the interface. The game presents you with a staggering amount of data about your corporation, your competitors, and the markets in which you're competing. The complexity could easily become overwhelming, and it does take a while to familiarize yourself with all of the reports that are available, but the information is organized in a way that makes it easy to quickly hone in on problems that require your attention. Although the game features enough numbers to warm the heart of any accountant, the most important information (profitability, supply, demand) is also presented in graphical form. You can quickly flip through all of your businesses and read the vital signs of each business with just a glance. If you detect a problem, you can dive deeper into the vast ocean of data to determine the cause.

The only minor complaint I have about the game is that the AI is fairly weak. In particular, the AI companies aren't aggressive enough about acquiring natural resources. For example, you can easily buy up all the iron deposits in the game world and lock your competitors out of the lucrative steel and electronics markets. Also, the AI companies never seem to buy media firms, which are extremely powerful because they effectively allow you to advertise for free.

Nevertheless, even if the AI doesn't present much opposition, it's still fun to see how much money you can rack up. The game features a "Billionaire Scoreboard" that compares your personal fortune (and that of the various AI personalities) with real-life tycoons. It's very satisfying to knock Bill Gates out of the top spot.

Although the graphics are fairly good, all cities, from Beijing to Boston, are depicted using the same generic city graphics. It would've been a nice touch to have different architectures for the different cultures, or at least throw in some distinguishing landmark for each city.

In summary, I heartily recommend this game to anyone who's even the slightest bit interested in business-oriented simulations.

A Great Business Simulator

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 31 / 32
Date: April 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This title is less of a game than it is a tool for immersing yourself in a business environment. This is good because this was how it was advertised to me before I bought it. That said, it is very good at the latter, and fairly decent at the former.

The goal is relatively straightforward. Make money, hit some profit targets (or whatever the scenario asks for - could be cornering a market, achieving aggregate sales targets, etc), and succeed at capitalism.

The gameplay is very deep. Price setting, factory building (and floor planning, even), real estate, economic cycles, a slew of products to choose from, technology research, training investments, marketing, income statements and balance sheets for comparative analysis, stock market gyrations - if you can find it in the Wall Street Journal, chances are high it's in this game too. And, most features are realistic enough to give plausibility to the entire enterprise. I like the focus on total capital rather than just running a business with high sales levels - I think most people considering this title would agree that wealth and income streams are more important than simply being popular (and not rich).

The graphics are in between Sim City 2000 and 3000, which was the standard when it was released, and are fairly decent even today. They do not detract from gameplay.

The sound is not bad, either. The sound effects are quite nice - I like how they added touches like playing a clip of the trading room floor when you look at the stock market. The music...can be turned off, unless you like being in an elevator.

The replayability is where this game shines. This game has a mammoth store of scenarios, and ends with a scenario that encompasses all of the previous ones combined (I have put in 12 hours on this one scenario alone and still have not completed it, although it was mainly due to tediousness rather than difficulty - imagine cornering not just the auto market but all types of consumer and industrial markets from tires to toothpaste, along with all aspects of retailing, manufacturing, and commodity production). I found the challenge factor to be very near the top of strategy games in general, and very much enjoyed the complete non-linearity with which you could accomplish tasks and goals.

One caveat, which may further reveal the depth of the game: When you play this game, and put your all into it, you'll begin to wonder why you're not simply reading *real* market trends and income statements, and overseeing your *real* businesses and investments. That, more than anything else, made me put this game aside, and pick up the Wall Street Journal once more. Otherwise, a great business simulator, and fairly entertaining at that.

