E3: Epic, US Army Develop Games as Recruitment Tool

securitas writes "Reuters and AP tell us that Epic Games and the US Army have announced the America's Army series of games, jointly developed by the Department of Defense and Epic. The first two-part game in the five-year project includes an RPG called Soldier and a first-person shooter called Operations. The game will be free of charge and available for download in July or August, with 1.2 million CDs simultaneously released, attached to gaming magazines. Does this remind anyone else of the war-room scene from Toys or Ender's Game?" Future installments will include Sim Mess Duty, Sim Standing Guard in the Rain, Sim Blister, and Sim Invading Iraq to Keep Approval Ratings High.

I just hope the games kick ass...

[neo]

and I also hope that Microsoft doesn't start complaining about how the Military is now in competition with their games. How is Microsoft supposed to make money on military games if the US Military is giving games away for free?

On a serious note, I'd only have a problem with this if it didn't show what military life was really like. For example, I hope their sims version shows you the excitement of cleaning bathrooms and that you can level up in rock painting. Both of these skills are extremely important to the US Military.

Army of One

[Imperator]

See, I don't get this whole "Army of One" business. If I were to join the army, I wouldn't want to be fighting alone. I'm not delusional: I know I can't defeat enemies Rambo-style. No, I'd want to be part of a "Big-Ass Army of Many Ass-Kicking Soldiers, Tanks, and Other Military Equipent". Apparently I have to sign up with some other country to get this.

Re:I just hope the games kick ass...

[reaper20]

"Green soldier has gained a level!"

YES! Fear me mighty urinal!

Re:Hey, if you want realism who would know better?

[MouseR]

I wonder if this game will allow bombing down Canadians in training exercise, as in reality.

friendly fire

[Bassthang]

Accidently shooting your allies in "Operations" will gain you extra points. (The versions of the game in non-US NATO countries will not have this feature).

and the difference is?

[PiGuy]

How could such a game be terribly different from another other first person shooter, especially those that were specifically designed to simulate an army experience (minus the bathroom duty, etc.). I'm guessing the sole difference is that you'd see army advertisments everywhere, and the music would be bad. And I'm sure the won't have boot camp instructors yelling their heads off, etc., but rather the classic "shaking-jaw-scrolling-text-so-slow-can't-speed-it -up-but-can-skip-it-with-a-keypress" mission briefs...
"Hey, did you know that these violent games that you love to shoot people in are based on real life? In the next level, there are no extra lives - join the Army!"

Re:Army of One

[Rolker]

Join Canada'a army! Then you will be part of an "Army of about Eight"

Navy games?

[pjdepasq]

Gee, I hope if the Navy does something like this, there will be SimTailHook.... now that's one I'd like to play!

This is going to suck

[dipfan]

Unlike similar combat games, the primary goal of "America's Army" is not killing a massive number of enemies, but instead completing tasks and setting career goals.
"Will there be guys tearing off arms and using them for clubs? No. Because the Army would never do that."

They just lost their target audience - if I can't use somebody's arm as a club, I ain't interested. Career goals? Fsck that.

Re:Ender's Game?

[arkanes]

Yeah, but imagine the suprise when they go to recruit the high scorer and it's just some punkass kidd with a wallcheat and an aim bot.

EULA

[ThaReetLad]

Just make sure you read the small print to make sure you haven't accidently signed up for a 4 year tour of duty in the middle east.

Yvan Eth Nioj

[bluestar]

What's next? Some new boy band singing "Yvan Eht Nioj?

Re:Army of One

[Pentagon13]

thats "Army of aboot Eight"...

Submarine Sim

[bubblegoose]

Here is the new Sim being designed by the Navy to simulate Sub duty:
HOW TO SIMULATE SUBMARINE LIFE AT HOME
Surround yourself with a few people you don't like. Close all windows and doors tightly, close curtains. Seal any openings to the outside world with a proper vault. Unplug all radios and TV sets to cut yourself off completely from news, football games, Saturday Night Live, the Muppet Show, etc.

Hourly monitor all operating home appliances, if not in use, log as secured. If using the bathroom, do not flush toilet for first two days to simulate smell of blowing sanitaries and venting inboard. Then flush daily.

Wear only approved FBM coveralls, or proper Navy uniforms. No hats, special T-shirts, etc. Cut your hair once a week ensuring that you make it look like hell. Work 18-hour day intervals to ensure your body really gets confused. Listen to the same cassette over and over until you can't stand it anymore, and then put in one that you can't even listen to without acute nausea setting in. Set your alarm to go off just as you fall asleep, with alarm set at loud, or buy a special alarm clock with various settings, (i.e., "Man Battle Stations, Fire, Flooding in the Basement").

