<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
is	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
HDI	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
1994	O
by	O
QQP	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
then	O
released	O
as	O
the	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Prince	I-Application
in	O
1995	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
video	O
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
map	O
the	O
player	O
receives	O
from	O
uncle	O
Niccolo	O
resembles	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
period	O
:	O
it	O
is	O
highly	O
accurate	O
close	O
to	O
Venice	B-Application
but	O
grows	O
much	O
less	O
so	O
the	O
further	O
one	O
goes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mechanic	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
by	O
reviewers	O
:	O
"	O
Though	O
its	O
gameplay	O
was	O
nowhere	O
near	O
as	O
sophisticated	O
as	O
that	O
of	O
its	O
near	O
contemporary	O
Civilization	B-Application
,	O
Merchant	O
Prince/Machiavelli	O
did	O
a	O
better	O
job	O
of	O
capturing	O
what	O
exploring	O
is	O
really	O
like	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
PC	O
Player	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
rating	O
of	O
56	O
,	O
finding	O
it	O
essentially	O
similar	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Patrician	I-Application
and	O
Hanse	O
,	O
and	O
Game	O
Bytes	O
considered	O
it	O
"	O
almost	O
great	O
"	O
,	O
given	O
that	O
the	O
AIs	O
—	O
while	O
otherwise	O
competent	O
—	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
negotiate	O
and	O
interact	O
at	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
,	O
released	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
called	O
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
"	O
a	O
strategy	O
game	O
that	O
captures	O
the	O
greed	O
and	O
treachery	O
of	O
medieval	O
Italy	O
even	O
more	O
than	O
the	O
classic	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
boardgame	O
from	O
The	O
Avalon	O
Hill	O
Game	O
Company.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
David	O
Cook	O
complained	O
that	O
"	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
quickly	O
becomes	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
doing	O
the	O
same	O
old	O
thing	O
over	O
and	O
over	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
for	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
touts	O
its	O
historical	O
basis	O
...	O
it	O
just	O
does	O
n't	O
mine	O
the	O
richness	O
of	O
their	O
period	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2009	O
,	O
Troy	O
Goodfellow	O
was	O
enthusing	O
,	O
"	O
Merchant	O
Prince/Machiavelli	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
very	O
few	O
strategy	O
games	O
that	O
gave	O
you	O
partial	O
information	O
and	O
very	O
few	O
games	O
since	O
have	O
picked	O
up	O
that	O
torch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Exploring	O
is	O
less	O
about	O
moving	O
hesitantly	O
to	O
what	O
you	O
think	O
is	O
there	O
and	O
more	O
about	O
walking	O
boldly	O
into	O
the	O
darkness	O
because	O
you	O
know	O
that	O
the	O
next	O
civilization	B-Application
ca	O
n't	O
be	O
too	O
close	O
or	O
that	O
no	O
one	O
ever	O
starts	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
few	O
seconds	O
from	O
a	O
gold	O
mine.	O
"	O
</s>
