What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that kids can build their own video
games within this game, so it's up to them where they go with
it. But they can incorporate shooting -- cars, helicopters,
tanks, and other characters. No blood is shown, but explosions
are used when blowing up opponents' vehicles. Overall, the
emphasis is on encouraging creativity and thoughtful design
techniques. This is a good way to get kids' creative juices
flowing.
Families can talk about how designing your own game influences how you evaluate other games. Was it challenging to make a game that was fun to play? Were the games without any violence just as fun as the ones that had violence in them? Did you come up with any stories to go along with the games you made? Did that make the games more fun?
Common Sense Media Review
Many kids dream of being a video game designer. VIDEO GAME
TYCOON lets them do just that: create, develop, and play their
very own 3-D video games. If they want, kids can even share
their masterpieces with friends by burning their creations to a
CD/DVD, if their computer supports that feature.
Video Game Tycoon isn't a true "tycoon" game. Players don't spend any time managing a fictitious video game company. Instead, the entire game is based around a relatively easy-to-use development tool that lets kids create their own 3-D games. Players earn certificates and unlock extra features by going through the tutorials and building games with specific goals; however, the main idea is to let kids build their own games.
After naming their game, kids decide on the goal of the game. Is it to collect ten pieces of candy before time runs out? Or, is it to shoot all of the targets while surviving attacks from enemy tanks? The options are varied and create an environment in which kids can really experiment.
After setting the objectives, kids builds the environment. By selecting from a number of different alternatives, kids choose what the terrain and sky look like, as well as the type of map the game is played on. Race tracks, cityscapes, and desert fortresses are all possibilities.
Finally, kids choose the options for the main character, which they will control, as well as the options for any computer-controlled opponents/objects. Again, a number of options exist. Cars, dinosaurs, tanks, even horse riders are all "characters" that can exist in a player's game. Standard controls make it easy to switch from driving a tank in one game to riding a horse in another.
Although the concept is a good one, the game does have limitations. The tutorials just barely cover the basics, and could use a lot more interaction. The graphics and sound effects are serviceable, but players will quickly realize they are not building games to rival the latest Tomb Raider or Gran Turismo . Finally, although standard controls make it easy to play any of the game types, the responsiveness tends to leave much to be desired, making it a real challenge to control characters without a lot of practice and patience.
Despite these concerns, most younger players will find the idea of being able to build their own video game an exciting one. With a bit of persistence, kids can build fairly sophisticated racing and shoot-'em-up games. The ability to burn games to DVD/CD even adds more appeal, since players can enjoy challenging their friends to their latest creation.
Players who enjoy this game might also like a more traditional Tycoon series game like Roller Coaster Tycoon .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
