Medical and Business Simulation Games
I usually don't have time to look at computer games, but these look really cool! I haven't tried them yet. What do you think? Can you recommend other excellent business and medical simulators?
Abandonia is an excellent site full of "abandonware."
("Abandonware" is computer software which is no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder. Alternately, the term is also used for software which is still available, but on which further support and development has been deliberately discontinued. Since the software is no longer sold or supported, the copyright holders are not directly harmed in any way. This is why abandonware sites are, for the most part, ignored by the law.)
The point is, Abandonia is chock full of hundreds of FREE major computer games from the 80s and 90s, of all types (my favorites are simulation and strategy)! Most of them you can download, free. I even found 1980s games like The Ancient Art of War (a military strategy game based on Sun Tzu's famous book) and Lode Runner, which I loved playing as a kid.
Medical people, check these out!
1. Life and Death (1988), developed by a doctor, lets you play doctor and surgeon in a general hospital. It's more about the abdomen:
2. Life and Death 2: The Brain (1990), developed by a doctor, lets you do brain surgery:
Because these games are for older computers, you need to run a DOSBox to use them. It emulates an old Intel 286/386 CPU.
_____________________________
Business tycoons, check these out:
This first game is the COOLEST one!
1. IndustryPlayer (2005) lets you create and manage your own corporation in a virtual economy. It is the most realistic online Business Simulation Game. Be a virtual Entrepreneur in control of a globally operating industry holding. In real-time, you compete against hundreds of players from around the globe for profits and market share. Experience real competition within a simulation of real market forces.
The goal of this turn-based business strategy game is to maximize your market share and wealth. IndustryPlayer uses actual industry data and allows its 80,000 worldwide players to simulate real business conditions in a real-time, interactive environment. Start with ten million dollars, and buy and run up to five companies. Choose from among 225 product licenses in 16 industry sectors. Before making your selection, you can see the purchase price, production capacity, market demand, and competitive profile.
Manage raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods. Learn to deal with takeovers, labor strikes, supply shortages, disasters, insurance, and credit ratings, or get beaten by your competition.
Download a free trial of IndustryPlayer. You may play on the first tutorial level for free. But you must keep paying to play. They say it can be as easy or complicated as you want, to play.
Business students at places like UC Berkeley's Haas School, the U. of Michigan business school, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Kellogg School of Management, the National U. of Singapore, Fudan U., and the U. of Hong Kong are also using IndustryPlayer to compete against each other, as entrepreneurs, in real-time!
2. Capitalism II (2001): "Create and control the business empire of your dreams. This in-depth strategy game covers almost every aspect of business that could be encountered in the real world. Use marketing, manufacturing, purchasing, importing, retailing and more to become a corporate CEO. This is the most comprehensive business simulation available."
I own this game. It's not free. It's hard to play and learn, and I don't have enough business/finance knowledge to fully use it.
An increasing number of business professors are now becoming more aware of the benefits of low-cost computer simulations of business activities and principals. Capitalism II, the best business simulation game widely regarded by the media and the gaming public, has been used by many professors to breakthrough the dull and boring traditional way of teaching. Professor Thomas Kosnik, who teaches at both Stanford and Harvard business schools, has incorporated Capitalism as a supplemental learning tool into his Entrepreneurial Marketing class, and has included the game in a final exam. He pointed out the fact that Capitalism, filled with icons, charts and graphics, is much more appealing for the present MTV generation than a dull lecture. Let's hear why he made use of Capitalism as his teaching tool:
"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 Thomas Kosnik,
Consulting Professor, Stanford School of Engineering, and Lecturer, Harvard Business School
3. Sim Tower (1995): The aim is to build a hundred story tower block filled with offices, condos, shops, restaurants,a hotel, a cinema and a party hall. Your tower will also need a medical centre, good security, adequate parking and good recycling facilities. The eventual aim is to place a cathedral on the top and win the game.
4. Free Enterpri$e (1996) is a business simulator in which you build a company from the ground up and try to become a giant in your industry. To accomplish this, you must rent a building to house your industrial equipment and offices.
Unlike other business simulators where every employee is a mindless and loyal robot chained to his desk, Free Enterpri$e incorporates a unique AI that makes every worker you hire unique in his or her character and professional traits. Work ethics, public relations abilities, and even drug and alcohol (ab)use are factors that determine how well every employee does his job. In order to find workers, you must post wanted ads and review applications. When you are seeking new employees, the results of a candidate's interview are displayed and show information about job-related skills and past job history.
