America's Army
Encyclopedia
America's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army
and released as a global public relations
initiative to help with recruitment
. America's Army was conceived by Colonel
Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S. Army's Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis at the United States Military Academy
. Wardynski envisioned "using computer game technology to provide the public a virtual Soldier experience that was engaging, informative and entertaining."
The PC version 1.0, subtitled Recon, was first released on July 4
, 2002. Since then, there have been over 26 versions released, the most recent being America's Army 3. All versions have been developed on the Unreal Engine
and use PunkBuster
to try to prevent cheating. The game is financed by the U.S. government
and distributed by free download.
America's Army has "grown in ways its originators couldn't have imagined". Dozens of government training and simulation applications using the America's Army platform have been developed to train and educate U.S. Army Soldiers. America's Army has also been used to deliver virtual Soldiering experiences to participants at events, such as air shows, amusement parks, and sporting events around the country. The America's Army series has also been expanded to include versions for Xbox
and Xbox 360
, arcade
, and mobile
applications published through licensing arrangements.
With several thousand players online at any one time between 2002 and 2008, it ranked in the top 10 FPS (First Person Shooter
) games played online during the period, as tracked by GameSpy
.
The America's Army developers licensed the Unreal game engine
as the foundation for its game. America's Army is intended to give a positive impression of the U.S. Army. In the official Frequently Asked Questions page the developers confirmed in a statement that one of the reasons people outside the United States can play the game is "We want the whole world to know how great the U.S. Army is."
America's Army is the first well-known overt use of computer gaming for political aims. Chris Chambers, the former deputy director of development for America's Army, admits it is a recruitment tool
, and Chris Morris of CNN
/Money
states that "the Army readily admits [America's Army] is a propaganda device." The game, considered by the U.S. Army to be a "cost-effective recruitment tool," aims to become part of youth culture's "consideration set" as confirmed by Army Deputy Chief of Personnel Timothy Maude in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
America's Army and its official webpage contain links to the "Go Army" recruitment website, another recruiting tool that, according to the Army Subcommittee Testimony from February 2000, has a higher chance of recruiting than "any other method of contact." Guiding American players to the website is a major goal of the game and it was confirmed that twenty-eight percent of all visitors of America's Army's webpage click through to this recruitment site.
According to Col. Wardynski, the game generated interest from other U.S. government agencies including the Secret Service
resulting in the development of a training version for internal government use only.
and northern Iraq
; consequently, orders trickled down the chain of command and found application in the current release of America's Army."
As the game became more widely distributed, it generated additional media interest. In December 2003, a The Boston Globe
columnist said "... America's Army isn't just a time-wasting shoot-'em-up. It's full of accurate information about military training and tactics, intended to prepare a new generation of potential recruits. Amidst all the shouting drill sergeants and whistling bullets, some real education is going on. America's Army is a 'serious game,' part of a new wave of computer simulations that provide entertaining lessons about real world activities."
After the game proved successful, the lack of the Army's acknowledgment for the contribution by the U.S. Navy
led to tension and political fights over the project. Eventually, the project was withdrawn from the Naval Postgraduate School due to allegations of mismanagement in March 2004 and the development team was moved to two new locations.
One month after taking over production, the Army signed an exclusive long-term contract with Ubisoft
to reach a wider and younger audience. America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
, a different version of the game for Xbox was produced by Ubisoft in collaboration with the U.S. Army. Despite a 10-year publishing deal, the control over all communication and advertising remains with the Army. The Xbox version was released in November, 2005. It was also due to be released on the PlayStation 2
but was later canceled. A version of the game was also made for the mobile phone by Gameloft.
based weapons used in the previous versions. Although the game had initial problems with online play it worked well offline. A hotfix
was launched shortly after the game's release which addressed several problems. Five days after release, players were allowed to play online due to the authorization servers not being able to register that players had completed training.
One day after the launch the civilian developers team contracted until game release were dismissed. Responsibility for future development of the game was passed on to another office at Redstone Arsenal
.
game with the player acting as a soldier in the U.S. Army, with combat at squad-level with three fireteams. GameSpot
admires the game's authenticity: It's pretty realistic— you take one or two shots and you go limp, you take one more and you're done. Another game review describes America's Army as "the most realistic portrayal of weapons and combat of any game".
America's Army also includes optional medical training designed to provide real-world information. In order to assume the role of combat life-saver in the game, players must pass a virtual medical training course based on actual training that soldiers receive with regard to evaluating and prioritizing casualties, controlling bleeding, recognizing and treating shock, and administering aid when victims are not breathing. Two America's Army players have reported using the training they received in-game to save lives in emergency situations; one such account, by Paxton Galvanek, received national media attention.
