America's Army: The Official US Army Game

[gekko]

You guys hear about this? US Army programmers made an army game. Kinda funny if you ask me.

U.S. ARMY INTRODUCES“AMERICA' S ARMY” PC GAME

Realistic Game Parallels Authentic Army Missions, Values

Electronic Entertainment Expo, May 22, 2002 -- The U.S. Army today unveiled “America's Army,” an innovative, realistic computer game providing civilians with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today’s premier land force, the U.S. Army. "America’s Army” players will experience soldiering in a state-of-the-art new manner.

The “America’s Army” game blends two vivid simulations: "Soldiers,” a role-playing portion in which players navigate life’s challenges to achieve goals, and a first-person action game, called “Operations.”

Developed by the U.S. Army and a world-class team of Department of Defense experts in simulations and virtual environments, “America's Army” will be available in August. The Army will distribute “America’s Army” for free in response to requests at www.americasarmy.com and www.goarmy.com, through distribution partners that include leading computer game magazines, at Army events and recruiting stations and through Internet download. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

Anticipating large-scale distribution this summer, the Army unveiled the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the computer and video games industry’s major convention in Los Angeles.

In the “Soldiers” role-playing portion, players undergo Army training and adventures while encountering tactical, technical and physical challenges – similar to issues soldiers might face in their first tour of duty while on and off duty.

Importantly, players manage their character's goals, values and resources. Each player chooses specific soldier attributes, career, and personal goals to achieve. As each goal is met, another is set. Values are integral to how the player guides a character while they coordinate six resources to determine how fast their character reaches a goal.

Each time a soldier-character encounters a new challenge or life choice, the game uses a revolutionary real-time story engine to generate new screenplays, dialogue, scenes, sounds and actions to carry the character through a personalized story. This link between player's actions and choices results in nearly infinite story possibilities. The game features text-to-voice technology allowing for personalized simulations while combining animation with photo realistic background images.

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“AMERICA’S ARMY”/2-2-2

The action-packed “Operations” portion allows up to 32 players to enter into “virtual service” with the U.S. Army on the same unit mission. Players begin their virtual Army experience as a recruit with an anonymous user name to experience challenging Army missions from a first-person perspective. Developed using the latest version of Epic Games' “Unreal Engine®” and optimized for NVIDIA GeForce2® graphics processors, “Operations” features 20 single and multiplayer missions. Training missions build player capabilites -- from navigating Fort Benning’s obstacle course to parachute drops in preparation for assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division. Multiplayer missions are played free on a virtual playing field online with web servers hosted by HomeLAN.

Multiplayer missions are organized into assignment tours, such as being part of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) or the 75th Ranger Regiment. To join a multiplayer game, the players must complete the appropriate training. Gamers use realistic equipment and authentic military hardware. Teamwork, leadership and the benefits of training are emphasized. As in any team effort, communication is key: gamers use different speech, whispers, shouts, radio messages and -- in a game industry first -- genuine military hand and arm signals. Borrowing a page from Army force-on-force training methods, players always perceive they always are on the U.S. team.

The two games are interlaced, with experiences and attributes accumulated during gameplay in one game shaping adventures and opportunities in the other. Players can jump from one game to another to find out additional mission and career information and learn hints to help them advance.

"America's Army’ is an amazing product and hats off to the US Army for being bold enough to make this project happen,” said Jay Wilbur, strategic advisor to Epic Games, a leading game development company. "This game will deliver the public an immersive, realistic, behind-the-scenes Army experience wrapped into a cutting-edge game that raises the bar for computer entertainment products."

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs is the proponent for “America’s Army.” Game development was directed and managed by the U.S. Military Academy’s Office of Economic & Manpower Analysis at West Point. The staff of the Modeling, Virtual Environment and Simulation Institute, masters and doctoral students at the military’s post-graduate education facility in Monterey, Calif., developed the game’s highly realistic simulations and situations. The development team worked with leading firms such as Epic Games, NVIDIA®, THX Division of Lucasfilm Ltd., Dolby Laboratories, Lucasfilm Skywalker Sound, HomeLAN, and GameSpy Industries.

Through the efforts of the more than 1.2 million soldiers in the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve the U.S. Army is the world’s premier land force. Today, more than 210,000 soldiers stand guard in defense of freedom in over 120 foreign countries. Army soldiers are on the frontline in the ongoing war on terrorism and joint-service missions for the Department of Defense. The Army will be 227 years old on June 14 and is major part of a Transformation revolution for America’s future national defense needs. For more information on the Army, go to www.goarmy.com or www.army.mil.

