Interplay Business Simulation
The Interplay virtual board from the perspective of the Tangible Assets manager.
During 2020, one of our projects with innovative training/simulation company Ten Thousand Feet has been working with them to create a virtual version of the team-based business simulation INTERPLAY.
About Interplay
A session of the in-person version of the Interplay simulation.
Interplay is a fast-paced boardgame simulation in which teams of 4 to 5 work to manage competing companies. It was first developed with Apple, and has been used successfully with companies all over the world, including Microsoft, GE, , XXX, and XXX.
To succeed, each company must determine a strategic focus and skillfully manage all the assets of their company in line with that focus.
Interplay highlights intangible factors beyond the financial assets that impact the value of an organization, including: people capital, customer capital, organizational processes and strengths. Participants each take a specific role in their team, managing one of these areas, and working cooperatively to make decisions and balance the impacts on each area.
Creating a Virtual Version
Interplay board closeup showing participants
In our design work for a virtual version, we looked at several different approaches, some drawing more from computer simulations, and some staying closer to Interplay’s board-game roots. We decided on the latter approach, and have developed an online-tabletop version that keeps the essential team-around-the-table feel while refining many aspects of the original to work better online.
The learning cohort (which typically consists of 3-5 teams) gathers via Zoom, where a facilitator introduces Interplay’s concepts and challenges before sending each team to its own breakout room, where they work together at a virtual multiplayer boardgame. (We have created the Interplay virtual version in partnership with the Tabletopia platform, and are a charter member of their new education-focused program.)
Interplay team lobby
The simulation is played across several periods (each roughly representing a “quarter”) and at the end of each period the teams report out their results. Results include standard financials as well as measures designed to capture the value of intangible assets, and are automatically compiled to a ‘leaderboard’ where company results can be compared and contrasted.
In addition to the Tabletopia platform, accessible tools including online spreadsheets and Webflow are used in the delivery of the simulation. Virtual Interplay has already been delivered all over the world this year, and we continue to refine it drawing on that experience.
Team:
Interplay Simulation design: Brent Snow (Ten Thousand Feet founder, and Bert’s brother)
Virtual version design and development: Brent Snow, Bert Snow, Jacoby O’Connor, Eva Khouri, Irv Stern, Cameron Snow
For more information on Interplay, contact Bert.