The game also allows players to train to drive the HMMWV and qualify to use the CROWS system allowing in game use of the Mk 19 grenade launcher
and Browning M2. Training is also available for the Javelin
missile as well as specialist training such as parachute training, which allows access to the Airborne missions, and Special Forces training which allows access to the Special Forces missions.
The round ends when one team completes the objective or eliminates the entire opposing team. In certain circumstances such as when both teams are eliminated or both sides have not completed their objectives when time runs out there will be a tie
.
America's Army achieves a high realism level in terms of visual and acoustic representation of combat and firearm
usage and mechanics but its critics have alleged that it fails to convey war
time conditions as accurately as it claims. "If you are going to join the Army, you know the risk." says player Bart Koscinski. "In this game you might die eight times in 15 minutes. In real life people know what they are getting themselves into."
-type evasive maneuvers. The players can still climb onto or hurdle over low obstacles however. AA3 also streamlined the organization of the fireteams the players were grouped into; the Designated Marksman
is now a member of one of the fireteams instead of being a separate two-man shooter/spotter element as would be more fitting of a sniper team
as opposed to a Designated Marksman.
was released Xbox on November 2005. According to the press release, the game features "all the action-packed realism that players have come to expect from the America's Army game brand" and "offers the most true-to-life Army experience, allowing players to create a soldier and lead him through the excitement of an Army career".
and the U.S. Army released America's Army: Special Operations for mobile phones. The game features three types of gameplay. Players can pilot a combat helicopter, man an armored vehicle or serve as an infantryman. According to Mobicritic.com, "Gameloft does a great job with this game and the only fault one could find is that the game is too short. It isn't, really: you just won't realize how fast the hours of play have passed, as this game really gives the term 'action packed' a new meaning."
and released on July 2007. It is billed as a "realistic and engaging game centered on exciting training exercises and includes a significant amount of authentic Army videos".
was released for the Xbox 360 on November 2007. It had both a single-player campaign and multiplayer features on Xbox Live
. True Soldiers focused on the Army's "core values" by incorporating gameplay based on mission accomplishment, teamwork, leadership, and rules of engagement.
The Real Heroes program uses videos, photo albums and blogs on the Real Heroes website to depict the lives of those featured in the program. Soldiers' likenesses and biographies are incorporated into America's Army and used to create action figures sold at retail and distributed at Army events. Additionally, those featured in the Real Heroes program make media appearances at America's Army events across the country such as the VAE, gaming competitions and Technology Education programs. On January 23, 2007, Real Hero SGT Tommy Rieman was recognized by President
George W. Bush
during his State of the Union address
. President Bush affirmed "... and like so many other Americans who have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the respect and the gratitude of our country." Currently, there are eight Real Heroes in the program with other Soldiers being considered for 2009.
The partnership with SED, an Army software lifecycle management center, allowed the development team to repurpose the commercial software to meet the needs of Soldiers preparing for deployment. SED engineers developed customized applications used by many different Army and government organizations including the JFK Special Forces School and the Army's Chemical School. They are used to provide training in use of rare equipment such as PackBot robots, CROWS, and Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles.
Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, says "Potential recruits are afforded a unique opportunity through the Army Experience Center to learn what it means to be the best-led, best-trained and best-equipped Army in the world by allowing them to virtually experience multiple aspects of the Army." The head of Army Recruiting Command, Major General Thomas Bostick, calls the AEC "a learning laboratory" — but not just for those who are thinking of joining. "It's incumbent upon the American public to know about their Army," Bostick said.
In April 2008, Discovery Education featured America's Army in a https://discoveryed.webex.com/ec0600l/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do;jsessionid=LmnR8nY55WhnGQggLTpJV2pnJFpLhY5P3BN2yVf6DhWyZFcQqkTj!-1875821191?theAction=poprecord&actname=%2Feventcenter%2Fframe%2Fg.do&apiname=lsr.php&renewticket=0&renewticket=0&actappname=ec0600l&entappname=url0106l&needFilter=false&&isurlact=true&entactname=%2FnbrRecordingURL.do&rID=19648602&rKey=FD859CEC7A40C5AC&recordID=19648602&rnd=3418711428&siteurl=discoveryed&SP=EC&AT=pb&format=shortlive webinar] in which over 1000 students and educators participated with AA game developers and software engineers.
states "nothing beats going in and seeing what the Army really does...without actually having to do it" It has a rating of 82 on Metacritic
In addition, it has been covered in thousands of media outlet stories around the world and has received many awards.
, which supported the war effort for World War II
.
