Lemonade Stand
Encyclopedia
Lemonade Stand is a basic economics
game created in 1973 by Bob Jamison of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Charlie Kellner ported
the game to the Apple II
platform in February 1979. Throughout the 1980s Apple Computer
included Lemonade Stand (along with other software) with the purchase of their systems.
A 2006 BusinessWeek
article incorrectly claimed that Microsoft
's J Allard
created the game in 1981.
The game owed its success to offering just enough variables to make a complex challenge for users, but still providing a simply-grasped addictive introduction to the offsetting priorities facing a business. The choice of the right prices and quantities on the day of a heat-wave could instill the intense satisfaction unique to a greatly profitable private enterprise.
The player is first given a weather report for the day (sunny, cloudy or hot and dry, each accompanied by a color drawing) and is prompted for three values: The number of glasses of lemonade to make, the number of advertising signs, and the cost of lemonade per glass. The program then gives a report of the earnings for that day. A thunderstorm, sometimes occurring on cloudy days and accompanied by a color animation, will void any profits and cause the player to lose any investment for the day. The game can be played either single-player or with up to 30 players (each player is independent and the sales of one do not affect another). The Apple II version included music, with bars from "Singin' in the Rain
" and "Summertime
" played at appropriate moments.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
game created in 1973 by Bob Jamison of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Charlie Kellner ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
the game to the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
platform in February 1979. Throughout the 1980s Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
included Lemonade Stand (along with other software) with the purchase of their systems.
A 2006 BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
article incorrectly claimed that Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's J Allard
J Allard
J Allard was "Chief Experience Officer" and Chief Technology Officer for the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft...
created the game in 1981.
Gameplay
Like most games created for microcomputers in the 1970s, the gameplay is simple. It simulates a child's lemonade stand, where choices made by the player regarding prices, advertising, etc. will determine the success or failure of the enterprise.The game owed its success to offering just enough variables to make a complex challenge for users, but still providing a simply-grasped addictive introduction to the offsetting priorities facing a business. The choice of the right prices and quantities on the day of a heat-wave could instill the intense satisfaction unique to a greatly profitable private enterprise.
The player is first given a weather report for the day (sunny, cloudy or hot and dry, each accompanied by a color drawing) and is prompted for three values: The number of glasses of lemonade to make, the number of advertising signs, and the cost of lemonade per glass. The program then gives a report of the earnings for that day. A thunderstorm, sometimes occurring on cloudy days and accompanied by a color animation, will void any profits and cause the player to lose any investment for the day. The game can be played either single-player or with up to 30 players (each player is independent and the sales of one do not affect another). The Apple II version included music, with bars from "Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain (song)
"Singin' In the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. However, it is unclear exactly when the song was written with some claiming that the song was written and performed as early as 1927. The song was listed as Number 3 on AFI's 100 Years.....
" and "Summertime
Summertime (song)
"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
" played at appropriate moments.
See also
- Lemonade TycoonLemonade TycoonLemonade Tycoon, first released as Lemonade Inc., is a Shockwave-based game. A free, limited version is available for online play at many sites or the full version with no time restrictions can be purchased online....
, a similar, more-recent game. - Dope Wars, a game with similar mechanics