Abandonia is an excellent site full of "abandonware."
("Abandonware" is computer software which is no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder. Alternately, the term is also used for software which is still available, but on which further support and development has been deliberately discontinued. Since the software is no longer sold or supported, the copyright holders are not directly harmed in any way. This is why abandonware sites are, for the most part, ignored by the law.)
The point is, Abandonia is chock full of hundreds of FREE major computer games from the 80s and 90s, of all types (my favorites are simulation and strategy)! Most of them you can download, free. I even found 1980s games like The Ancient Art of War (a military strategy game based on Sun Tzu's famous book) and Lode Runner, which I loved playing as a kid.
Medical people, check these out!
1. Life and Death (1988), developed by a doctor, lets you play doctor and surgeon in a general hospital. It's more about the abdomen:
2. Life and Death 2: The Brain (1990), developed by a doctor, lets you do brain surgery:
Because these games are for older computers, you need to run a DOSBox to use them. It emulates an old Intel 286/386 CPU.
_____________________________
Business tycoons, check these out:
This first game is the COOLEST one!
1. IndustryPlayer (2005) lets you create and manage your own corporation in a virtual economy. It is the most realistic online Business Simulation Game. Be a virtual Entrepreneur in control of a globally operating industry holding. In real-time, you compete against hundreds of players from around the globe for profits and market share. Experience real competition within a simulation of real market forces.
The goal of this turn-based business strategy game is to maximize your market share and wealth. IndustryPlayer uses actual industry data and allows its 80,000 worldwide players to simulate real business conditions in a real-time, interactive environment. Start with ten million dollars, and buy and run up to five companies. Choose from among 225 product licenses in 16 industry sectors. Before making your selection, you can see the purchase price, production capacity, market demand, and competitive profile.
Manage raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods. Learn to deal with takeovers, labor strikes, supply shortages, disasters, insurance, and credit ratings, or get beaten by your competition.
Download a free trial of IndustryPlayer. You may play on the first tutorial level for free. But you must keep paying to play. They say it can be as easy or complicated as you want, to play.
Business students at places like UC Berkeley's Haas School, the U. of Michigan business school, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Kellogg School of Management, the National U. of Singapore, Fudan U., and the U. of Hong Kong are also using IndustryPlayer to compete against each other, as entrepreneurs, in real-time!
2. Capitalism II (2001): "Create and control the business empire of your dreams. This in-depth strategy game covers almost every aspect of business that could be encountered in the real world. Use marketing, manufacturing, purchasing, importing, retailing and more to become a corporate CEO. This is the most comprehensive business simulation available."
I own this game. It's not free. It's hard to play and learn, and I don't have enough business/finance knowledge to fully use it.
An increasing number of business professors are now becoming more aware of the benefits of low-cost computer simulations of business activities and principals. Capitalism II, the best business simulation game widely regarded by the media and the gaming public, has been used by many professors to breakthrough the dull and boring traditional way of teaching. Professor Thomas Kosnik, who teaches at both Stanford and Harvard business schools, has incorporated Capitalism as a supplemental learning tool into his Entrepreneurial Marketing class, and has included the game in a final exam. He pointed out the fact that Capitalism, filled with icons, charts and graphics, is much more appealing for the present MTV generation than a dull lecture. Let's hear why he made use of Capitalism as his teaching tool:
"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 Thomas Kosnik,
Consulting Professor, Stanford School of Engineering, and Lecturer, Harvard Business School
3. Sim Tower (1995): The aim is to build a hundred story tower block filled with offices, condos, shops, restaurants,a hotel, a cinema and a party hall. Your tower will also need a medical centre, good security, adequate parking and good recycling facilities. The eventual aim is to place a cathedral on the top and win the game.
4. Free Enterpri$e (1996) is a business simulator in which you build a company from the ground up and try to become a giant in your industry. To accomplish this, you must rent a building to house your industrial equipment and offices.
Unlike other business simulators where every employee is a mindless and loyal robot chained to his desk, Free Enterpri$e incorporates a unique AI that makes every worker you hire unique in his or her character and professional traits. Work ethics, public relations abilities, and even drug and alcohol (ab)use are factors that determine how well every employee does his job. In order to find workers, you must post wanted ads and review applications. When you are seeking new employees, the results of a candidate's interview are displayed and show information about job-related skills and past job history.