Media theorist David B. Nieborg criticized the game and noted that its mechanics are a careful blend of propaganda, advertising and education.
Use of the game by recruitment and training centers has been criticised and protested against, amongst others by the Veterans for Peace
group. Its use in schools as a recruiting tool aimed at children has also been criticised.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and released as a global public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
initiative to help with recruitment
Recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
. America's Army was conceived by Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S. Army's Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. Wardynski envisioned "using computer game technology to provide the public a virtual Soldier experience that was engaging, informative and entertaining."
The PC version 1.0, subtitled Recon, was first released on July 4
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, 2002. Since then, there have been over 26 versions released, the most recent being America's Army 3. All versions have been developed on the Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first illustrated in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal. Although primarily developed for first-person shooters, it has been successfully used in a variety of other genres, including stealth, MMORPGs and RPGs...
and use PunkBuster
PunkBuster
PunkBuster is a computer program that is designed to detect software used for cheating in online games. It does this by scanning the memory contents of the local machine. A computer identified as using cheats may be banned from connecting to protected servers. The aim of the program is to isolate...
to try to prevent cheating. The game is financed by the U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and distributed by free download.
America's Army has "grown in ways its originators couldn't have imagined". Dozens of government training and simulation applications using the America's Army platform have been developed to train and educate U.S. Army Soldiers. America's Army has also been used to deliver virtual Soldiering experiences to participants at events, such as air shows, amusement parks, and sporting events around the country. The America's Army series has also been expanded to include versions for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, and mobile
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
applications published through licensing arrangements.
Background
The game was developed by Col. Wardynski who recognized that a video game might be helpful to the U.S. Army in the strategic communication efforts by providing more information to prospective Soldiers and to help reduce the number of recruits who wash out during the nine weeks of basic training. The effort proved successful as more than 9 million copies have been downloaded. One teenager was quoted saying the game "provides great information. This would probably spark an interest. I don't know how I would have found out so much some other way."With several thousand players online at any one time between 2002 and 2008, it ranked in the top 10 FPS (First Person Shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
) games played online during the period, as tracked by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
.
The America's Army developers licensed the Unreal game engine
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first illustrated in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal. Although primarily developed for first-person shooters, it has been successfully used in a variety of other genres, including stealth, MMORPGs and RPGs...
as the foundation for its game. America's Army is intended to give a positive impression of the U.S. Army. In the official Frequently Asked Questions page the developers confirmed in a statement that one of the reasons people outside the United States can play the game is "We want the whole world to know how great the U.S. Army is."
America's Army is the first well-known overt use of computer gaming for political aims. Chris Chambers, the former deputy director of development for America's Army, admits it is a recruitment tool
Recruitment tool
A recruitment tool is an advertising method that aids in creating interest in and getting people for a typically political organization. The term can not properly be applied to commercial advertising. Historically recruitment tools have often taken the form of posters or films, though in modern...
, and Chris Morris of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
states that "the Army readily admits [America's Army] is a propaganda device." The game, considered by the U.S. Army to be a "cost-effective recruitment tool," aims to become part of youth culture's "consideration set" as confirmed by Army Deputy Chief of Personnel Timothy Maude in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
America's Army and its official webpage contain links to the "Go Army" recruitment website, another recruiting tool that, according to the Army Subcommittee Testimony from February 2000, has a higher chance of recruiting than "any other method of contact." Guiding American players to the website is a major goal of the game and it was confirmed that twenty-eight percent of all visitors of America's Army's webpage click through to this recruitment site.
According to Col. Wardynski, the game generated interest from other U.S. government agencies including the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
resulting in the development of a training version for internal government use only.
Later development
On November 6, 2003, version 2.0 of America's Army was released, with the full title of America's Army: Special Forces. In a booklet produced by the MOVES Institute an article by Wagner James Au explains that "the Department of Defense want to double the number of Special Forces soldiers, so essential in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
; consequently, orders trickled down the chain of command and found application in the current release of America's Army."
As the game became more widely distributed, it generated additional media interest. In December 2003, a The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
columnist said "... America's Army isn't just a time-wasting shoot-'em-up. It's full of accurate information about military training and tactics, intended to prepare a new generation of potential recruits. Amidst all the shouting drill sergeants and whistling bullets, some real education is going on. America's Army is a 'serious game,' part of a new wave of computer simulations that provide entertaining lessons about real world activities."
After the game proved successful, the lack of the Army's acknowledgment for the contribution by the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
led to tension and political fights over the project. Eventually, the project was withdrawn from the Naval Postgraduate School due to allegations of mismanagement in March 2004 and the development team was moved to two new locations.
