Some of you may know that the United States Army has produced a PC game. Intended to accurately capture the Army experience, it includes two segments: "Soldiers", an RPG, and "Operations", a first-person shooter (run on the latest Unreal engine). It is available for free download (fileplanet), or via CD (www.goarmy.com)-- but only to American citizens.

What is this?!

I thought it was an amusing hoax, and was completely astounded to learn that it is true.

It is absolutely brilliant -- what better recruiting tool could there be? What tighter marketing to a target audience? And truly, since we know that first-person shooters tend to desensitize players to violence -- how better to prepare people to kill their fellow men in real life, for Uncle Sam?

It is also kind of sinister.

What do you think? Has anyone played this thing?

Nope, havent played it.

And more than likely wont.

It might be a great recruiting tool, but its not going to be a 'real' representation of what a soldiers life truely is, only what they think is appropriate to show the U.S public.

So you'd like to live in a cage and eat carne de burro every day?

We better stop killing our fellow men! Let's all have drinks, boys! What's that? A nuclear weapon to destroy the Earth for religious superstitions? It's armed? Well, this one's on the house!

Yeah, there was a topic on this a while back. Kind of a cutesy tool, but I doubt it's going to encourage anyone to go sign up. Sounds like more of a PR move than anything.

I would DL and play now, but I'm at work. Maybe when I get home. If Asheron's Call isn't working.

I watched a video clip of it.. and it seemed very strange, part of it looks alright (I'm guessing the first person shooter part), but the rest seems to be Full Motion Video or whatever they called that thing.. think Rebel Assault 2... grainy video, and clicking on everything.

Yes, but -- doesn't this *bother* anyone but me?

Oh right... Yes, it does. But it doesn't really surprise me. I mean, it is obviously a GREAT idea if you want people to join the military.. maybe not such a great idea from a moral standpoint, but at least it should keep Bush junior from ever complaining about violence in computer games - His own military makes one of them.

"Yes, but -- doesn't this *bother* anyone but me?"

Not really. I actually give the instructors who are doing the coding bonus points for originality and creativity. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they all got presidental citations for it.

Someone already called it. It's not like it's a 'simulation' here. This is what the Army has passed off on, which means it's what they (i.e. The Corporation) cares for everyone else to see and think of the Army.

But there's no substitute for reality. The reality of the 'game' will be/is quite different. I'd personally like to see one done on the Seals training. But to make it realistic, you'd have to hook an electrode up across someone's body so it shocked the Wholey-Living-Bejesus out of them whenever they failed an objective or dropped the telephone pole. Gawd, I still laugh all through the first half of Full Metal Jacket.

At least there's no laundry to fold in the Army's game...

Heh that's a good idea ejsmith! Christ, imagine an SAS one. Hardest training in the whole world. Perhaps that if you didn't make it up and down a scottish mountain in 4 hours it pounds your goolies ;)

I seem to recall starting a thread on this a month or two ago...

I'm downloading as I type. I am completely willing to subject myself to Big Brother's brainwashing in exchange for a taste the the UT 2003 engine. Besides, I'm strong willed enough to resist any attempt to convince me to join the army.

Now, if only I could find the local recruiting office...

Yes, so they tell me -- I just searched and read it.

You know, I didn't search before starting this topic because I felt sure that if someone had started one, it would still be flaming with Europeans using it as an example of the evils committed by the United States.

But no -- big yawn.

And they still haven't sent me my CD.

Another Classic Moment in Sports:

http://www.gamershell.com/news/BUnderAshBSyriansreplyto.shtml

Anyone remember "Duck Hunt" on the Nintendo Entertainment System?

Ack! ejsmith that is unbelievable. Too much!

I bet America's Army is better, though -- better tech, happier ending: (as the song says)

"We ruled the world
We killed and robbed
The f*cking lot
But we don't feel bad...
It was done beneath the Flag of Democracy..."

Hmm, all this talk about it being a great recruitment game. It just sparked up the old MGSII bit where Snake talks about VR not showing the full horror of war.

Anyway, trust it to be an American Exclusive. I hate the English banning laws on games and stuff. Just like Nunchaku a while ago, they werent allowed....oops going a little :yot:

American exclusive? Well if you can download it off fileplanet, then surely it must be pretty easy to get a copy of it?