1. Why business game?
Many players, including me, like business simulation game. This is because many people has the desire to running a business, but to do so in real life is risky, for you might loss money. But in a game, it's much safer :-)
2. The balance
However, it's difficult to make business sim game. Because it's hard to reach a balance between gameplay and business reality. If a business sim game is not "Real" enough, players would not play it, but if the simulation is too real, players might face tons of numbers and charts, this may drive players away because they are playing game for relax, not for MBA degree.
3. Two successful business game
I really enjoy two business sim game so far: Ronin software's Wall Street Raider(DOS version) and Hexacto's Lemonade Inc. They do simulate the business, either acting as a CEO/Stock player or setting up a small business from only $230.
But the most important is that the games are really fun.
CAPITALISM by Enlight was known as the most unique, superb and realistic business simulation ever made, but I don't like it much because it is too realistic and have too much details related to business which I'm not interested in.
4. How to make business game
In my opinon, to make a business game we should keep it simple and interesting.
Have a deep research of the business, then just simpify the business itself to some key factors, never puzzle your potential players by complex numbers.
Add something fun to your game.
Any comments are welcome.

I'm currently designing an unusual game for the upcoming fall semester of the "Plus Program" for second-year MBA students at the University of Texas McCombs Business School. Sponsored by Dell Corporation, the game casts 350 players as executives and managers in nine computer companies of about 40 players each, all competing against each other in six one-hour sessions over three days.

The game handles business details very abstractly. Within each company, each team of 2-5 players (R&D, Procurement, Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales, etc.) is simply allocating worker tokens and hours to complete projects, thereby earning Reputation points and contributing to the company's quarterly revenue goals. The real gameplay lies in coordinating all these teams and players to pull together toward the company's overall goals.

As they compete at what I hope will be a frantic pace, with too few resources to complete all desirable projects, players will face constant temptation to cut corners and take unethical shortcuts. Such behavior may work out in the short run, but over three days of play it may spawn undesirable side issues that interfere with everyday business. The ultimate point of the exercise is to demonstrate the importance of ethical conduct to MBA students who may heretofore have had little exposure to this idea. The game seeks to dramatize Dell's view that ethical conduct is not only desirable in its own right; in the long term, it's also good business.

I don't really have a point here; just talking about a project that's been occupying me for several months. The game will run in October. Wish me luck!

Hi guoly:

First, a english version of your site would be nice :p

I say go ahead with business games. I love them too and doing them myself (check for a recent thread from me about this). I know that making a game fun and at the same time ralistic is hard, thats why I making the fun part of the game be non realistic but scalable, so users can decide how to play the game, totally in fun mode, or totally in realistic mode, or any of the 100 levels in between.

Tell you what, you do those games, make them in english too, and I'm guessing you will have a smaller but less tended market to compete on.

http://www.simulearn.net ( a game I worked on )

Simply put it's a "Sim-meeting", your mission is convince the other people in the meeting that your choice is the right one. ( it's all in real time ). You need to control the whole discution in order to win.

pat.