The Corporate Machine
| The Corporate Machine | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Stardock |
| Publisher(s) | Take-Two Interactive |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Aggregate score | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 80/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| CGW |   |
| GameSpot | 8.4/10 |
| GameSpy | 75% |
| GameZone | 9/10 |
| IGN | 8.1/10 |
| PC Format | 64% |
| PC Gamer (US) | 62% |
The Corporate Machine (known in Europe as Business Tycoon) is a strategy computer game from Stardock in which the goal is to create a corporation in one of four industries (automobiles, aircraft, computers, or soft drinks) and eventually dominate rival companies. To win the player must dominate the chosen market (getting 55% to 65% of the market share depending on the number of opponents). The Corporate Machine is a follow up to the game Business Tycoon, which was itself a sequel to the game Entrepreneur, all developed by Stardock.
When starting a game, the player picks a company specialty. Three specialties are available: marketing, labor and research. Each specialty doubles productivity in that area. After picking a specialty, the start screen allows choice of how many opponents to be faced, the difficulty of the game, what map will be used (both real and fictional maps are available), starting funds, and what industry is to be competed in.
The game is started at the home site (which is randomly chosen on the map) and with one sales executive. To introduce and sell the product to other regions, the region must be investigated. This process can take from 3 to 10 weeks depending on how far they are from the sites. After an area is explored, the player will know the market leader, if opponents have sites or units there, if the region has a resource, as well as statistics like what the targeted area desires in a product, their concerns with price, and how rich the region is.
The sales executives increase market penetration (the percentage of stores carrying the product) in their regions and all regions up to two spaces away from each executive. The sales executive can be moved around the map freely by plane; however, while in transit he will not grant any penetration benefit. To gain more sales executives the profit must be increased to a certain level by the end of a year. This gets harder later on as the amount to gain a new executive increases. It is also possible to get them through the use of Direct Action Cards.
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Wikipedia