US Army Turns to Computer Games to woo Recruits !

[Phyb3r]

The U.S. Army wants to know if you can be all that you can be -- in a simulated combat game aimed at the next generation of recruits.

The army on Wednesday unveiled a pair of give-away video games, "Soldiers," a role-playing adventure, and an action game called "Operations," both aimed at gaming enthusiasts who might someday join the military.

The game features 20 single and multiplayer scenarios, including training missions ranging from navigating obstacle courses at Fort Benning, Georgia to parachute drops in preparation for assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division. Unlike similar combat games, the primary goal of "America's Army" is not killing a massive number of enemies, but instead completing tasks and setting career goals.

The Army expects by September to spent about $7.5 million on the program -- less than 1 percent of its total recruitment budget.

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[Gamelon]

Seems like a sensible step for the army, what with all their sim work in the past, but im not sure about their marketing skills. Their television commercials have never been a huge hit, and the gaming industry seems just a little to lighthearted to welcome the U.S. military.