How can one create a virtual business world which matches the complexity of the real thing?  It's no longer enough to use static 'case methodology,' which was pioneered nearly 100 years ago at Harvard Business School .  The new business world simulation requires interaction on an international basis, independent of language and time zones.

Along has come a fully modern tool for international business simulation.  The Informatist (www.informatist.net) is angled at high school and college students from around the globe.  Offered in Chinese, English and Lithuanian, the site gives each student a bit of land, a business (or trade) and the tools they need in order to make something of themselves (economically speaking) in the virtual world.  Because each student is competing against thousands of others throughout the world, this business simulation copies the elements of the real world which is influenced by people and their whims and ideas, not static computer-controlled responses which may not mimic the real world.

Modern Times: The Onslaught of Modern Online Gaming.

Modern online games have become popular around the world with the advent of broadband accessibility and computer power.  Ten years ago, games like Doom and Halo would be unthinkable on a massively large internet scale—computers were too slow and the Internet structure wasn't there to allow people to interact with such data-rich sources at the same time.

The advent of these games prompted programmers and hardware makers to come up with much more sophisticated tools to enable people to collaborate online.  As with most things, games led the charge.  Business simulation did not keep pace, as it was still the preserve of business schools who relied for the most part on written cases and analyses—just like had been done for the previous 100 years.

Informatist: Free and Interesting.

The Informatist business simulation game appeals to high school and college students.  This generation is very attuned to online communication, and has high expectations of their experiences.  It's no longer enough to teach dry business concepts with a textbook-based approach.  Online learning means social interaction, spurs thinking, and creates a rich environment for learning through competition and having fun.