I thought this could be an interesting way to tie in with John's suggestion of Subliminal Messaging and Personalized Medication. This R&D department can be a great place to build on play mechanics and possibly add something unique to our game, like a device that can manufacture useful items based on what is needed. Maybe the head scientist decides to use the discoveries of the group for mind control as a means to become rich and powerful.
Mr. Every's dream was to build a store where every one loves to shop. He wanted a store where anyone could find every thing they needed at a fair price. With years of hard work, Mr. Every was getting closer to his dream. He noticed something was missing. He wanted people to even be able to find the things they imagined should exist but hadn't been invented yet, so he put his wealth into a Research and Development department where scientists would work around the clock to invent a way to read the minds of customers as they wondered the store to find what they were looking for. The idea was to find out what people wanted that still needed to be invented and manufactured and then to build that item and direct the customer to where he or she could find it. The scientist had made some amazing breakthroughs and Mr. Every was ready to finally see his dream come true. Suddenly, the store announces a massive lay off. The service goes to crap. The products are restocked with cheaply manufactured junk and nearly expired produce. The prices go up. The strange thing is, the people just continue to shop at Every-Mart and nobody in the store complains. Then, a few employees and customers start to go missing. All investigations fail as investigators leave the store with a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread and a box of cherry chocolates and no more interest in the missing person case. No one has seen Mr. Every in months. After some time, the community adjusts and begins to forget the dream of Mr. Every and simply accept Every-Mart the way it is.
