This is basically a role-playing game, with increased skills accruing through performing activities and interacting with other characters. To have an income, it is necessary to engage in business activities, and it is possible to open all kinds of establishments, ranging from casinos to coffee shops. Or you could simply patronize the gambling establishments of others, and make -- or lose -- your money that way.
Hotel Giant
International distributor: Jowood
Productions
Local distributor: Unalis Technology Corp
Platforms: Chinese and English version for PC
Release: January
The German game designer is known for its lively games and on this occasion invited the creator of Seven Kingdoms, Trevor Chan, to create a game based on running a hotel.
The background can be placed in one of 23 famous cities. You start off with a small family establishment and gradually build up into an international hotel chain.
To start the player can select one of 19 types of hotels, but from there on, he must do all the interior design work, putting in all the facilities and ensuring that the hotel is planned well. Patrons of the hotel wander about the premises, and the player can follow them around, listening to their comments and complaints.
There are computer-generated competitors, and players must keep track of hotel rankings in the city and also spend money on advertising. While it is possible to go head-to-head with other businesses, players can simply seek to create a unique hotel. According to Antonio Lu (
Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
International distributor: Infogames
Entertainment
Local distributors: T-time Technology Co and Infogames Taiwan
Platform: Chinese and English for PC
This second edition of Roller Coaster Tycoon not only expands the map and allows for the creation of a bigger and better theme-park empire, it now also incorporates many new themes to help you create your ideal park.
The best part of any amusement park is its roller coasters. In this game you can create your roller coaster with all kinds of twists and sudden drops to get the patrons screaming with excitement and coming back for more.
In designing your ideal roller coaster, you still have to obey the basic laws of physics -- otherwise your patrons are going to be flying out of the cars. But the roller coaster is not everything. You must also see to all the other elements such as rest areas and haunted houses in order to appeal to customers and keep the money rolling in.
Making sure you have sufficient funding for your project is also important, and you can even set up an R&D group to help develop new elements for your roller coaster.
According to Michael Fu, a senior commentator for PC Games, a Cambridge University study sampling children between the ages of seven and 16 has shown that strategy games like Roller Coaster Tycoon are excellent for developing children's organizational skills. One advantage with Roller Coaster Tycoon is that many aspects of micromanagement are taken care of by the computer, so that players can focus on the theme parks bottom line -- and of course, designing a super roller coaster.
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