It's not the best game you'll ever see, but it's not half bad. Of course, if you think there's better ways to spend $50, you're in luck. Order now, and the game if free.

http://www.americasarmy.com/

[gekko]

Game actually looks pretty good. And for free? Count me in!

[The_Dunadan]

i preordered it

[Bond]

Wow, the graphics look great. Wouldn't it be funny though if the game was horrible and made by our own army?

[gekko]

If it sucks, we'll blame Cam for not giving them suggestions

What's really sad is that our defense budget is supposed to be spent on the war. Instead, our tax dollars are paying for the Unreal engine licensing, and E3 booths. I won't complain

[Revival]

I preordered it, now I'll be checking my e-mail for the 15 million something recruitment cards and stuff they're going to send me.

Oh well, I'll throw it out like all the Air Force stuff I get. Maybe I should put it all in a big box and burn it one day

[gekko]

Originally posted by Shooter
I preordered it, now I'll be checking my e-mail for the 15 million something recruitment cards and stuff they're going to send me.

Oh well, I'll throw it out like all the Air Force stuff I get. Maybe I should put it all in a big box and burn it one day

Ya, they love recruiting. The Marines have called me, and sent my 2 birthday cards already. "Happy Birthday. Now that you're 17, why not enlist?" The Navy has been caling since I was 12.

But a free game is worth junk mail. Well, it's technically not free, your tax dollars are paying for the game

[Revival]

Yeah, but my summer job pays under the table, so no government taxes from that, but normally, they do. You're right though gekko, a free game is worth the crap mail. Speaking of enlisting and stuff, my brother had to sign up for the draft yesterday since he just turned 18, and the other day, he got a card in the mail from the Marines that said Happy 18th Birthday - Join the Marines or something like that.. he was smart and threw it away. Not that the Marines are bad (my grandfather was a Marine for years)... but uhh, if you met my brother you'd know what I meant *cough*pothead*cough*

[Bond]

Originally posted by Shooter
Yeah, but my summer job pays under the table, so no government taxes from that, but normally, they do. You're right though gekko, a free game is worth the crap mail. Speaking of enlisting and stuff, my brother had to sign up for the draft yesterday since he just turned 18, and the other day, he got a card in the mail from the Marines that said Happy 18th Birthday - Join the Marines or something like that.. he was smart and threw it away. Not that the Marines are bad (my grandfather was a Marine for years)... but uhh, if you met my brother you'd know what I meant *cough*pothead*cough*

I don't know, I always thought of the Marines as some pretty brave guys. I mean they are first in line in battle, first to be killed.

[Revival]

I never said they weren't brave, I just said that I don't think he would make a good Marine.. if you met him you'd know what I mean.

[gekko]

Ya, potheads don't make good Marines. Considering they aren't too bright, don't think straight, and drugs aren't allowed.

[Revival]

Well, my brother doesn't do pot, he just seems like a pothead, and he's none to bright either.

[gekko]

Originally posted by Shooter
he's none to bright either.

It runs in the family

Err... *insert drum sound*

[Revival]

I figured you were going to say something like that.. but anyways, my dad's rather intelligent.

[Cyrax9]

I Dunno, if it does suck, Cam will be on the front lines of stupidity, if it rules, Cam might start being a "Couch Soldiar" instead of a real one, which might be a good thing, he'll get to blow stuff up from the comfort of his living room withou being arrestted (his favorite passtime seems to be explosives), and Kami won't have to kill him.


What IS sad though is that our tax dollas are supposed to be paing for a "War on terrorism" not a REal-Lifer version of "Wargames" being developed by a bunch of Gaming Bigwigs, however I don't have any problem with this as thegame is free, and since I pay my taxes I think I've earned a free game.

I wonder what people are going to say about Gorge W. Bush now, if they'l hate hiim more, or hae him less, or if it won't change a thing.

Oh, and if the game is a success, future versions can be developed by CamFu's buddies and it'l be even better, of course Cam would change the game so hat all of the missions would be training for "Explosives detonation" since, as I alread sad, it's his favorite passtime.

Y'know what, I'm surprisingly OK that my tax money is going to gaming companies, now if they keep getting my Tax dollars, they'd better keep making good games.

I wonder which branch of the armed forces will make a game next?

Will it be the Air Force, the Maines, the Navy, the Coastgaurd?

This is gonna be interesting.

Also the Army wouldn't take me since Im a wreck and if they drafted me, after one look they'd send me to desk duty.