TV tycoon is a strange animal. I've played many a game through many genres and was surprised at the style and presentation of TV Tycoon.

The game starts you off in the 50's as the inheritor of a near bankrupt local TV station. You need to attract viewers by buying the rights to movies, series, and news programs. You have a very good selection and level of control when arranging and tweaking the programs. You make money by attracting advertisers. I should note that I've played this game maybe a dozen times and I haven't won a single time - though I'm not that talented at Tycoon games!

Graphics & Sound...
I don't think the game was meant to dazzle the eyes and ears, but for those of you who need some graphical and musical phenom of a game definitely avoid this one. The graphics are black and white and consist of only still-shots and menu-driven interfaces. There is some jazzy old-sounding music but nothing more - no sound effects, nada.

Gameplay & Performance...
The game is very simple to learn and the included tutorial will have you going in under 15 minutes. However, mastering the game is another matter entirely. Though easy to learn the game is difficult to master - there are many nuances and parameters to juggle. Which makes it a great sim game.
With no graphics or sound to speak of the game doesn't require much in the way of resources and there is no need to worry about how much hardware you need. If your PC meets or comes close to the recommendations on the package you'll be good to go.

Overall...
If you like management / sim games then you'll enjoy TV Tycoon. It is slow-paced and requires patient fine-tuning to succeed. The pace of the game, the lack of visual and audio stimulus, and the sometimes uninspiring rewards may turn many away (and understandably so). The game concept is outstanding but its implementation could have been so much more.

Okay, what do you get when cross a television station with a fantastic game engine? TV Tycoon!!! Is it big on graphics? No. Is it reaking with synthesized stereo sounds? No. Do you run through corridors and castles shooting bad guys with various types of overgrown steroid popping mega calibur weapons? NO, NO, NO!!!! But if you are truly serious about gaming from the strategy point of view, take a day off from the 3-D virtual world and come back to earth for a few hours. TV Tycoon can take you to where you have always wanted to go- it places you in charge and like very few tycoon games- it literally rests the outcome of your game on your decisions in the previous turn. I admit, if you can't live without all the bells and whistles, your NOT going to get along with this game - and that's a shame, because TV Tycoon offers fabulous choices and originality not common in other tycoon formats. This is a turn-based simulation, which is generally where gamers often misunderstand the quality. You see, it's like playing cards, chess, checkers, monopoly, or even shoots and ladders- you have to be patient and wait your turn. If are only interested in winning, try DOOM 3D. If you like to be challenged and hone your managerial tactics, test your intellect, and show off your business prowess, then know this- "Your granduncle has just died and left you with a bankrupt TV station..." Good luck!!!

It's an awesome game where you can make your own TV Show! It's cool! You should have it!!

First of all, you can play a demo of the game to see if you like it first.

But really, this game is about GAMEplay. If you just want sounds or graphx you are out of luck. However, this game is extremely fun, and a bargain for 10 bucks. In fact, I paid more than that for it.

I also recommend other games developed by Niels Bauer.

I have played some wonderful Tycoon games including Pizza Tycoon and Ski Resort Tycoon. Rollercoaster Tycoon was even better than this one. I found it difficult to play and it had problems displaying the text. The concept was good, but it failed miserably. The graphics were terrible. Either this is very old or someone lost their touch. I was interested in Health and Fitness Tycoon, but it seems that the review for that is similar, and I can't find a demo, so I think it might be another dud. Don't want to waste my money again.

Despite the negative reviews of this game by others, I found the game to be pretty enjoyable. Yes, it's true that the game offers basically no music or sound effects. It has a simple black and white display with a few different pictures that appear depending on the type of show you are broadcasting. What makes up for the lack of sound and pretty visuals is the game's addictiveness. It's just fun being able to be in charge of a tv station and broadcast a wide variety of shows, depending on what you want people to watch. It also allows you to advertise for companies that will pay you money if a large enough audience watches your shows. And for a $10 game, it's also pretty complex. You must broadcast certain types of shows with certain elements for a certain age group at a certain time of day to get good ratings! This is all a little confusing at first, but luckily there is an online guide available for the game for free (at the "game butler" start up screen there is a link). May I conclude this review by saying that you will be DISAPPOINTED if you want good visuals and sound. But for $10, TV Tycoon will give you a semi-addictive, fun, and entertaining game that is definitely worth the small price. Give it a try.

Another appalling "Tycoon" game. No sounds, poor graphics, VERY DULL! Avoid this game at all costs!