One month after taking over production, the Army signed an exclusive long-term contract with Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
to reach a wider and younger audience. America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
America's Army: Rise of a Soldier is a game developed by the U.S. Army, Ubisoft, and Secret Level. In addition to containing the original America's Army, the game also includes a new single player mode based on Major Jason Amerine's experiences in Afghanistan in the year 2001. It was released in...
, a different version of the game for Xbox was produced by Ubisoft in collaboration with the U.S. Army. Despite a 10-year publishing deal, the control over all communication and advertising remains with the Army. The Xbox version was released in November, 2005. It was also due to be released on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
but was later canceled. A version of the game was also made for the mobile phone by Gameloft.
America's Army 3
It was announced in early 2008 that the next version, America's Army 3, would be released in "fall 2008". Due to technical issues and problems with liaisons between the various departments the game, release was delayed and rescheduled for "some time in 2009". America's Army 3 entered beta testing in late 2008 and was released on June 17, 2009. It uses the Unreal 3 Engine and introduces other changes to how a player manages his account. Despite America's Army 3 being an entirely new game engine, there are still a number of similarities between America's Army and America's Army 3 which include the two remade and similar training. This version is said to put emphasis on graphical performance and on graphical flexibility to cover a greater range of PCs, as well as decreased size for the full version download. The game also features fictional weapons for the enemy as opposed to the Soviet and Warsaw PactSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
based weapons used in the previous versions. Although the game had initial problems with online play it worked well offline. A hotfix
Hotfix
A hotfix was originally the term applied to software patches that were applied to live i.e. still running systems. Similar use of the terms can be seen in hot swappable disk drives...
was launched shortly after the game's release which addressed several problems. Five days after release, players were allowed to play online due to the authorization servers not being able to register that players had completed training.
One day after the launch the civilian developers team contracted until game release were dismissed. Responsibility for future development of the game was passed on to another office at Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
.
Gameplay
America's Army is multiplayer, a round based team tactical shooterTactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
game with the player acting as a soldier in the U.S. Army, with combat at squad-level with three fireteams. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
admires the game's authenticity: It's pretty realistic— you take one or two shots and you go limp, you take one more and you're done. Another game review describes America's Army as "the most realistic portrayal of weapons and combat of any game".
America's Army
America's Army always promoted adherence to the U.S. Army's seven core values. To this extent, the game's main ranking system, "Honor", is named after one.America's Army also includes optional medical training designed to provide real-world information. In order to assume the role of combat life-saver in the game, players must pass a virtual medical training course based on actual training that soldiers receive with regard to evaluating and prioritizing casualties, controlling bleeding, recognizing and treating shock, and administering aid when victims are not breathing. Two America's Army players have reported using the training they received in-game to save lives in emergency situations; one such account, by Paxton Galvanek, received national media attention.
The game also allows players to train to drive the HMMWV and qualify to use the CROWS system allowing in game use of the Mk 19 grenade launcher
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
and Browning M2. Training is also available for the Javelin
FGM-148 Javelin
The FGM-148 Javelin is a United States-made man-portable third generation anti-tank missile fielded to replace the Dragon antitank missile.-Overview:Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance...
missile as well as specialist training such as parachute training, which allows access to the Airborne missions, and Special Forces training which allows access to the Special Forces missions.
The round ends when one team completes the objective or eliminates the entire opposing team. In certain circumstances such as when both teams are eliminated or both sides have not completed their objectives when time runs out there will be a tie
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
.
America's Army achieves a high realism level in terms of visual and acoustic representation of combat and firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
usage and mechanics but its critics have alleged that it fails to convey war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
time conditions as accurately as it claims. "If you are going to join the Army, you know the risk." says player Bart Koscinski. "In this game you might die eight times in 15 minutes. In real life people know what they are getting themselves into."
America's Army 3
America's Army 3 was completely remade in Unreal Engine 3 and introduces a number of changes. Individuals with prior accounts can no longer continue using their screen name. Therefore, new accounts must be created even for veteran users. Medical training is now compulsory allowing all players to give basic IFAK treatment. While America's Army had training availability based entirely on previously completed training, America's Army 3 has only basic training available initially and online play is required to unlock more training. In addition, a single map can support multiple mission types, while in America's Army a single map only had one. A new feature in America's Army 3 is the ability to melee enemy combatants in battle using the rifle butt, allowing for a more realistic close combat situation should both sides find themselves out of ammo. America's Army 3 also eliminated the ability for the characters to jump, done to eliminate the practice of bunny hoppingBunny hopping
Bunny hopping, or bunny jumping, is a term used in video games to describe the basic movement technique in which a player jumps repeatedly, instead of running, in order to move faster.-Concept:...
