Existing and Emerging Business Simulation-Game Design Movements

Abstract

Business Simulation-Game design is arguably a creative art and like painting and architecture there are several movements that describe the artistic style of individual business simulation-games. This paper describes that several aspects of Fine Art movements are relevant to business simulation-game design. These (realism, aesthetics and functionalism) can be used to position Business Simulation-Games and define existing and emergent simulation movements. The paper suggests these movements are the established Real World movement and the emergent movements of Teach and Murff’s Small Simulations, Serious Games and Hall’s Corporate Cartoons. Each of these movements is positioned in the realism, functionalism and engagement (aesthetics) space and parallels drawn with the relevant Fine Art movements. Besides positioning the movements the paper critiques individual movements based on their position in the realism, functionalism and engagement space.