War games used for recruiting

Video games and the military seem to fit together like burnout celebrities do with tabloids. Combining the storytelling of videogames with the reality of war has not only proved intriguing, but produced a successful business model. Over the last month, the two biggest war-based video games, “Battlefield 3” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” have sold 19.6 million units and accumulated around $784 million in revenue.

“COD: MW3” is now the largest entertainment release of all time. It raked in more than $400 million dollars at launch.

Developers realized the potential of the subject matter early on and the relationship between these war-based games and the armed forces they represent go back a long way. One of the first games on the Atari 2600 was called “Combat” and it could be considered one of the first popular war-based video games. Conceptually the game was simple. Two vehicles (ranging from tanks to helicopters) moved across a battlefield, shooting and destroying one another. It held no true merit with regards to the military and showed little by way of realism.

Over the years games would emphasize military themes, but they could never truly grasp the experience of war. “Call of Duty” began to close the gap. Featuring some of the biggest battles of World War II and showcasing the shock and awe of war, this game took the industry by storm. “COD” showed what video games could do for the military.

War-based video games incrementally upped the ante and the military found truer representation. “America’s Army” broadened the relationship between the military and gaming. Released in 2002, by the Army, it was essentially a recruiting tool. With a core design comparable to the “COD” series, (first person perspective and a focus on on-line play with multiple people) “America’s Army” focused in on realism to provide a fresh experience. Players are put through boot camp with raspy-voiced drill sergeants, full-on medical classes, and shooting classes that provide a ton of real-world information. Gamers are rewarded more for use of tactics and teamwork rather than the mayhem commonly seen in other war-based games. Gamers made it one of the most played on-line games of its time.

Lt. Col. Casey Wardynski developed “America’s Army” to reach the tech-savvy masses and aid recruitment.

Since the release of “America’s Army” video games like “Battlefield 3” and “Medal of Honor” have capitalized on scenarios that tie into real-world situations. War-based video games have increased in importance, due to growing sales numbers and their effect on recruiting.

Chris Devereaux, 39, a Southwestern College computer science major, is a former Marine who has seen games of all types. Video games can give prospective soldier a taste of warfare, he said.

“I think to a small extent at least, war-based video games give the people who play a basic idea of some of what is involved,” he said. “There is a detachment that comes from the fact that you understand that playing a game is not reality. You aren’t getting hurt. No one around you is getting hurt. No one is really dying. But you still have the sense of being on a battlefield.” Devereaux said these video games are useful for recruiting.

“I think gaming is a good tool to use because it is entertaining, it holds people’s attention, nobody is getting hurt,” he said. “And at the same time you are bringing forward as realistic a view to these people as you can, without spending extra money or wasting resources.”

Devereaux said games can be educational.

“If you really pay attention and look at some of these games, in a sneaky way, these games teach history to kids who wouldn’t ordinarily look at it,” he said. “A lot of these games now, especially the ones dealing with WWI and WWII, are dealing with combat. Sure, you are talking about weapons and things like that. But they make a point of historical accuracy with what they’re putting into these games.”

Sean O’Mara, 25, a criminal justice major, is a former Marine and Iraq War veteran who first enrolled in 2005.

He said games are only marginal recruiting tools.

“I guess if they intentionally try to use them as recruiting tools, it might help,” he said. “But unless they do that and they just leave them where they are at, I think it is just going to be the same. You know like, America’s Army, they intentionally use that to recruit.”

O’Mara said video games cannot realistically portray modern warfare.

“With video games, it’s more always going, always action,” he said. “I’ve been to Iraq and it’s pretty boring to tell you the truth. They don’t really do a whole lot of anything anymore. It isn’t really a realistic portrayal of what it’s like now, but as far as being a video game and being more like how it is when it all first popped off, yeah. It’s pretty realistic.”