Are video games just propaganda and training tools for the military?

[daftandbarmy]

Are video games just propaganda and training tools for the military?

It's a shadowy and lucrative relationship. But just how close are video-game developers with various military outfits? And how does it affect the games we play?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/mar/18/video-games-propaganda-tools-military

 

[Journeyman]

Seriously? This is journalism?

During a televised confession on Iranian TV, alleged US agent and former marine Amir Mirzai Hekmati said he had worked for Kuma, and it was a CIA front company.

Though his words cannot be regarded as the unvarnished truth, publicly available government documents indicate that Hekmati had been a Kuma employee, while Kuma's CEO, Keith Halper, admits to taking on military work.

While you did post it in Radio Chatter, you missed 'Dumbest thing heard' and the 'joke/cartoon' threads.


....although it may have fit into a Recruiting thread, since some folks see their XBox skills as proof/entitlement to be JTF2 fighter pilots. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Seriously? This is journalism? While you did post it in Radio Chatter, you missed 'Dumbest thing heard' and the 'joke/cartoon' threads.


....although it may have fit into a Recruiting thread, since some folks see their XBox skills as proof/entitlement to be JTF2 fighter pilots. 

But... but.... but... this is from the Guardian. You know, the paper chosen by 8 out of 10 left wing loonies to pad the inside of their tinfoil hats.  ;D

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Flashpoint, Steelbeasts and ArmA might be seen as leading people to a military career. BF3, COD and MW2 likely cause more headaches for teaching staff then they are worth.

 

[Oompah-Loompah@]

Flashpoint, Steelbeasts and ArmA might be seen as leading people to a military career. BF3, COD and MW2 likely cause more headaches for teaching staff then they are worth.

And then there's America's Army, which is developed by the US Army for recruitment purposes.  ;D

 

[Remius]

The US military has been involved with hollywood for years.  Why not video games?  I don't think it is a far stretch.

I should also add that I doubt however that they are "just" propaganda and training tools.  I really don't think they offer any real training for civilians looking to get in.  Maybe some famil with terms and weapons but no more so than a picture book.  They are made to make money though.

 

[ModlrMike]

Military themed games will no more turn me into a killer than Bass Fishing Pro will turn me into Bob Izumi, or MLB2012 will turn me into Jose Canseco.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

And then there's America's Army, which is developed by the US Army for recruitment purposes.  ;D

I think that is ArmA

 

[Oompah-Loompah@]

I think that is ArmA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmA

Very close name. Both are pretty realistic in any case.

 

[RangerRay]

Flashpoint, Steelbeasts and ArmA might be seen as leading people to a military career.

And none of them appear to be available on Mac or Wii. 

 

[Teflon]

Always remember the first step of battle procedure - Logging on to your Steam account!

 

[matthew1786]

An interesting article on the matter titled "What Do Real Soldiers Think of Shooting Games?" Good read for who ever is interested in this!

http://games.ign.com/articles/121/1218964p1.html

 

[Timmy!]

Always remember the first step of battle procedure - Logging on to your Steam account!

:rofl:

Can we noob tube the other team?

 

[BadgerTrapper]

Actually, TN. In my hands, it becomes a "Pro Pipe"  

 

[Snaketnk]

There was actually a story about how the medical training in America's Army (which involves several classroom lectures and then classroom practical excercises, and eventually a "live" scenario) helped someone deal with a car crash victim with no other first aid/medical training.

http://www.gotfrag.com/aa/story/41280/

The "course" actually shares a lot of modules with our TCCC course... obviously a lot more condensed though.