Economics in Video Games

I’m on the hunt for video games that, in addition to their gameplay, offer an intricate, yet still fun, economic aspect. Here are some examples of games that I have played that achieved this:

Europa Universalis III
Star Wars Galaxies
Pirates of the Burning Sea
1701 A.D.
EVE Online

These are but a few. And I’m already tired of them or will no longer play them. I was wondering if anyone else had some interesting games that they have encountered with an engrossing economic dynamic that adds to the gameplay beyond what you would expect in the typical video game.

pretty much all MMO’s have a lot involved in the currency system; academic papers and stuff are written about it even. "virtual property" in SL also.

Each MMO does have its own economy, this is true, but that doesn’t make it a good or realistic one. World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online both have in-game economies that are largely the transferring of high end equipment. Your ability to make a killing off of it is almost entirely based on your ability and time spent raiding, rather than crafting or manipulating the market forces.

While I could amuse myself by manipulating these broken economies by making millions selling raw materials or consumables to fools who think they can craft and profit from it, I would rather search for a new game that actually has a strong and working economy that actually allows you to make a difference without necessarily being dependent on in-game drops or supplying raiding consumable needs.

They did release a game called "Kabu Trader Shun" for the NDS in Japan. You play a character named "Shun" who basically learns about the stock market as you try to make a profit off it.

Here’s a link: Kabu Trader Shun (http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi-bin/shop/NTR-P-AK4J.html)

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I thought SimCity was a b—- with economics.