From the magnificent set of a real corporation

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 31
Date: December 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Whether it's manufacturing, or retaling, mining or farming, or focusing in real estate or media, this game has proven to be perhaps the best business simulator of all times. I, myself, have been searching and looking everywhere i nthe web for a decent game that could bring strategy, real economic life and fun alltogether, but I was never able to satisfy my search. Yet this December, a new game publñished by the same company which published the first series, I found myself immediately buying the product which turned out to be outrageosly fabulous. The financial engine is magnificent, the graphics are incredible, and there's a number of details that will make you wish for this as you read: You may build mansions, you may take control of the nespapers the television the radio, you may buy and sell land, build headquarters, build houses and buildings and rent them, you may even hire a team of professional executives who will charge you for jobs such as Chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, chief technical officer, etc.. This game has taken me into a worl of finance no other have ever done, if you are reading this review to make up your mind about this product, I hope I may have been of some help on giving you the opportunity to invest in this.
This is far beyond any other product ever seen in the market open for everyone!

Everbody's Dream is to make a LOT of Money

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 27
Date: April 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Ever wanted to run your own business? Like business simulations? Then this is the game for you!!! This is the best Business simulation I've ever seen. Start-up 2000 and The Corprate Machine do not even compare. Capitalism 2 is extremely cusomizable and has very few unrealistic limitations, which makes it one of the most realistic Business games ever. You can be a manufacturer, a retailer, a real estater, or invest stock on your other componies, or all ok it!!! This game is so in depth you'll confuse it for reality. You can make a custome game, or play a game with an ultamite goal, such as reach a profit of $20,000,000 a month in 10 years. The compeditors are usually agressive a cunning, but sometimes make dumb mistakes, like everybody does. Unlike most games out there, you can sell almost anything you can think of. From Canned Corn and Ice Cream, to Stereos, DVD players, and Cars. You can even sell what your compeditors make, as they do to you. So everybody makes money. You can also invest stock, decide how much to pay yourself, set divendins, and have other people buy your stock and your compeditors. It is imposible to tell you how realistic this game is. A little advice. Start building and sellinh simple at the beggining of the game. Palm Computers take a lot to make and take a while before they make money. Start with small stores selling seaport imported products and products you can make simply.

Pros: REALISTIC, CUSTOMIZABLE, SMART AI

Cons: AI sometimes, yet rarely rediculously dumb, You'll be adicted forever!!! Muhahahaha!!!

Final Verdict: Currently the closest thing to a real business for a dirt cheap price!! BUY IT TODAY!!!

Review abstracted by Capalive.com

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 28 / 34
Date: January 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Professor Thomas Kosnik,
Consulting Professor, Stanford School of Engineering, and Lecturer, Harvard Business School , Technology Today, CNBC-TV Cable
"Capitalism is a world class, hands-on learning experience which I've used at Stanford School of Engineering and Harvard Business School. Gamers not only learn the subtleties of growing an entrepreneurial business but also learn about leadership and team building necessary in any business situation." "Capitalism is very realistic and will allow the dynamics to change depending on whether you're selling a cola product, which is sort of a low tech-branded consumer good, or whether your selling consumer electronics or a PC."

Professor Drew Fudenberg
Harvard University
"This game does an excellent job of modeling many of the key aspects of modern business. Not all aspects of it are realistic, but enough of them are that many sensible strategies are encouraged. In particular it's gratifying to me to see that the game rewards thinking about sources of long-term competitive advantage, be it from brand recognition, low production costs gained from learning-by-doing (a nice touch!), a monopoly on high quality inputs, or a big technological lead."

Businessweek, October 21, 1996
Capitalism isn't just for those who aspire to be the next Michael Dell or Sam Walton. It can be a fun and useful exercise for anyone who wants to test their entrepreneurial mettle without, for once, taking any risk. Players can choose to compete against computer-controlled rivals in four different industries: farming, manufacturing, raw material mining, and retailing. For a truly adventurous and time-consuming game, players can mix and match industries as captains of giant conglomerates. As in the real world, players compete locally, in one city, or fight it out on the global stage.
With so many possibilities, Capitalism is an intense strategy game, much like chess, where players must constantly think ahead. As such, it could easily overwhelm novices. But by adjusting several factors--competency and managerial style of the computer-controlled rivals, for example, can be varied from very aggressive to conservative--gameplay can be suited to various styles and speed. The game even allows a player to hire presidents to manage the day-to-day operations of different divisions so the player can concentrate on the big picture.

