Be the BOSS with Business Tycoon Online
By: Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Business Tycoon Online is a browser based MMO that tackles the intricacies of the business world. As the title states, you are an enterprising “tycoon” who plans on starting your own empire in the virtual world of BTO.
As a business-centric game, I must say I am impressed with the depth the game goes to. It tackles the basic necessities a businessman needs to accomplish if he wants to have a thriving business. The game runs on a mix of real-time and game-time providing an interesting mix of urgency for dedicated players and casualness for the rest.
I actually like how the game was made since I myself am handling my own business. As a word of caution though playing BTO doesn’t mean you can handle a business of your own since this game is a game and can’t really give you enough to start your own business (I know I shouldn’t even state this out but people have done crazier things online). If it is any indication, this game does make you feel like you own your own start-up company, which is the game’s strength and its weakness.
BTO’s strength is its capability to immerse you in the world of Wall Street. You will be swamped with numbers, statistics and information on various business ventures you may want to invest in. You can also see how your current businesses are faring. The game also gives you the choice on where to put your business ventures throughout the city grid. Unlike in other games where location is just a random place put by the game engine, in BTO you are the one who would decide on where you want to establish your franchise ala a system reminiscent of building a city in Evony. Also, you are given the task of deciding where you want your factory set up; your products don’t materialize out of thin air or elf magic!
The downside to this is that BTO is not for everyone. If you’re the type of person who absolutely hates reading about business mumbo jumbo I suggest you back away from this game pronto. Being that BTO is a business game, you will definitely meet a lot of business terms and you have to process a lot of information if you want to have a good run in BTO. However, if you are the type of person that micromanages individual units in Starcraft, or cities in Civilization, then this game will reward you for your strategies.
BTO’s appeal is primarily reliant on your capacity to enjoy the business world (even if it’s just virtual) and your capacity to want to keep at it. All in all I can say that if you have a knack for creating conglomerates or you want to see how it feels, then BTO is a game for you. The game doesn’t fail in creating the immersive experience of a tycoon, however sometimes it feels too straining to even keep at it for so long. That is unless you refer to the cash shop for helpful items since, even in a virtual business world, the all mighty dollar still buys you power.
