News from Insert Credit

<blockquote>Here's an odd one! Biz Taiken (loosly, 'hands-on business') is a new series (we'll see if they make it past one) for the PSP, which teaches you practical business sense in an adventure/visual novel-like scenario. Bottom left link on the site shows you a movie, if you want to cut to the chase, but I'll explain a bit more for those of you who are interested. It's got a pretty Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright)-like art style for the characters, which are often laid over photographs that have been doctored to look a bit more illustration-y. But in spite of the cartoonish style, it seems to be aimed at serious business folks.

Within the game, your aim is to gain status, learn business terms, and become top in your company. Theoretically, the game provides simple explanations for complex business ideas, tactics and lingo, in a method that's 'so fun you won't realize you're learning.' It's got multiple endings of course, so you have to go through and learn by repetition. The game charts your progress, and also occasionally submits you to tests of knowledge. In many ways, it's like an odd japanese serious game.

Biz Taiken came out on march 9th for 4,800 yen, and predictably did not chart in the top ten. Number 10 for the month was the aging Monster Hunter Portable, with 17,282 units. Soooooo. Still an interesting idea though. </blockquote>