Managing a [computer|software|internet|web] company is a complicated thing, full of the kind of complex tradeoffs that would make a smashing sim.

You'd have to have some kind of broad strategy elements for adapting to changing technology in a changing marketplace, making decisions about what standards to use, what to patent and what to make open source, etc. But I see the bulk of the game being spent in managing individual projects. You'd want to assign programmers to the projects that they're suited for, but still give everyone some variety (good for morale and increases their skill sets and familiarity with your in-house codebase) and not become too reliant on one or two really smart people (in case they quit or get hit by a truck.) You'd want the marketers to give demos at the right time: before the competition has a similar demo, but not so soon that the product looks unready. You'd strive for the balance of maximum productivity: work people hard, but don't let them burn out.

A successful IPO would probably constitute "winning", although the player should be allowed to continue playing afterwards to pursue personal goals (like dominant market share).

Perhaps the most amusing thing about this idea is the thought that the people developing the game could research the subject matter by observing each other.
-- baf, Mar 03 2000

Capitalism, from Enlight Software. http://www.enlight.com/capdes.htm
(Can't find a connection to Aztech software -- are you sure they wrote it?) [jutta, Mar 03 2000]

MonteChristo Games: StartUp 2000 http://www.montecri...startup/texte1.html
As per [zapped]'s annotation. "In Start Up 2000, you're the boss, a savvy CEO renegade running a high tech corporation. From your virtual desk, you oversee every apsect [sic] of your product's development, production and distribution. You manage your employees, devise marketing strategies and stay one step ahead of your competitors. It's a risky market place, where fortunes are made overknight [sic] and dispear [sic] in an instant." [jutta, Mar 03 2000]

Sim Software http.//simsoftware.coolfreehost.com
My site for the game i will develop. Please read the descripttion another place on this page. [Caldasar, Oct 17 2002, last modified Oct 20 2002]

Software simulation http://www.jpatt.net/
You own a software company [Pelu, Oct 04 2004]

Super Cult Simulator Tycoon Deluxe https://youtu.be/LnkqdMS1LkE
Review video. Merely change the location from "countryside" to "San Francisco" for the full startup experience [sninctown, Nov 15 2020]

Depressingly, scads of corporate-themed computer games not unlike your proposal already exist...and they all tanked pretty much as soon as they came out. One of the best is "Capitalism" by Aztech software.

Now, an online browser-based version...
-- stark, May 09 2000


Hmm yeah!
-- enveekaa, Jul 17 2000


It's not really the same as "Capitalism". The focus would be on the tech, not the finance. (The typical financial question facing a startup isn't "What companies should we buy?", but "Which bills should we pay this month?")
-- baf, Nov 03 2000


I can think of two games which match your description. One is a fantastic game from way back for the ZX Spectrum called millionaire. It's available to play online at speccy.com. As this site is in beta stages, you'll have to become a beta tester: http://www.speccy.com/speccy/betajoin.asp

The other game is called Start Up : the computer game. Straight up, no kidding! Your original idea is actually about as original as my idea for a circular disc to transport things; i plan to call it "the wheel"! You can get start up from www.montecristogames.com
-- zapped, May 19 2001


[admin: use [link] to post links, they layout better that way.]
-- jutta, May 19 2001


Hi. I hvae had this idea for a while. I will soon start the developement of my own game with about that idea. go to http://simsoftware.coolfreehost.com to check it out... If the page is`nt up. Then just try the next day... And if anyone has a good idea for a name for it or any ideas please post them here..... (or contact me as the website says...)
-- Caldasar, Oct 17 2002


Darn. I thought this was going to be about a computer game where you have to make the right decisions in order to get a mock computer to boot up.
-- GenYus, Mar 16 2004


More than the idea per se, I like [baf] pointing out the fact, that startup success depends non-linearly on the plethora of parameters that the management has to fine-tune for the successful outcome.

Education, just as playing games, is a lot about parameter tuning.
-- Inyuki, Nov 15 2020



random, halfbakery