LavaMind, the creators of the wacky business simulation Gazillionaire, are getting ready to tweak the funny bones of virtual MBAs the world around with their newest game, Zapitalism. The game setting is the fantastical island of Zapinalia. The ruler of the island, Queen Keshi Keshi Gomu, has just opened up the island to foreign imports for the first time in 1,000 years. She's set up a Royal Wholesaler to buy products from the visiting merchants to sell to one of six new import stores. The player, acting as operator of one of the import stores, tries to build up his humble enterprise into a vast commercial empire. This isn't just another business sim--the folks at LavaMind aren't ones to put out a dry, staid design, no siree! Each store has an owner best described as different (although strange, bizarre, and downright weird might fit just as well). Players will work with their particular owner (and work around each owners' particular quirks) in building up the business, buying, selling, and trading such products as quid licks, wig clamps, and nose radios.
Zapitalism adds a dose of empire building and a dash of adventuring to the business mix. By queenly edict, the six store owners are the only ones allowed off Zapinalia to conduct business. Players send their business' owner off to explore opportunities at one of 12 different travel locations in the island archipelago. Locations include such places as Mount Bulbus, the "be-all and end-all of entertainment resorts," where the owner can try his or her hand at gambling away the player's profits, or the mysterious Outer Reboundrum, inhabited by such wild peoples as the Picadillo Babies (who hold intruders hostage and feed them only toffee candy). An adventurous (and lucky) owner can return from these business forays with new goods, moneys, or potential customers.
Much of the humor in the game is contained in the hundreds of stories describing the islands, the creatures, and the various products available in the game. Gamers will need to pay attention to the seemingly off-the-wall details contained in these stories--after all, how else would one know that by being nice to the Hive Master, a player can get him to influence the buying tendencies of the Hive population (through his behavior-altering pollen)? The world of Zapitalism won't be static--the shifts occurring in Zapinalian social, political, and cultural areas will be portrayed via news reports and special events. The news reports pop up during gameplay to inform players of Zapinalian goings-on. The variety of special events (good and bad) can have up to 40 sub-events associated with them. These sub-events are tied to the decisions made by players in the game and the unique business practices and personality of each store owner. Each of the twelve locations in the game will have between 25 and 100 of these events, so there'll be plenty for the owners to deal with no matter where they are sent.
LavaMind says that Zapitalism will sport a strong AI, play-by-e-mail, and a built-in tutorial. The game can be played with up to six human players, or a single player can take on up to five computer-controlled owners, or some mixture of the two. At press time LavaMind didn't have a publisher for the game, but hopes to have one by the time the game is ready to ship late in the Spring.
