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Microsoft Game Software Preps Soldiers For Battle
coondoggie writes "Soldiers may go into battle better prepared to handle equipment and with a greater knowledge of their surroundings after an intellectual property licensing deal Monday between Microsoft and Lockheed Martin that will deepen the defense giant's access to visual simulation technology. The intellectual property agreement between the two focuses on Microsoft ESP, a games-based visual simulation software platform for the PC."
My understanding was that earlier this year Microsoft fired most of the guys in Aces Studios (who build MSFS and ESP) and killed off the MS Flight Simulator franchise. Very confused. I'm going to have to do some googling tonight.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
I was at I/ITSEC today. ( Interservice/Industry Training Simulation & Education Conference ) It was completely off the hook. There was an entire section devoted to what they called "Serious Games" and a few of them were actually fun to play and educational at the same time.
Of course a lot of the other stuff was quite a bit like a game as well, just involving high dollar hardware that most gamers could never afford. They had a simulator for dismounted troops that involved wearing VR gear inside what was basically a giant hamster ball set up on a frame that allowed it to roll around while staying in one place. I saw a number of demos for what they called organic tracking I think. Imagine something like Natal but in a large area with cameras overhead, all around. They seemed to be pushing it as less expensive as sensors were not required on each individual. Still didn't look cheap. And of course there were tons of simulators for flying and driving that looked pretty typical. Still very cool.
It was wall to wall military folks and defense contractors and pretty much anyone looking to sell to the military or related type stuff. I saw a simulator for law enforcement that was pretty slick. It was all CGI so unlike the type that use film, the person in the simulator could affect the outcome. Pretty wild.
I think the game thing has been going on for some time and will continue to develop inside and outside the military. One game I looked at was for teaching Information Security. They said most threats were physical and so the game focused on that. The dude telling me about it claimed that people would finish the training but continue to play the game on their own. He said retention of skills and information went up with each repetition. It was interesting but I am somewhat skeptical on how much someone would play it. It looked a bit boring.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
This will be interesting when soldiers begin to bluescreen on the battlefield.
Commanding Officer: So what happened out there?
Soldier: Well, Bill got freaked out, said he didn't know what to do...said the simulation stopped whenever a baddy got too close.
Commanding Officer: So what happened?
Soldier: Well, he just froze up, completely. I hit him a couple times, even re(peatedly) booted him, nothing.
Commanding Officer: Where's Bill now?
Soldier: He finally reanimated and ran off screaming something about a pagefault.
I never knew what MineSweeper was for. It surely wasn't useful as entertainment.
First, I got to navigate in real 3D through the narrow doorway in a JNN shelter out to a generator, where I flipped a couple switches. Then, I got to navigate in real 3D virtual reality back into the shelter to flip a few more switches on the power system. Then, I could see my character in spectacular CGI inserting the CIK into my TACLANE, and using the four button interface to enter the correct static IP and subnet mask from the cut sheet. The special effects when booting the NIPR & SIPR workstations were spectacular! I'm so glad the Army invested in such high-tech 3D virtual world buzz-word compliant training equipment.
Of course, there's still a lot of work to be done. Many important soldier tasks don't use have 3D computer based training aids. I await with baited breathe the release of 3D floor buffing, the first person grass cutting & rock painting simulator, and virtual six-hours-standing-in-a-fucking-formation.
...is a defense contract
You know the floating stone head scene at the beginning of Zardoz, with the famous(ly bizarre) "the gun is good, the penis is evil" speech?
I want to see a suitable photoshop of a giant Steve Ballmer head delivering that message to a bunch of CGI land warrior types.
"Soldiers may go into battle better prepared...
after an intellectual property licensing deal...
will deepen the defense giant's access to visual simulation technology...
The intellectual property agreement....."
is a damn sight different than "Microsoft Game Software Preps Soldiers For Battle"
With all the equivocation, inaccuracy and future tense in the text, it's pretty obvious that in this case at least Microsoft game software isn't doing squat for soldiers, and won't until MS preps themselves to help L-M get busy actually making some. Until and unless that happens phrasing the title as if it's happening at the moment is more than misleading, it's an outright lie. Apparently Network World needs readership so bad it has to resort to false titles to grab readers, besides resorting to covering things not at all network related.
