What is The Corporate Machine?

[Frogboy]

This was actually our first Windows game. When it was first released, it was called Entrepreneur. Unfortunately, Entrepreneur Magazine didn't like that so when we made v2.0, we re-branded it, The Corporate Machine.

This was the first RTS I ever worked on. I was still in my 20s when I programmed on this. It was just me and my friends Mike and Alex who worked on this.

While the graphics are dated, the gameplay definitely holds up well. Here's how it works:

You start a company in a particular industry (computers are my favorite but it has a few others). Then you are randomly placed somewhere in the world. The world is broken up into regions that you can sell into each which cares about different qualities in your products. Some regions are rich, some are poor.

Your products are sold by sales executives who sell into the region they're in plus the adjacent regions. You left click to select one and right-click to send them somewhere new to sell. The longer they are there, the more market penetration you get into that region.

Your goal is to become a worldwide monopoly in the industry you chose while preventing your opponents (computer or other humans via LAN/Internet) from doing the same.

If you have any questions, I'm around to answer them, give strategy suggestions, etc.

[KingBobCat]

I started a seperate thread regarding additional maps and products. Just re-posting here to perhaps more easily catch your attention.... Thanks! :)

Additional Products and Maps

I've bought this game two times now. :) Once from Stardock and now on Steam. And thinking back, I don't remember if it was a patch or a mod that provided this game with additional maps (i.e. USA, etc.) and additional products (Cola is one that I recall).

Does any one know whether this was an official patch that added those features and if so, what is the chance of it coming here to Steam's version of the game? Is anyone from Stardock out there that might be able to answer this question? :)

[Frogboy]

I'll look for the other maps and markets. I had to grovel to get them to release this on Steam (grovel/yell at, same difference <g>).

[sherlockskerlock]

Entrepreneur! That's why I haven't been able to find it for years. lol I remember being apart of some sort of pc monthly club back in the '90s and Entrepreneur being apart of it one month. Loved this game back in the day. :)

Hope you can find those other maps. They were all fun and I recommend the game.

[Tim Starstriker]

So I have to ask, was this actually updated to work on Windows 7/8? I have to ask because games aren't checked before they're published onto Steam anymore. And your game lists Windows 95 compatibility....

[Frogboy]

It works on Windows 7/8/10. Been playing it a lot. :)

[Tim Starstriker]

Originally posted by Draginol:

It works on Windows 7/8/10. Been playing it a lot. :)

Alright, thanks Draginol!

[KingBobCat]

Originally posted by Draginol:

It works on Windows 7/8/10. Been playing it a lot. :)

I know the names of the files that we were discussing, please contact me.

[Frogboy]

I'm sure they're around here but if I can't find them, I'll drop you a note. Thanks, King!

[KingBobCat]

NP!

[Major_Chaos]

my game locks up mid game ... calendar just give out... i can still play cards and efect stuff but the timer freezes out???

[Frogboy]

I'm not familiar with that issue. Try saving and reloading.

[FJ]

Got to say that I own Entrepreneur all the way back from the late '90s. I'm originally from Michigan so giving back to developers in my home state was a no brainer and I was pleasantly surprised by the game and it's replayability. Over the years, I would get the game back out and play for a few months before forgetting about it for another year or two. With this weekend's sale, and also realizing that you guys actually rebranded it, I jumped at another chance to buy it once more. However, when I fired up the game, I was dissapointed not to see all the products and maps I was so used to seeing back in the day.

What I ended up doing was installing Entrepreneur 1.5 once more and started looking at all of my old mods and maps as I kept pretty on top of the new products that came out in the early 2000s. It only looks like I had cola and cars in addition to the default computers products, but there were quite a few more maps available (e.g. Africa, Earth 2, RandLand, USA, etc.). Sadly, none of these files works with The Corporate Machine, otherwise I'd be more than happy to share them. If you guys ever put together a conversion tool or FAQ on how to come up with a mod for TCM, I'm sure you'd see even more renewed interest from the community.

Loved the original and I'm sure I'll love the rebranded game as well. This game was such an unexpected blast that I'm sure I'm not the only one hoping to see a reboot or continuation of the series with more community mod support available.

[Dray Prescot]

What I have always wanted to see is an update to Capitalism 1 and 2. I know that they are an Ubisoft product rather than Stardock, but that is what I woud like to see. In that game you could produce the raw materials and farming products, manufacture intermediate components, turn them into final products and sell them in retail stores in several cities usually 2 to 4. As well as doing the usual marketing and advertising, research, bank loans, and stock market activity in the corporations in the various product lines. Your factories, mines and farms, research center, and retail store only had 9 boxes (or windows) to handle one particular item at one step of the chain, and those boxes could be linked together inside that factory, etc, and then linked externally for a complete chain.

[mstolars]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

What I have always wanted to see is an update to Capitalism 1 and 2.

Well there is "Capitalism LAB", which is exactly an update of cap2
http://www.capitalismlab.com/

[Pteromandias]

Really cool. I remember buying this game way back when, but the product was Cola. I'd forgotten all about this until I got this through a Humble Bundle, and it all came back how much I enjoyed it.