Tag: Monopoly

Making Monopoly Better by Youth Financial Education

From an early age, we are taught the wrong things about money and business. Consider the very popular board game Monopoly(R). The game was developed by an engineer at the beginning of the 20th century. In a world of Robber Barons and at the genesis of Scientific Management as a management science, it is possible that a strictly win-lose game is an accurate teaching tool about business. To me, this is a grossly inaccurate way to teach young people about business in a Knowledge Economy, where success is much more about fostering cooperation, sharing ideas and mutual success. Today’s business environment is all about fostering win-win relationships. It’s a great time to be running a business.

I love Monopoly(R) but I have found a few minor rule changes can make it a much more accurate depiction about business today. It also makes the game move more quickly and allows for teaching lessons of negotiation and the art of creating win-win solutions in business.

Rule 1) All rents are paid by the bank

Rents are not paid by other players. When a player lands on another player’s property, this simulates the market giving buying signals to the owning player.

Rule 2) Making Payroll

Every time a player passes “Go”, the player must pay 10% of the purchase price of all owned properties (both mortgaged and unmortgaged). This simulates making monthly payroll and teaches the player the importance of cash-flow management.

Rule 3) Partnered Ownership.

Players can partner to form monopolies and divide the proceeds as agreed. Property ownership is no longer an attrition game. Deal making is encouraged much earlier in the game. In the traditional game, many players wait until nearly all the properties are acquired to begin making deals, which draws the game out. In business, jumping on opportunities quickly is vital to success.

Rule 4) Private Lending

Players may lend money to other players under whatever terms mutually agreed upon. Successful business people know that a lack of money is rarely an obstacle when the opportunity is great. Part of the art of deal making is assembling the team that has all the necessary resources. Often, one party brings funding.

Rule 5) Ending the Game

The game ends when the last hotel is sold and therefore, the market has achieved “saturation”. This teaches the importance of taking action quickly and encourage deal making as soon as possible.

A few simple rule changes like these can reinvent Monopoly(R) and make it a much better learning tool.

Monopoly Tycoon – Monopoly And Sims Combined

Monopoly Tycoon is Monopoly game board and SimCity combined. Derived from the classic Monopoly board game, it is the type of game most people can remember from their childhood. It has a touch of the Sims computer game, making it even livelier. It includes all basic elements of the classic Monopoly like buying and selling, paying for utilities and collecting payment for rent.

How the Game Works

However, Monopoly Tycoon deviates a bit from the classic Monopoly game. In a way, the player can already build a business on a certain property, and not just simply buy a property to start a business. A player may even lease a property and have an auction. If a player wins, his competitors who built a business on that same property will have to pay him rent. A player may also make buildings and manage businesses by setting prices, rent and stock amounts. A person can also buy out companies for a lower cost especially if he owns the block.

Monopoly Tycoon’s time period is different because it begins at 1930. At the end of each day, the year moves up 5 years. And just like an ordinary day, a day in this game is worth 24 hours. At 6:00 a.m., players are required to pay the utilities. Tenants would also have to give the payment for their rents. At 9:00 a.m., the companies that operate in the day open up until 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

Everyday at 6 o’clock p.m., the companies and entertainment businesses that run during the night start operating until midnight. And then another 5 years pass by, a new day starts while the night businesses close. In this game, time moves so fast that even businesses and buildings change.

The World of Monopoly Tycoon

When Monopoly Tycoon starts in 1930, basic businesses are opened right away. These basic businesses include diners, grocery stores and clothing stores. Bakeries, cafes, clinics, book stores, toy stores, news stands, hardware stores and jewelry stores are also available. Night businesses on the other hand, include bars, cinemas, restaurants, ballrooms and theatres. And then by 1940, new concepts of businesses are opened, such as ice cream parlors, department stores, travel agents, health clubs and supermarkets.

Becoming the Top Gun

Success on each stage will depend on the player’s choice of business type that the period offers. He will have to analyze each scenario according to difficulty levels. Players can either choose a single-player or a multiplayer mode. A player who chooses single player mode competes against the computer’s 16 situations or scenarios in 3 levels of difficulty. If one wants to play multiplayer, he has to be connected to a network because the time in Monopoly Tycoon is continuous. This means that there is no time for switching of players on one computer.

Loyalists of the classic Monopoly board game may cautious of the number of additions and changes that have been made with the Monopoly Tycoon. There is no doubt that it is indeed a very enjoyable game. It can even become a training ground for future businessmen since this game provides the challenge that they have to face in real life.

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