Far Eastern Economic Review, September 26, 2002
The mass market isn't the only audience for Chan's games. Like Virtual U, Capitalism has made the leap from game room to classroom. Because of its high degree of realism, the game has been used by professors at institutions like Harvard and Stanford Universities to help students learn basic business principles. Chan is hoping that Restaurant Empire and Hotel Giant will also be adopted for training and education. "Simulation games are a fun way to learn about anything," he says. "They prove that computer games aren't just about shooting things but can also be educational."

CNN - 22nd May 2002
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN Correspondent
Some guys have all the luck. They have the billion dollar market cap, the brand, and the empire, while the rest of us spend our lives toiling away in cubicles with no chance to ever run the show. That is until now. Even the desk jockey can claw his way to the top in "Capitalism," the game.Hong Kong game developer Trevor Chan just released the follow-up to the award-winning original, but the objective is the same. Move your assets to turn an upstart into the most profitable company in the world. First-time players can choose a challenge like, the world in your hands, where you manage a research and development lab out to post annual revenues of $400 million, and as you take on the competition, that's when the real drama begins.But "Capitalism" is no Business 101. Critics call it a deep involving game that could test even the sharpest business document. In fact, it's been used as a simulation exercise for business students at Stanford University.

Well, 4 49/100ths stars, really. A review for gamers.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: April 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It has been said that the difference between work and play is point-of-view, and nowhere in the Computer/Video Game world is that better demonstrated than Capitalism 2. Graphs, stock prices, manufacturing concerns, research and development: Is it an exciting game of running business empires or a dull training program for future suits?

Answer: That depends.

I got this game when it first came out (after playing Capitalism Plus for a while) and really just couldn't get into it for many months. Rather illogical: I had played and enjoyed the first game quite a bit, and Capitalism II is Capitalism Plus, only more so. Greater depth, better graphics (there's an almost pointless piece of praise), and more, More, MORE! depth of play.

But I just wasn't in the mood for a business sim. Boredom can set in in any game if you're not in the mood for it, but one feels especially absurd simulating WORK as recreation. So, I backed off, determined to come back later when the mood struck me, to see if it was just me, or if there was something in the game itself that made it less playable. I'm happy to report, it was just me. If you're in the mood for a business sim, this one can keep you happy for a long, long time. (At least as long as the mood lasts.)

Let me reiterate this point, however: You have to enjoy this kind of game at the get-go. If you find business sims boring or too complex, this isn't going to convert you.

Capitalism 2 allows you to make money through: retail outlets, manufacturing consumer products, manufacturing industrial products, raw material procurement (mining, crops, livestock, logging), stock market shenaningans, real estate and even a CEO salary (you have an alter ego who can draw a salary and buy a mansion, as well as running your business). You can specialize in a variety of retail areas (footwear, food, computers, leather) or try to obtain de facto monopolies. (You can't stop competitors from entering a field, but you can make a product so superior that they are unable to sell their own products. You can also leverage the money from your monopoly to enter other fields and steal market share by dumping products. The former is a nice fantasy; the latter, of course, is how one famous software company works.)

No business simulation is perfect, nor even particularly realistic, in the sense of an average consumer thinking: "Yes, this is the price that I'd pay for a product and this is how I'd buy it", and Capitalism II has its own quirks. (Setting aside for a moment some essential game quirks, like retail outlets offering a maximum of four products.)

For example, most of my games turned into vertical conquests. If I want to dominate computers (the goal of the first non-tutorial scenario), I would expect to be able to buy electrical components, plastic, steel and silicon, so that I can focus my efforts on building a better CPU (and later, building better electrical components) since that is the element with the broadest effect on my products.

