Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

US Gives Raytheon $10.5M For 'Serious Games'

Posted by Soulskill on from the recruit-from-wow-raids dept.

coondoggie writes "These aren't your basic video gaming systems here. The U.S. government gave Raytheon BBN Technologies $10.5 million today to develop what it called 'serious games' that feature an international detective theme developed by game designers, cognitive psychologists and experts in intelligence analysis."

8 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. In the middle of the greatest deficit... by tryptogryphic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...it's good to see our government spending money on games.

    1. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by DerekLyons · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Despite snarky ignorance, even during a deficit, training for various Federal employees and various research efforts continue. The world doesn't stop just because we're in a deficit (as we have been for decades).

    2. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by anagama · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hey, at least that's ~1.25 fewer drones at $8m apiece flying around blowing up innocent people. I'm all for the US simply wasting money rather than wasting innocents and creating the conditions for more terrorism.

      --
      What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    3. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's good to see one of our largest employers giving more opportunities for work in the middle of one of the worst spates of unemployment in our history, yes.

      Jeez, do the "Government should spend less" people not know that in times of economic hardship, government is supposed to spend *more* to equalize the less spending done by companies/consumers? If the government decided to chop their budgets by trillions tomorrow, you'd see the rate of unemployment spike due to all those federal jobs being cut which would, in turn, cause quite a major kick in the nuts to the economy due to all those folks spending less since they haven't got a steady income.

    4. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by hairyfish · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Define "militant". Taking up arms in your own country to defend against a foreign invader hardly justifies being murdered.

    5. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Of all the crap they blow money on at least this actually makes sense; video games have proven their worth time and again as a training aid. Are they still using that system with an M-16 and an NES? Hilarity.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    6. Re:In the middle of the greatest deficit... by kermidge · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think it's time to remember not to forget what the bastards did.

  2. Good idea ... by MacTO · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can use more serious games in my life. A hundred percent serious, nitty gritty political or economically serious, and even technically or ideologically serious. I don't even care if the game violates my world view. Just give me something to think about when I drop the controller and rejoin the real world. Until that happens, I will spend most of my time in literature because a good author will do more to challenge me than the typical mass media title (regardless of the media).