Fairy Godmother Tycoon: get your magic wand ready
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Mar 6th 2007 at 6:55PM }
Ever since Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon came out in 1990, there's been an onslaught of "Tycoon" games. You've got everything from RollerCoaster Tycoon, to Airport Tycoon, to Prison Tycoon, amongst others. There's even a "Tycoon Collection" that contains Circus Tycoon, Carnival Cruise Lines Tycoon, and Mall of America Tycoon. It's a total invasion of the tycoons.Adding to that pile is one more tycoon game that at least sounds creative: Electronic Arts' upcoming Fairy Godmother Tycoon. All the past tycooners (we just trademarked that phrase, fyi) simulate a type of business, from running a lemonade stand to operating an amusement park, but this one takes you into fairy tale land, where you have to manage being a Fairy Godmother. Which is essentially a kind of business as well, you think dealing out magic and wishes comes cheap?
Apparently it doesn't come easy either, because in this game "you must make careful decisions -- purchasing supplies when they're cheap, pricing your potions correctly, hiring goons to help you with your marketing, casting spells on peasants and upgrading elements around your shop." Check out the interview on VH1 GameBreak with game producer Todd Kerpelman, and find out more about it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
fwacce @ Mar 6th 2007 7:14PM
I thought I was reading joystiq, not The Onion.
Bluebreaker @ Mar 6th 2007 7:16PM
This sounds really interesting. I wonder what the rewards are for running a successful wish granting outfit/racket?
Ryuukuro @ Mar 7th 2007 1:52AM
Oh, it's just something on Pogo. Maybe I'll check it out but, elitist as this sounds, when I saw it was on Pogo it thought "Oh, it's not a real game."
If this turns out to be more than "casual" fare then I'll have to get it.
Grindstone @ Mar 6th 2007 7:33PM
OMG, is the PC industry that starved for good ideas? Meh, it'll be pirated soon enough, and though those PC whores will clamor on about 'the gr4ph1x', they will slowly kill themselves, bit torrent by bit torrent as the devs transition on over to the console industry.
Seriously though, Fairy Godmother tycoon? To each their own I suppose.
*Puts on glass slippers and walks away*
Sub @ Mar 6th 2007 7:37PM
Pretty cool idea. I mean, I'd never play it, but it's certainly creative.
Zell @ Mar 6th 2007 7:37PM
Wonder if this'll come out around the time of Shrek 3. Seems late though since Shrek 2 was the first thing that came to mind when I read the title.
ZeroCorpse @ Mar 6th 2007 8:06PM
Yeah. Tell me again about the great selection of PC games. Got enough sudoku and "tycoon" games yet?
I'm gonna go play Crackdown.
FSK405K @ Mar 6th 2007 9:23PM
If your 7-year-old can't keep up with Civ, I guess this is a good start.
uakronkid @ Mar 7th 2007 10:39AM
I remember the good old days. Dino-Park Tycoon was the best, IMO.
Measure @ Mar 6th 2007 10:09PM
Sure, the Tycoon name has been around and used somewhat since 1990, but it wasn't until 1999's runaway success RollerCoaster Tycoon that the name started to be applied to everything under the sun.
SeriousKriss @ Mar 7th 2007 4:02AM
@ Grindstone & Zerocorpse : sorry guys, but PC gaming is still growing, get used to it.
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24525221
jron @ Mar 7th 2007 10:50AM
hawt, my wand is ready...
ssuk @ Mar 7th 2007 11:38AM
Man, this was news about a week ago. =/
Will @ Mar 7th 2007 11:42AM
#13 - Really? Wow. You must time travel. The article I link to with the interview was posted yesterday. Please go into the future and tell me the lotto numbers.
mr mobius @ Mar 7th 2007 1:52PM
tycoon games have gone overboard
sure rollercoaster tycoon was brilliant, as apparently was railroad tycoon and zoo tycoon, but unless this is hard or aimed at kids then it'll not sell the best and be rubbish
Aera @ Mar 9th 2007 1:11AM
This game is awesome...I just wish I had a credit card so I could buy it. The hour demo just wet my lips enough to want more.