Simulation in military training is far from new. 25 years ago recruits practiced firing M-16s on simulators that looked like a carnival firing range game built onto an coin-operated indoor bowling game. They learned here to squeeze, not pull; to stop breathing but not 'hold' their breath; and to fire from several positions, without using up ammunition or exposing the inexperienced recruits to the danger of a live fire range more than necessary.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
Bohemia Interactive already supplies a military simulator that sounds pretty similar to this to a number of the worlds armed forces, including the US Marine Corp and the US Navy. It is called VBS.
They also release a slightly stripped down version, usually using the next generation of technology as a commercial game, the current iteration being ArmA2, before that Armed Assualt, and before that the original Operation Flashpoint.
I am not seeing what is so new about this...?
That's about all it's good for, but it's pretty good for that.
expandfairuse.org
I can see the soldier's new case of stress disorder right now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jBKKV2V8eU
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
My understanding was that earlier this year Microsoft fired most of the guys in Aces Studios (who build MSFS and ESP) and killed off the MS Flight Simulator franchise. Very confused. I'm going to have to do some googling tonight.
It's because it has been shown that most soldiers used Solitaire to prep for battle and that further investments were unnecessary.
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
Oh, they have that... http://www.theonion.com/content/video/ultra_realistic_modern_warfare
I can only cringe at the thought of soldiers trained for combat with a VR simulations. Many difficulties come to mind, but I will just list a couple.
How can a VR simulation accurately reflect correcting a weapon malfunction?
How can a VR simulation replicate the pain involved in combat movement techniques? (try throwing yourself against hard surfaces repeatedly with 80 100 pounds of gear on)
Real world training helps soldiers develop a mental toughness and alertness that VR simulations are not going to. I also cannot imagine all this expensive VR gear as being cost effective since the soldiers will inevitably have to go out and train with his actual equipment anyway.
For anything other then flight simulators I cannot see this technology ever being anything more then promotional crap designed to lure a crowd of flabby computer junkies into basic.
Video footage of an ultra realistic military sim" here
In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
After a year of using Vista I think most people would be ready to battle!
"You've been hit in the head by a sniper bullet" Allow or Deny?
I guess the blue screen of death will really have more context now.
"Johhny! Don't go into the blue light!! Stay with me Johnny!...NOOO!..It's the POST loading...[sob]...Oh well, he'll be on his feet in a few minutes."
I'm a satanic clam.
It has nothing to do with games. It has to do with the OS.
Believe me, having to deal with Vista has made me want to kill like nothing else.
Unfortunately, most soldiers still cannot shoot. These a-hole commanders will spend all sorts of money on stupid video games but then cut funds for real training. Most soldiers in the Reserves/ National Guard now touch their weapon 1 time throughout a 12month period. Marksmanship is a highly perishable skill. During mobilization before going of to Iraq/ Afghanistan: soldiers get to shoot targets 2x once for qualification, once for reflex fire. Source: In the Army, work as a weapons instructor, deployed to Iraq.
I'm bluescreening ! Pull me out ! I repeat, pull me out !
What a depressingly stupid machine.
I wish they had 3D Information Assurance courses, or maybe OPSEC training in awesome CGI.
"Would you like to play a game?" ... I'm sorry. I had to.
L'esperienza de questa dolce vita (The experience of this sweet life) - Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
They *did*. I cleaned my office out January 23rd.
I have no idea what they think they're going to do with that license. My understanding is that it doesn't include access to the codebase (which is truly Byzantine code), so it's essentially like licensing somebody the graphics engine they used to make the CGI for the original TRON. Nobody's left anymore who can explain to them how it works or how to use it.
Those of us that were at ACES are just shaking our heads going "...huh?"
Microsoft Rifle Live!
Do you want to shoot at this target?
|Yes | No|
Yeah, if there were an IA/OPSEC 3D simulator, maybe fewer units would keep using passwords that appear in manuals anyone with internet access can read.
What MS did to FS was tragic. Watching the series dragged through the mud with FSX and then canned was literally depressing. I can only image what it was like for someone working on the code base. When I want to fire up a flight sim it's still usually FS2004, but I've lost my enthusiasm for the product since it was killed. I use to plan my computer purchases around it. (I still have a 3 screen setup). C'est la vie. It'll be decades before anything succeeds MSFS (if anything does in my life time that is. I own X-Plane and it just doesn't cut it)
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
Microsoft and Lockheed Martin? Greed overload detected...
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Microsoft and Lockheed Martin? Greed overload detected...
It's a natural synergy. When the cargo door falls off, there will be a .NET to catch you.
Orwell: "In a Time of Universal Deceit, telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act"