New U.S. Army game is 'tip of the spear'
Special Forces unit added to realistic military title
By Daniel Sieberg
CNN Headline News
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 Posted: 1:44 PM EDT (1744 GMT)
NEAR FORT MCCLELLAN, Alabama (CNN) -- The Army is expanding the first version of its video game, "America's Army," by adding the elite role of the Special Forces into the mix, and members of the media have been invited to watch how game developers get close to the action for added realism.
The original "America's Army" game was released July 4, 2002, and the Army is preparing to issue a new download in late October. It will again be free, whether as a download or as a CD-ROM from a recruiting center, and players will be linked over an Internet connection to act as a team.
Chambers says the game acts as a recruiting tool, but only at the "tip of the spear," to coin a Special Forces phrase about being the first unit of soldiers in a potential combat zone. There is no direct sign-up in the game, and Chambers dispelled any rumors that Army officials monitor the online game to look for potential soldiers.
While Chambers acknowledged that a virtual soldier might not make a good transition to the real military, he says "America's Army" does tap into the mindset of the younger generation and gives them some insight into its operations. If that adds a "cool" factor, he says, then that's OK, too.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/09/24/hln.game.army/index.htmlhttp://americasarmy.com/