Supply Chain: The Arcade Game

I just downloaded the free game Tradewinds 2 from the Yahoo Games site and to my surprise, it's essentially a game that is based on shipping and logistics that takes place in the 1700s. The player is basically a 3PL, who chooses between a male or female pirate, and ships from port to port in the Caribbean delivering goods such as fish, cotton and sugar. The player collects sales leads by either bribing the governor or by throwing a few gold coins to the local bartender. Along the trade routes other pirates try to steal your cargo as you use cannonballs to defend your freight. Sound familiar? This game hints at many supply chain themes that are relevant today, such as supplier diversity, supply chain security and shipping ports. Fast forward 300 years and this is a multi-billion industry. Have your kids download it. Your child could be the world next shipping tycoon.