It strikes me that very few Project Management simulators are commercially available - if at all. This is surprising considering that around 50% of corporate and personal activity today is project based.
The best way to learn project management is through practice - and this makes projects an idea simulation topic.
Projects range from 'soft' projects to 'hard' projects. Hard projects are engineering type projects, such as construction, that is where the deliverable is tangible. Soft projects are typically change projects where organisational and human improvement is sought. This project type is less tangible in its deliverable.
Think of all the project stakeholder interaction, the variables at play, the scenarios possible - and even multiplayer modes for team work and project office simulation.
Equally importantly, think of the potential market for this product - companies, education organisations, governments, charities and even individuals.
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The Project Simulator would need to have the variable pertinent to the specific business. There are thousands of different kinds of business and many of them in niche markets. But there are generalized necessities, and then include customizable tools.
For instance, for general tools: You need an accounts payable, accounts receivable, work history, employee payroll, job descriptions, a performance based salary structure, a web interface for searching and tracking the lowest prices for products frequently purchased, a sales contacts ledger, an intranet productivity tool for tracking product builds and inventory, ...
For industry specific tools: a list of regulatory items related to each industry simulated, a list of permiting requirements for each city, the rules for corporations to do business in each State, the thumbrules for certain business relationships (ad dollars per %profit, ...), ...
I wouldn't try to simplify the Sim Project Management software too much. Because Universities would be able to use it to teach their courses. High Schools could use it to teach the general concepts. Professionals could use it to gain insight into startup companies and to do What-If scenarios with their own company. I'm sure a bank would loan money to a company that was able to survive in a Sim environment and show significant profit. Rather than to lend money to someone who has equal credentials and does not have the Sim in their portfolio.
Companies that use the Sim software to track their companies assets and activities might automatically update your software with real-world situations and improve the Sim software automatically.
Pure dilbertism. Let's think of a way to pretend we are doing business to learn how to do business? Waste of time. How about drilling on a real project, one that needs to get done but won't for months because of all the ISO9000 conformance bureaucracy ... you can't change a lightbulb without an electrician because the boss is afraid you're so stupid you'll be electrocuted, and he gets sued for OSHA safety violations... all you can do is fill out lightbulb forms and wait until you get laid off for doing nothing in the dark! How about have a five minute meeting to discuss the project, find the light bulb, install it, and onto the next project.
Today, kids, we will discuss Thomas Edison's Theory of Lightbulbs. You will never need to use it, but you can pass the test more easily than ALGEBRA.Then we will watch Metropolis and practice playing Solitaire! You can't get a job without being able to play Solitaire!
No! Grab a lightbulb and stop being an idiot!