-type evasive maneuvers. The players can still climb onto or hurdle over low obstacles however. AA3 also streamlined the organization of the fireteams the players were grouped into; the Designated Marksman
Designated marksman
The designated marksman is a military marksman role in a U.S. infantry squad. The term sniper was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksman's rifle. Sniper is also used in Russian doctrine...
is now a member of one of the fireteams instead of being a separate two-man shooter/spotter element as would be more fitting of a sniper team
Sniper team
A sniper team typically consists of a sniper and a spotter as described in military doctrines of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Both members can perform either role and often rotate between the two...
as opposed to a Designated Marksman.
America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
America's Army: Rise of a SoldierAmerica's Army: Rise of a Soldier
America's Army: Rise of a Soldier is a game developed by the U.S. Army, Ubisoft, and Secret Level. In addition to containing the original America's Army, the game also includes a new single player mode based on Major Jason Amerine's experiences in Afghanistan in the year 2001. It was released in...
was released Xbox on November 2005. According to the press release, the game features "all the action-packed realism that players have come to expect from the America's Army game brand" and "offers the most true-to-life Army experience, allowing players to create a soldier and lead him through the excitement of an Army career".
Mobile game
In February 2007, GameloftGameloft
Gameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....
and the U.S. Army released America's Army: Special Operations for mobile phones. The game features three types of gameplay. Players can pilot a combat helicopter, man an armored vehicle or serve as an infantryman. According to Mobicritic.com, "Gameloft does a great job with this game and the only fault one could find is that the game is too short. It isn't, really: you just won't realize how fast the hours of play have passed, as this game really gives the term 'action packed' a new meaning."
Arcade game
The arcade version of America's Army was developed by Global VRGlobal VR
- History :The company was originally founded in 1998 starting in a garage with just four employees. On July 11, 2003 the company moved into its current facility. As of the move the company employed about 100 employees...
and released on July 2007. It is billed as a "realistic and engaging game centered on exciting training exercises and includes a significant amount of authentic Army videos".
America's Army: True Soldiers
America's Army: True SoldiersAmerica's Army: True Soldiers
America’s Army: True Soldiers is a first-person shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 17, 2007...
was released for the Xbox 360 on November 2007. It had both a single-player campaign and multiplayer features on Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. True Soldiers focused on the Army's "core values" by incorporating gameplay based on mission accomplishment, teamwork, leadership, and rules of engagement.
Glorious Missions
China has developed their own version of the game where the targets are American forces.Real Heroes
The Real Heroes program, launched in September 2006, focuses on specific soldiers who have been recognized for various acts. Described in an article from U.S. News and World Report, the idea of the Real Heroes program "is to tout ordinary people who, when thrust into danger, showed extraordinary courage"The Real Heroes program uses videos, photo albums and blogs on the Real Heroes website to depict the lives of those featured in the program. Soldiers' likenesses and biographies are incorporated into America's Army and used to create action figures sold at retail and distributed at Army events. Additionally, those featured in the Real Heroes program make media appearances at America's Army events across the country such as the VAE, gaming competitions and Technology Education programs. On January 23, 2007, Real Hero SGT Tommy Rieman was recognized by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
during his State of the Union address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
. President Bush affirmed "... and like so many other Americans who have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the respect and the gratitude of our country." Currently, there are eight Real Heroes in the program with other Soldiers being considered for 2009.
| Name | Award | Tour | Selection Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPT Jason Amerine Jason Amerine Jason Amerine is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Special Forces. He served in the Invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in which he aided tribal leader Hamid Karzai in fighting a guerilla war against the Taliban. For bravery in the invasion, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the... |
Bronze Star w V Device | OEF-A | 2006 |
| SGT Tommy Rieman | Silver Star | OIF | 2006 |
| SFC Gerald Wolford | Silver Star | OIF | 2006 |
| SGT Mathew Zedwick | Silver Star | OIF | 2006 |
| SPC Jason Mike | Silver Star | OIF | 2007 |
| SSG Timothy Nein | Distinguished Service Cross | OIF | 2007 |
| SFC Robert David Groff | Bronze Star w V Device | OIF | 2008 |
| SSG John Adams | Bronze Star w V Device | OIF | 2008 |
| SPC Monica Brown | Silver Star | OEF | 2009 |
- Ranks are accurate as of the time of award.