Prepare food with a blindfold on to simulate what real submarine cooks do. Then take the blindfold off and try to get your dog to eat it. Then break out a can of tuna and/or peanut butter.

Cut your bed in half, and enclose all but one side using the dimensions of a small casket as a reference. When not in bed, make up blankets properly so no one will see or care.

Periodically, for want of excitement, open main power breaker and run around yelling, "Reactor Scram", until you are sweating profusely, then restore power. Buy yourself a snorkel and mask, and again, periodically, just for want of nothing else to do, put it on and pretend you're in a smoke filled room with no way out. For added variety, hook up the garden hose and pressurize it.

To enable yourself to handle anything, constantly study wiring diagrams and operating instructions for various home appliances (stove, refrigerator, can opener). For no reason at all, at specified intervals (monthly, weekly, etc.) tear one item apart, just in case it was going to break down.

Paint everything around you gray (Navy FSN gray, no substitutes) or off-white. To be sure you are living in a clean and happy environment, every Friday, set alarm on loud for a short but hated drill sound, then get up and manned with only a bucket and sponge and greeny, clean one area over and over, even if it was already spotless. Then make out a discrepancy list.

Once a day, after normal programming hours, plug in TV and watch one movie being careful that it is (a) at least five years old, (b) made long enough prior to showing to be sure that you've seen it at least once before, or (c) be so bad you have to install a seatbelt in your chair to keep you there until it is over.

Since no doctor will be available, stockpile Band-Aids, aspirin, and Actifed as these are proven cure-alls. Practice if necessary on your dog (surgery, dentistry, or death).

When commencing this test simulation, lock your family, friends, and anything that means anything to you outside. Tests will run for at least two months with no end in sight.

Re:Hey, if you want realism who would know better?

[bofkentucky]

Hey, we are bomb everyone, our own troops, a red Chinese emabasy, and Canadians. So get off your high horse and go back to drinking your Molson, eh.

Waiting for the alternate

[LittleGuy]

Blah blah blah games blah blah turn the youth of America into violent hoolums blah blah blah parental restrictions blah blah blah Army blah blah ...

Army?? Blah blah blah?!? Uncle Sam??

Blah blah blah games GOOD! blah blah patriotic blah blah blah defeat evil blah blah blah WTC Guliani Let's Roll FDNY et al....

Didn't we learn this lesson yet?

[telstar]

Didn't we already give terrorists the keys to the castle with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000? Now we're showing them how to drive our tanks and humvees, and perform tactical raids?

Re:Please Explain.......

[Sebbo]

Hey, I manage to be bored, sullen, and directionless without drugs, I'll have you know!

Re:Don't Foget This One...

[nickco3]

Don't forget the final game in the series: "Risking Their Lives to Protect Your Right to Make Stupid Jokes."

I suggest we exercise that right frequently and often, or we risk making their sacrifice meaningless.
--
Nick
"Hallo. This is Beel Gates und I say ... WEENdoze"

Re:Iraq

[WildBeast]

War on drugs failed, now let's do war on terrorism, oh we can't get hold of Osama, let's go after Saddam.

Hey - dem's fightin words!

[Anonymous Coward]

You want us to come and burn the Whitehouse down, again?

:-P

Re:Missing the point yet again

[sg3000]

> Isn't anyone afraid the game will be filled
> with advertisements for the military, such as
> tons of "Join NOW!" buttons, and pop-ups
> displaying the US Army website?

You know what would be funny?

I'm assuming the game runs on Windows. With the Bush Administration working so much with Microsoft-- you know, getting rid of th pesky lawsuit and trying to get Passport made a type of nationwide ID [nwsource.com].

So imagine you're playing the game on Windows XP with all your Passport stuff filled in, like a good End User. You finish a really hard level, and suddenly a dialog box pops up and asks, "Do you wish to continue?". When you click yes, you get signed up for the army!

Cheaper ways to recruit

[192939495969798999]

If they want to recruit people to the armed forces, there are cheaper ways:
0) if you go in the army for 2 years, it's legal for you to smoke pot.
1) Same as above, plus free t-shirt, $5 bucks, free beer, poster of an attractive pop star, etc...
They might not get the folks they want, but they'd sure get a lot of 'em!
sir_haxalot

Greetings StarFighter..

[Anonymous Coward]

well no one else has referenced it so far :P