Games published by Reality Technologies
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We provide a complete list of games published by this publisher.
Business Simulator
Business Simulator is an excellent business simulation from Reality Technologies, maker of our Hall of Fame inductee, What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School.
While WTDTYAHBS (ack ;)) simulates the sports management industry, Business Simulator simulates the whirlwind, high-stakes world of nurturing your own business from birth to IPO. And just like its predecessor, Business Simulator is a great game that no business simulation fan will want to miss.
The gameplay is similar to WTDTYAHBS, except that it's more thoughtful: there are fewer events (random or otherwise) to deal with, so you'll spend most of your time sifting through annual reports, memos, and the journal to make sound business decisions. The goal, of course, is to make more money than your competitors.
In Business Simulator, you have to increase both your personal wealth and the book value of your company. Advertised as 'an executive training tool', the game lives up to that claim by offering you a variety of realistic options and factors. As in WTDTYAHBS, there are different 'levels' in the game, each corresponding to a stage in the life of the company.
At level I, where you start the game ('start up'), there are few entrepreneurial choices you can make. As your company grows (and so does your net worth), you will advance to higher levels that will give you access to more choices. The decisions you can make in the game are categorized into two types: 'make decisions' and 'process decisions', which are self-explanatory and provide an excellent way to distinguish between new decisions and following up on decisions you've already made.
With a solid economic model, well-implemented gameplay and well-written text (especially the memos), Business Simulator is a classic, if unfortunately obscure, business simulator that really stands the test of time.
What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School
One of the few games ever made about sports management, What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School is an excellent business simulation based on the classic book by Mark McCormack.
In case you are not familiar with him, Mark McCormack is the founder of International Management Group (IMG), a multi-billion dollar global corporation that advises fifty Fortune 500 companies and is a major producer of television programs. He is considered the single most important influence in turning sports into big business, and his book is a New York Times best seller for many consecutive years.
The game puts you in the role of CEO of IMG and, as in McCormack's real life, your task is to lead the company to fame and fortune in 25 years, from its humble beginnings in 1960, to worldwide fame in 1985. There's a lot to like about WTDTYAHBS (wow, what an acronym) aside from the compelling license. The game is divided into three 'acts' in a chronological order paralleling IMG's growth as a company.
In the first act (1960 - 1968), you'll focus your attention on professional golf. Your task is to sign golfers for IMG to represent and negotiate sponsorship, appearance and licensing deals for them. At the same time, you must hire qualified employees to work for the company. He must delegate tasks for his employees that fit their background and previous work experience.
The second act (1969 - 1982) makes the game more complex by adding two more areas: professional tennis and television production. Just as you did with the golfers in Act 1, you will sign and negotiate deals with the tennis players. Your newly created television production unit will handle the technical production of golf and tennis events; as in Act 1, hiring experienced executives to oversee the department is the key to success.
Finally, the third act (1982-1985) is the ultimate test of your management skills, as you will now produce your own special sporting event to be broadcast on television in the epilogue of the simulation. With this goal in mind, you will focus your efforts on meeting the right people to make the event work. You will then negotiate the event contracts and manage your staff to make everything run smoothly.
The gameplay in WTDTYAHBS is turn-based: each day, you'll read messages in your inbox, attend networking events, negotiate and sign athletes, hire and fire executives, and plan events on your calendar. Despite being a text-only game, WTDTYAHBS offers an excellent interface where you can easily access all of the game's options and functions. The underlying economic model is solid and quite realistic from what I could tell, although some things, such as the increased contract amount you can offer during negotiations, seem a bit too random.
True to McCormack's real life, the game puts a lot of emphasis on hiring the right people to manage the various parts of your business, as well as the importance of networking events. Little details, such as daily sports news, add a lot to the atmosphere of the game. WTDTYAHBS even has the option of an online coach that you can turn to when you're not sure what to do, and it tracks your performance in 3 areas: management, negotiation and networking.
One feature I really like that I haven't seen in any other game is the 'recommended reading list' that the game prints out for you every time you leave it, based on its assessment of your current performance. It's all about combining fun with education:)
With a great book as a foundation, a powerful game engine and excellent presentation, WTDTYAHBS is a must-play game for anyone interested in how sports management companies work, or even for fans of games like Hollywood Mogul that emphasize negotiation and interpersonal skills. Highly recommended.
