Customer Reviews

Capitalism 2 (Jewel Case)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

A good game for people who wnat a challenge in business. This game has many dimensions; stock market, retail, manufacturing, wholesaling, media management, apartment/commmercial building management, etc. You can even buy out your competition and have control over them or sell to them.

NOTE: You do NOT have to complete the tutorials to play the game.

There are several senarios to play, ranging from simple to very complex, each has a rating on a scale.. You decide! One senario I chose, I became the 6th richest person in the world! Assets and cash over 10 billion dollars. Hours of fun and you can stop and Save... or retire with a Rating.

...and this is one of them. Many times in our instant gratification society people don't want to wait. If you are one of those people then I do not recommend Capitalism 2 but if you are one of those that is willing to put in the effort and explore the depth of the game then Capitalism 2 is recommended. Capitalism 2 is one of those games that many will dismiss after a couple of plays because the depth will not reveal itself immediately. 1503 AD(and others in the series) and Patrician 3 are like that also(both also wonderful games that do not reveal their depth until they are played for a while). Capitalism 2 is one of the better tycoon type games.

I loved this game, when i played the demo sometime back but forgot the name of the game, so once i found it i immediatly bought it...

The game has a very good stock market, it has training missions(called the entraprenuers campaign) which each most of the things(buttons) to use and is very helpful.

Strategies, like when to enter which market and what to research will depend on missions and personal choice.

It is a very addictive game and when i sit down to play it it takes me abt 2-3 hours each time, time flies without knowing it...

One huge plus about this game is it's low price (10bucks) and it works on Windows Vista as well (so future proof).

I am just sad that there is no Capitalism 3...

I'll admit right now that I'm biased. I love business simulations especially ones with more detail. So, if you're into those casual coffee shop type, overly-simplistic business simulations, don't bother.

This game is one of those games that I have in my collection and keep coming back to every couple of years. You can play the scenarios or you can set up a sandbox with a number of boundary options (number of ports to bring in external products/resources, number of cities, competitors, etc.) as well as end-game options (none, or first to a certain set of goals).

The graphics are dated and there are little glitches here and there (like when you're entering text). Otherwise, the game world and various configuration screens are usable and don't get in the way. The configuration of buildings like factories is generally focused on two screens. The main one is a grid of nine boxes. These boxes represent units in the building that can be assigned related tasks. Think of them as stations along an assembly line or offices in an office building. You can build links between them to make them function. For example, you might have a Purchase function added to a box so that you can buy wood from a local resource. Then you'd assign Manufacture to another box and set its product to Beds. Then you'd assign Sales to a third box. Then you connect the boxes together and products will start to flow. Over time depending on what you allocate to training, the experience of that function will increase which increases its capacity and efficiency.

The other screen lets you determine how much to charge for the items offered by that Sales function. You can also limit sales to internal sales so your competitors can't get those Beds at rock bottom prices.

You can also play around on the stock market, hire certain executives, research products to improve quality, merge or takeover other companies, own stock personally, and buy and sell real estate (like apartments, mansions, etc.). You can even buy or sell media outlets (television, radio, newspaper) to control marketing avenues.

My favorite thing about the game is that, since it's closer to a true business simulation, you can do things like corner the market on a particular resource (something I always try to do). So you might focus on grabbing the Chemical Materials resources available on the map (something you have to keep track of as the sim will add resources every once in a while). Then you can charge high prices for the resource to your competitors while you charge a minimal price internally. From there, you can build products (leading up to electronics and cars) much cheaper than your competitors.

It's this kind of flexibility that really makes this game a winner for me. I like being able to approach the sim the way I want to and this game lets you.

If you want a story or some sort of linear game, this isn't it.

I'm impressed. There are no frills, there are no gimmicks. This game cuts right to the chase. It's all about supply and demand, and the rest is open ended. The game provides the player with a vase array of goods. It's up to the player to decide which part of the production/consumption chain he wants to invest in, and then it's all about making money.

This game is pure simulation with just enough in the graphics department to keep the game in the 21st century. I would recommend this game to anyone who is into tycoon games or business simulations. It's the best one I've seen in quite awhile, and I play a lot of them.

Don't let the drab packaging fool you. This one is a keeper, and the replayability is very high. The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars in the "fun" department is simply because I like a few frills and easter eggs here and there. This game is all business.

Definitely made by someone that knows what they're doing in the business world. Can be quite a bit of fun if you're willing to dedicate time to learning how to play properly, and you have a good business head on your shoulders.

I'd rather not bore you with a lengthy, sugar-coated review. If you are into business/tycoon games at all, and enjoy dealing with finances, the stock market, analyzing charts, etc. then this is the game for you! Like I said, when it comes to depth and addictiveness, It's unlike anything on the market, especially for $10!!

it takes a while to learn, otherwise it's way fun. It's very adicting once you get into it.