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The Pentagon's Ultimate Home Theater

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lovely-lovely-fort-sill dept.

Steve Silberman writes "I was the first reporter to see the inside of a new battle-simulation system designed by the Institute for Creative Technologies, a 'military-entertainment' think tank sponsored by the Defense Department. Starting in September, Marines, infantrymen, and Air Force pilots will train for war in Matrix-like rooms in Oklahoma simulating urban and desert environments, with surround sound and photorealistic rendering of bombing runs and other scenarios. It may or may not be the future of military training, but it's certainly the future of home gaming. My article, 'The War Room,' will appear in the September issue of Wired."

11 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. "Battle Simulation" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's military code for "Doom 3."

  2. Wait by Luigi30 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If they lose a life in the simulation, do they die in real life too?

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  3. First Person Shooter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is the real FPS game.

  4. Re: Home Theatre by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gentlemen this is the war room, you can't fight in here

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  5. Well now ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm glad to see them put my taxes to good use ...

  6. Realistic by LordHatrus · · Score: 5, Funny

    So realistic, you'll leave with sand in places you've never thought possible!

  7. Yeah, that's nice and all... by MrDomino · · Score: 3, Funny

    But the REAL question is, "where can I get one?"

  8. Future solders by GoofyBoy · · Score: 4, Funny


    Bunny hopping their way to victory!

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  9. That good huh? by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Funny
    After Flatworld, the sight of Oklahoma senator James Inhofe buckling on a virtual reality helmet at ICT headquarters seems positively old school. A technician shouts "Load the flying bats!" and the senator is transported to a damp tunnel near a farmhouse that may be an enemy hideout. Insects whir and water trickles in surround sound while digitized bats swoop and dive overhead. Inhofe is impressed. "It's the closest thing to reality that I've ever experienced," he says. "My feet felt wet."
    "Janitor team report to the simulation room."
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  10. Re:Where's that dang Peace Simulation? by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 2, Funny

    So when will we be outsourcing war to India ?

  11. Re:Training for what?! by Jeremi · · Score: 2, Funny
    Nothing dropped from a fighter-bomber can be considered "limited lethality"


    Actually, everything dropped from a fighter-bomber is "limited lethality", otherwise the first bombing run would have destroyed the universe.


    Or to put it another way, limited != small.

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