Because the game is divided into different regions, each with its own tastes and needs, the product also must be tailored to each audience and retain cost competitiveness. The overall look and feel of The Corporate Machine is a sort of Mad Magazine Does Management, but the business realities it requires the player to balance are real enough, including bribing politicians and fomenting or dealing with labor unrest. Stardock has a keen eye for the corporate process, including employee training and motivation and how the various corporate parts and processes must interact to get and maintain market share. It presents all those potentially mind-numbing issues in an entertaining way. Installation was straightforward and included a well-mannered uninstall module.
System requirements are modest.
For all the sniping at Microsoft, there is no Mac version. It's also available in a few retail outlets, the Stardock business staff apparently having not played that part of their product that stresses the importance of distribution. Well worth a look. Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.