Government applications
In 2005, the America's Army developers partnered with the Software Engineering Directorate and the Army's Aviation and Missile Research Development Engineering Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to manage the commercial game development process and use the America's Army platform to create government training and simulations. "America's Army has pushed to reuse the same elements for many purposes," said Colonel Wardynski, originator of the Game, "We can build one soldier avatar and use it again and again. When we build something in America's Army, the U.S. government owns it completely ... and [it] can therefore be used for any application or use of the game. So costs keep going down. " After AA went live, requests started coming in to use the game for purposes other than recruiting, such as training.The partnership with SED, an Army software lifecycle management center, allowed the development team to repurpose the commercial software to meet the needs of Soldiers preparing for deployment. SED engineers developed customized applications used by many different Army and government organizations including the JFK Special Forces School and the Army's Chemical School. They are used to provide training in use of rare equipment such as PackBot robots, CROWS, and Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles.
Virtual Army Experience
The Virtual Army Experience (VAE) was launched in February 2007. It is a mobile U.S. Army simulator that allows participants to virtually experience certain aspects of soldiering. The core of VAE is America's Army reworked to provide a variety of scenarios. The VAE can be deployed in a full scale rendition or broken down into two smaller versions enabling it to appear at two separate events simultaneously. Since its launch, VAE has hosted over 130,000 participants at more than 100 events.Army Experience Center
On August 29, 2008, the U.S. Army opened the Army Experience Center, a facility where visitors can virtually experience many aspects of Army life. Located inside the Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia, the 14500 square feet (1,347.1 m²) facility features a number of interactive simulations and online learning programs to inform visitors about Army careers, training and educational opportunities.Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, says "Potential recruits are afforded a unique opportunity through the Army Experience Center to learn what it means to be the best-led, best-trained and best-equipped Army in the world by allowing them to virtually experience multiple aspects of the Army." The head of Army Recruiting Command, Major General Thomas Bostick, calls the AEC "a learning laboratory" — but not just for those who are thinking of joining. "It's incumbent upon the American public to know about their Army," Bostick said.
Technology Education Program
Launched in 2007, the Technology Education Program provides real world applications of classroom learning that augment the curriculum in academic areas including math, physical science, physics, chemistry, technology, computer science, art, animation, graphic design, social studies, anatomy, physiology and psychology. Army experts and Soldiers work with students to teach them about robotics; optics; missiles; video games; and intellectual, emotional and physical development.In April 2008, Discovery Education featured America's Army in a https://discoveryed.webex.com/ec0600l/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do;jsessionid=LmnR8nY55WhnGQggLTpJV2pnJFpLhY5P3BN2yVf6DhWyZFcQqkTj!-1875821191?theAction=poprecord&actname=%2Feventcenter%2Fframe%2Fg.do&apiname=lsr.php&renewticket=0&renewticket=0&actappname=ec0600l&entappname=url0106l&needFilter=false&&isurlact=true&entactname=%2FnbrRecordingURL.do&rID=19648602&rKey=FD859CEC7A40C5AC&recordID=19648602&rnd=3418711428&siteurl=discoveryed&SP=EC&AT=pb&format=shortlive webinar] in which over 1000 students and educators participated with AA game developers and software engineers.
Reception
America's Army has been positively received, up until 2.8. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
states "nothing beats going in and seeing what the Army really does...without actually having to do it" It has a rating of 82 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
In addition, it has been covered in thousands of media outlet stories around the world and has received many awards.
