Megacorporation facts for kids

A megacorporation, also called a mega-corporation or megacorp, is a super-huge company. The idea was first used by Alfred Eichner in a book, but it became really popular thanks to William Gibson in his science fiction stories.

This term is often used in cyberpunk stories. It describes a company that is so big and powerful, it's like a giant group of businesses. These companies often control many different markets, meaning they might have a monopoly (they're the only ones selling something) or almost a monopoly.

Megacorps are usually so powerful that they can be above government laws. They might even have their own large, armed private armies or police forces. Sometimes, they even control their own land or act like a government themselves! They often have a lot of control over their employees, taking the idea of "company culture" to an extreme level.

Megacorps in Books and Stories

The idea of super-powerful companies has been around in science fiction for a long time. You can find them in books by writers like Philip K. Dick (like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Thea von Harbou (in Metropolis), and Robert A. Heinlein (in Citizen of the Galaxy).

The exact word "megacorp" was used in the Traveller science fiction roleplaying game even before William Gibson used it. In Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, there are "transnationals" and "metanationals." These are examples of mega-corporations that have more political power than most countries.

Megacorps in Movies

In the Alien film series, characters often get into danger because of a powerful and uncaring megacorporation called Weyland-Yutani. This company wants to make money from the dangerous Aliens.

The Buy n' Large logo from WALL-E

In the animated Pixar movie WALL-E, a megacorporation called Buy n' Large becomes so big that it completely takes over all the governments on Earth.

In the Avatar movies, the Resources Development Administration (RDA) is a megacorporation. It has more money, influence, and military power than most governments. The RDA owns all the colonies and resources outside of Earth. They were given this power forever by an international group.

Megacorps in Games

In the sci-fi strategy game Stellaris, you can play as a megacorporation. This company has taken over every part of its alien government. You can choose different ways for your company to operate, like having workers who owe you money, owning all the media, or even bringing employees back to life!

In the video game The Outer Worlds, many megacorps buy entire solar systems from Earth governments. These company-owned colonies are far from Earth's government. This means they are basically run by the companies themselves. Being employed by the company is like being a citizen.

In the Doom video game series, the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) is a huge company that operates on many planets. It is often called a megacorporation.

In the Ratchet & Clank games, each galaxy is mostly controlled by a company that makes weapons. This company has almost total control over all business. The biggest one is simply called "Megacorp".

In Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, the Shinra Electric Power Company is a megacorporation. It controls Mako energy and electricity. It even has its own military, which helps it control the people.

In Cyberpunk 2077, there are several megacorps like Arasaka and Militech. They provide security and sell weapons. They also control people in different ways, making the world a difficult place to live.

In the Titanfall games, which include Apex Legends, a megacorporation called Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) controls all mining and manufacturing across the "Frontier" (a part of the galaxy). They also have private soldiers to stop anyone who disagrees with them.

Real-Life Examples of Powerful Companies

The coat of arms for the East India Company

Even though "megacorporation" started in science fiction, some real-life companies have been very close to this idea.

• Old Trading Companies: In the past, there were "chartered companies" like the private Dutch East India Company. This company had 40 warships and 10,000 private soldiers to protect its spice trade. The British East India Company controlled a huge colonial empire. By the mid-1800s, it had an army of 300,000 soldiers! The Hudson's Bay Company once owned a massive amount of land in North America, about 15% of the continent. They had legal control and a trading monopoly over this area.

• Modern Companies: Today, many countries have "competition laws" (also called "antitrust laws"). These laws try to stop companies from becoming too powerful and acting like megacorporations. However, some countries allow a single company, often owned by the government, to control an important industry. For example, Saudi Arabia gets most of its money from its huge state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco.

In the book The Wal-Mart Effect, the author Charles Fishman describes Walmart as a very strong example of a megacorporation.

See also

• Company town
• Corporate warfare
• Corporatocracy
• Chaebol
• Evil corporation
• Keiretsu
• Zaibatsu
• List of largest corporations
• Oligarchy
• Plutocracy
• Superpower