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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.
Damn straight. Whether you're talking US troops, Australian troops or troops from *any* country.
They deserve respect, not ridiclue.
Now, I know what I'm about to say is really going to upset some people, but I don't think that should stop me saying it.
When your friends, family and your fellow countrymen are directly threatened by a foreign force, then putting your life at risk to protect them is a brave and noble thing that demands respect.
But when there's a conflict very far away, between people you don't know and of whom you know very little, and you risk your life because some politician has decided it is in the economic or political interests of the country, then you're a fool, and I'm afraid you'll get no respect from me. I may be glad that you do it, but that doesn't stop me thinking you must be pretty unintelligent. And I have to say that most of the USA's military actions overseas fall into the latter category, not the former.
Michael was in the Marines. If he wants to poke fun at the game and at the Army, that's cool with me.
I was in the Army, and I assure you there was plenty of standing around, lots of blister-raising marches, and more pointless missions in foreign countries than were really needed.
Somehow I doubt that the game is going to dwell much on the sheer stupidity of making sure your socks are all rolled "just so" before a barracks inspection.
There's a line from one of the little ditties (called "jodies") we sang while we marched along, raising blisters, that goes, "Oh woe woe we, my recruiter lied to me."
This game is a recruiting tool. Recruiters lie. Therefore this game will sugarcoat the Army and make it look lots more exciting than it really is.
I'm not saying you shouldn't join the Army (or, if you have mental problems, the Marines or even one of the lesser branches*), just that you should go in with your eyes open after talking to people who've been in, not because of a video game.
- Robin
* Veterans of other service branches are free to disagree with my belief that the Army is not only the Senior Service but also the finest one. Non-veterans are allowed to join this discussion only if they buy drinks for all the veterans, and even then their opinions don't really count