| Presenting Body | Award | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Gaming World Magazine | Editor's Choice award (4.5 out of 5 stars) | 2002 |
| Computer Games Magazine | Best Use of Tax Dollars | 2002 |
| PC Gamer Magazine | Best Value | 2002 |
| PC Gamer Magazine | The Best Gaming moments of 2002 | 2002 |
| IGN ActionVault | Debut Game of the Year | 2002 |
| IGN ActionVault | Biggest Surprise of the Year | 2002 |
| IGN ActionVault | Multiplayer Game of the Year (Honorable Mention) | 2002 |
| Gamespot.com | Biggest Surprise on a PC | 2002 |
| Gamespot.com | Best Multiplayer Game (Runner Up) | 2002 |
| Gamespot.com | Nominated for Best Sound in a Game | 2002 |
| GameSpy.com | Best Action Game of E3 (Runner Up) | 2002 |
| Wargamer.com | Best First Person / Tactical Shooter | 2002 |
| Computer Gaming World | Multiplayer Game of the Year (Nominated) | 2002 |
| Clan World Network | Most Realistic Game of the Year | 2002 |
| Well-Rounded Entertainment.com | Best Game of E3 2003 | 2003 |
| DoubleClick's Insight Awards | Honorable Mention for Best Multi-Channel Marketing | 2003 |
| Academy for Interactive Arts & Sciences | Finalist for 2003's First Person Action Game | 2003 |
| GameSpot | Runner up for Best Multiplayer Game of the Year 2003 | 2003 |
| CBS Online | One of the Best Games of 2003 | 2003 |
| GameSpy | Best of 2003 – Best Value | 2003 |
| PC Gamer | Runner Up for Best Value | 2003 |
| Computer Games Magazine | Best Free Game | 2004 |
| Tom's Hardware | The Best of E3America's Army: Special Forces - Most Dedicated Developers | 2004 |
| Digital Entertainment & Media Excellence Award(DEMX) | Best Advergame of 2005 | 2005 |
| Innovations in American Government Award | Finalist | 2006 |
| M16 Copywriting and Text | Gold Prize for demonstrating compelling and creative copy | 2006 |
| Event Design Magazine Awards | Bronze Medal for Best Outdoor Consumer Environment (VAE) | 2007 |
| Guinness World Records | Largest Traveling Game Simulator (VAE) | 2008 |
| Guinness World Records | Largest Virtual Army | 2008 |
| Guinness World Records | Most Downloaded War Game | 2008 |
Academic references
America's Army has gained the interest of numerous professionals in the fields of business, economics, and social science. A partial list of published analyses includes:- "Changing the Game: How Video games are Transforming the Future of Business October, 2008." David Edery, Microsoft Xbox executive and research affiliate of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program, and Ethan Mollick, researcher at the MIT Sloan School of Management, investigate the future of video games. They cite the combat medic training received by Paxton Galvanek to save a life as "tangible evidence of the power of games to educate". (p. 97) Furthermore, the book praises America's Army by saying "Far-sighted companies are using games to recruit, train, motivate, and make employees more productive" (p. 97) and includes research that supports this point: "30% of all Americans age 16 to 24 had a more positive impression of the Army because of the game and, even more amazingly, the game had more impact on recruits than all other forms of Army advertising combined." (p. 141)
- "Watch This, Listen Up, Click Here: Inside the 300 Billion Dollar Business Behind the Media You Constantly Consume April, 2007." David Verklin, CEO of Carat, and Bernice Kanner, marketing expert, test the stability of old, traditional media and find they're collapsing under pressure from online services. Highlights the U.S. Army video game as the 21st century's recruitment poster. "America's Army has proven to be such powerful weaponry that an official game store does brisk business selling collectible action figures, clothes, coffee mugs, and other doodads emblazoned with the logo." (p. 90)
- "Experience the Message: How Experiential Marketing Is Changing the Brand World by Max Lendermann, creative director of GMR Marketing, December, 2005." Cites AA advergaming success and rollout to an experiential marketing campaign. "The America's Army experience is an advergaming juggernaut, an empire that is looked to enviably by the rest of the advergaming nations." (p. 218) "Not only do players get a fun and exciting experience, they also get as close to the real thing of being in the army as possible, without actually getting a buzz cut and general-issue fatigues." (p. 222)
- "Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want by James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II, co-founders of Strategic Horizons LLP, September 2007." http://authenticitybook.com/ Published by Harvard Business School Press, this book cites America's Army as one of the most innovative and successful examples of virtual placemaking and Col. Wardynski's efforts in establishing new and better metric analyses. "According to the director of the program, Colonel Casey Wardynski, 20 percent of those matriculating at West Point in 2005 had played America's Army, along with 20 to 40 percent of enlisted soldiers recruited that year." (p. 168) "America's Army director Colonel Wardynski uses the metric 'cost per person hour', estimating in 2005 that the $2.5 million the Army puts into the program each year results in 'a cost per person hour of 10 cents, versus $5 to $8 for TV'." (p. 173)
- "Career Innovation Case Study of the U.S. Army as part of the "Digital Generation Initiative"" Case study analyzed the Army Game Project efforts and concluded the following: First, to reach the Digital Generation, content must be engaging and authentic. Employers will have to adopt a much more open and transparent approach to communicating information and allowing contact with employees than is currently the norm. Second, the Digital Generation will expect to be able to virtually explore and even "test drive" jobs and organizations. The Army's experience shows the potential and importance of virtual tools and capabilities in shaping the brand image of employers. Third, games and simulations can play a role in preparing new hires for the job. And finally, employers should treat investments in games and simulations as a platform to support a wide range of recruiting, learning and performance development activities and goals. Virtual simulators are cheaper than real ones in many instances.
- "The Potential of America's Army as Civilian-Military Public Sphere" extensive February 2004 thesis (149 pages) by graduate student Zhan Li for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - includes ethnographic analysis of Soldiers who play the game during the invasion of Iraq, and interviews with West Point directors of the America's Army project.
