Wall Street Trader 99 is an interactive game designed to help the user learn about the global financial community. For a simulated two‐year period (Jan., 1999 to Feb., 2001), the user will buy and sell stock, read company histories, examine key issues and market movers, and complete missions given by a fictitious boss named Lord Fleming. All of this is supposed to make the user a more competent investor in the real world.
The product begins with a video in which Lord Fleming is interviewed by a television reporter about his financial activities and dealings. The user is then moved into an elaborate portfolio front page, in which the entire world’s financial dealings and events are available, and through which the user attempts to make a profit for Lord Fleming in the stock market. Available to the user is time left, portfolio percentages, cash available to invest, a news corner providing global and sector news, the actual stock exchange where the user can buy and sell stocks, and market‐related buttons that provide real‐time stock prices and averages.
Besides playing the market, there are three enemies that try to thwart the user from accomplishing the mission of making money for Lord Fleming. When these enemies appear, the user is provided with a spy, a lawyer, and a press agent, in order to keep track of the enemies, help assist in hostile takeovers, and provide good press.
While the game was easy to load and was interesting to play in the beginning, I quickly became lost by the myriad buttons, gadgets, gizmos, etc. The CD comes with a 34‐page manual; but this does not provide enough information beyond showing where everything is. There is no explanation on how to use the game to learn how to become a better investor. I did not know where to start or how to invest the money given to me, nor did I understand why this was important.
The fact that enemies and hostile takeovers come into the game in the later stages suggests to me that this product is more of a fantasy financial/game product than a real‐life attempt to guide the user in the understanding of the stock market or the global financial community. After about five minutes, I was lost and didn’t really know what I was supposed to do with what was happening in the program. Until this product comes with more user‐related information on the importance of understanding financial enemies, tricking people into believing that you are a savvy trader instead of a hostile takeover wizard, I don’t see how this product is supposed to help the average investor learn about being a more competent investor. There needs to be more guidance on using the product, and perhaps sample ways to run the program, before I can recommend the use of this program to any individual. It does not seem to be particularly geared toward any user group or community, except for the individual investor wanting to know how Wall Street or financial markets work.
