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Game Technology Helps Drive Military Training
longacre writes "With the gaming industry now spending more to develop user interfaces than the Pentagon, the Army has begun putting all that R&D to good use in weaponry and training. Reversing the traditional role of games attempting to simulate real life killing machines, it is now the weapons makers using gaming technology to make their products more effective. Popular Mechanics notes, 'Already, [Mark Bigham, director of business development for Raytheon Tactical Intelligence Systems] says that Raytheon has been experimenting with Wii controllers to explore the possibilities for training simulators and other applications that require physical movement. Just think, one day, the R&D that Nintendo put into Wii bowling could end up influencing basic training.'"
Just think, one day, the R&D that Nintendo put into Wii bowling could end up influencing basic training.
Are we suppose to be proud or excited by this? Arguably the military is one of the few things left in the US that works well. Get back to me when the government puts a decent size fraction of what they spend on the military into energy research, healthcare, education and career retraining. I'll be thrilled when Wii research ends up in a surgeon's hands than an Air Force cadet.
Leave the gun, take the cannolis.
Yes! Mod up!!! You can make any unsubstantiated, unsupported claims IF its about how bad the USA sucks ass!!!
From the post above, it sounds like someone has been drinking the daily kos cool aide by the gallon. First, get things straight. The US military works well, very very very well. So well that the whole world has been leaning on the US for military support and protection for the past 60 years. This includes conflicts right there on European soil (Bosnia, reference Srebrenica), and trying to clean up the mess caused by European colonials in Africa, who just packed up shop and said "oh well, not our problem".
The US military destroyed the Iraqi army in less than a week. This is a fact. The botched occupation was not a military plan, but a civilian leadership fiasco. The Bush administration had some twisted day dream that the rest of the world would donate troops and supply to bring democracy to Iraq, and the Bush administration was dead wrong, hence the catastrophe in Iraq. Its not a lack of military power, but a lack of political resolve. I guess you fail to see that, but since I'm talking truths and your playing to anti US sentiment, you'll get modded +5 insightful, and I'll get modded troll/flamebait.
20th century Marxism is not progress...
I see a major problem here: real life doesn't have a respawn.
The tactics you use to play a game like Counter-Strike (a cooperative military FPS) would be very different if you only got one life every 24 hours.
I don't know what "certain academic circles" you're in, but I have feeling you're pretty far removed from the topic you're trying to sound intelligent about.
Japan is a fairly "pacificist" nation because it enjoys the full protection of the United States and has nothing to gain from any form of military aggression. Tens of thousands of American troops are stationed there. American patriot missile batteries defend them from possible ballistic missile attacks. American fighters patrol their skies and prepare to defend them from any aggressors. American fleets are always nearby to protect their shipping lanes or repel any attempted invasion.
Japan has a small, extremely well-trained and equipped defense force. They would absolutely love some new F-22s in case other Asian countries decide to get retribution for Japanese atrocities during WWII. Atrocities that would have continued had American soldiers not been properly trained or equipped to beat Japanese soldiers.
It's quite clear that there is a clear threat to Japan's safety in the theater, and will be for the foreseeable future. If the United States stops protecting Japan, Japan will expand its military and tech research and provide for its own protection. I agree that less Japanese scientists have to work on defense-related projects because the two countries are cooperating in this area.
Of course I shouldn't be arguing since you're likely either a troll or an idiot, but, just in case you aren't, which academic field are you in that doesn't benefit from the fruits of military research?
SWM seeks new sig for a brief fling