- "Social Realism in Gaming academic analysis of AA in terms of "Social realism" by Alexander R. Galloway" a book author and Assistant Professor at New York University. Alexander R. Galloway, an associate professor at New York University notes that, "What is interesting about America's Army, is not the debate over whether it is thinly-veiled propaganda or a legitimate recruitment tool, for it is unabashedly and decisively both, but rather that the central conceit of the game is one of mimetic realism." In his analysis, Galloway concludes that AA, despite being a fairly realistic game, with real-life settings, does not make even the least attempt to achieve narrative realism—that is, accurately representing what serving a tour in the Army would actually be like. Instead, it simply expresses a nationalistic sentiment under the guise of realism, being little more than a "naïve and unmediated or reflective conception of aesthetic construction."
- "Video Games, Manipulation and the U.S. Military: A Comparative Analysis of America's Army and SOCOM II: US Navy SEALs" academic analysis of America's Army and SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALsSOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALsSOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs is a third-person tactical shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 and a sequel to SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs. The game was developed by Zipper Interactive in collaboration with the Naval Special Warfare Command and published by Sony Computer Entertainment...
in terms of "Visual Discourse" by Caroline S. Brooks, a PhD candidate at East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
. - "America's Army PC Game - Vision and Realization," published by the MOVES Institute and the US Army, February 2004, 40 pages.
- Michael Zyda, Alex Mayberry, Jesse McCree, and Margaret Davis “From Viz-Sim to VR to Games: How We Built a Hit Game-Based Simulation,” in W.B. Rouse and K.R. Boff (Eds.) Organizational Simulation: From Modeling & Simulation to Games & Entertainment, New York: Wiley Press, 2005,pp., ISBN 0471681636.
- Margaret Davis, Russell Shilling, Alex Mayberry, Jesse McCree, Phillip Bossant, Scott Dossett, Christian Buhl, Christopher Chang, Evan Champlin, Travis Wiglesworth and Michael Zyda "Researching America’s Army," in Design Research: Methods and Perspectives, edited by Brenda Laurel, MIT Press, 1 October 2003, ISBN 0262122634, 268-275.
- Russ Shilling, Michael Zyda and E. Casey Wardynski, "Introducing Emotion into Military Simulation and Videogame Design: America's Army Operations and VIRTE," in the Proceedings of the GameOn Conference, London, 30 November 2002, pp. 151-154.
- Allen, Robertson. 2009. "The Army Rolls Through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience." Transformative Works and Cultures 2.
Controversy
America's Army has been described as an extension of the military entertainment complex or so-called "militainment" with criticism that it contributes to a militarization of society. Because America's Army focuses on the technological aspect of war rather than the moral, it has been referred to as How We Fight, alluding to the U.S. government's series of films named Why We FightWhy We Fight
Why We Fight is a series of seven war information training films commissioned by the United States government during World War II whose purpose was to show American soldiers the reason for U.S. involvement in the war. Later on they were also shown to the general U.S...
, which supported the war effort for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Media theorist David B. Nieborg criticized the game and noted that its mechanics are a careful blend of propaganda, advertising and education.
Use of the game by recruitment and training centers has been criticised and protested against, amongst others by the Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Peace
Veterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
group. Its use in schools as a recruiting tool aimed at children has also been criticised.
See also
- Close Combat: First to FightClose Combat: First to FightClose Combat: First to Fight is a squad-based military first-person shooter game created by Destineer Studios for the Windows, Macintosh and Xbox platforms. It was released in April 2005. The player commands a fireteam of 3 other U.S...
, video game developed with input from U.S. MarinesUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States... - Full Spectrum WarriorFull Spectrum WarriorFull Spectrum Warrior is a real-time tactics videogame. It was developed by the Institute for Creative Technologies in association with Pandemic Studios and published by THQ. It was released on June 1, 2004 for the Xbox, September 21, 2004 for Windows and on March 23, 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
- VBS1VBS1VBS1 is a military simulator which relies heavily on modern game technology and is therefore generally referred to as a serious game. The platform is derived from the first-person entertainment game Operation Flashpoint and is developed by Bohemia Interactive Australia. The system enables the...
External links
- America's Army Platform for government applications
- The MOVES Institute (former developers)
- "War games in a time of war", MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
article (July 18, 2004) - "The Army Game Project" article for the Army Magazine by Chris Chambers (deputy director of AA), Thomas Sherlock (teacher of political science) and Paul Kucik (economic analyst in the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis), 2002
- Enjoy the video game? Then join the army. by the Christian Science Monitor
- Official PunkBuster site