But in the very first scenario, where your big edge is a high level technology in palm computers, you'll find there is no silicon for sale (nor even silica, which you could at least use to make silicon). So I had to start by building a silica mine. (In fact, I may have even had to build an oil well to get plastics, I'm not sure now.) That seems like a bad way to start players out.

By the end of the game, I had an iron mine and a coal mine to boot, to build my own steel. Really, how many computer companies own their own iron, steel, silica and oil resources? I also owned quite a few retail stores and was selling most of my own products.

This game would probably be especially fun in multiplayer, where you could pair up with people to focus on horizontal markets. In fact, it'd probably make a great and fun business class exercise with eight-lpayer teams. I'm not keen on putting up company-specific network code on my machine (I don't do Battle.Net or GameSpy, for example), and I don't think much of Ubisoft in particular, so I never bothered to try to find anyone to play on-line against.

There are two "campaigns": The first is a tutorial, and it's a campaign in the sense that each scenario builds on what you learned in the previous one; the second isn't a campaign at all, it's just a bunch of unrelated scenarios which appear to be roughly in order of difficulty. And the first scenario of the non-tutorial campaign is significantly harder than the last scenario of the tutorial campaign, possibly leading to early frustration.

All-in-all, though, this is a really good game. Dizzying in its depth. Substantial learning curve. As a business sim/game I would give it five stars except for a few missing interface features:

* There's no way to tell at a glance which resources you can buy. (You can find out what your opponents are selling, but the only way to find out what's available at seaports is to check them all out manually.)

* When hiring people to work for you, there's no way to sort or filter those with a particular skill. You have to look through them all.

* Navigating through the multitude of screens is not as easy as it should be: There's a back button which allows you to toggle between two screens, but it really isn't adequate. Also, when you right click from some screens to go back to the main map, the game seems to send you to a home position which has no relation to where you left the main map.

These and a few other similar interface issues may seem like minor annoyances, but they're (barely) enough to knock my score down to four stars. Overall, though, a good experience for armchair moguls.

My favorite game of all time!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: August 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Capitalism 2 is probably my #1 favorite of all time with the Zelda games at #2 and Grand Theft Auto #3.

NOT FOR EVERYONE! This game takes a tremendous amount of time just to learn, about 3-6 hours just to go though the tutorials. If you do not have a background or intrest in business and the fundamentals behind running them it might not intrest you and be a little hard getting started.

It has a tremendous amount of options, from it's own stock market to buying mansions for your player.

If you are intrested in business and like sims game this should be one of your favorites. Puts Monopoly Tycoon to shame.

Just Terrible

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 38 / 66
Date: August 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I don't know how this game is getting 5 stars. It is complicated in the way of icons and easy in the way of play. I actually sat back and let the game play itself (let time run at an accelerated speed) and I earned BILLIONS of dollars!

You can open and operate a grocery store, but you have only 4 items to sell there and no marketing options, no advertising, no hiring and firing. It's just a plain bore. I think that very little thought went into its creation.

I bought it because of the good reviews and the low price ($9.99). I am sorry I did.

This is an Awesome game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: February 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the more addictive games I've played. The tutorials are great. You can learn everthing you need to have success in this game. Once you know pretty much everything, you will find yourself busy creating your own empire at 3 o'clock in the morning. ^_^ It's true that everything becomes a bit repetitive after you establish your empire in farming, manufacturing and retailing. But, still, this game can bring you many hours of fun. One minor issue, the AI sometimes seems pertty dumb. For example, my competitor built an apartment Right on a gold mine in the very beginning of the game. As u may already see, the company didn't go too far because it ran into cash probelm quickly. Also, the NPC company tends to build their factories and retail stores on the existed properties at the downtown. Therefore, the once beautiful downtown will eventually has like 25 department stores and it sure looks Ugly. The stock market seems a bit unrealistic too and can be abused. Buying majority(more than 50%) of other company's stock at the beginning will almost ensure you will have total domination later.(since you can take over the company anytime you want later). Anyway, this game is pretty unique itself. You will have lots fun playing it. ^_^

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