dinsdag 5 mei 2009

The Empire 442


Deadly Games

Tuesday 05 May 2009

by: Camillo "Mac" Bica, t r u t h o u t | Perspective For several years now, the video game America's Army has ranked among the top ten online action games and has attracted more than nine million players who have participated in more than 380 million virtual "missions" from basic training to fighting the "War on Terrorism."

    In recent years, America's Army has improved significantly, becoming even more sophisticated and desirable and expanding its application to console versions for Xbox and Xbox 360. Unless one is naive enough to believe that the Army has invested some $8 million to develop and merchandise this very violent video game for the entertainment and education of our young people, it is clear that the military has realized the value and effectiveness of video games in enticing young men and women to enlist. But hold on, as far-fetched as this may sound, naïve or not, that the intent and purpose of these games is to entertain and educate, is exactly what the Army would like us to believe.

    According to Army Chief Marketing Officer Edward Walters, the new $12 million, 14,500-square-foot Army video arcade, a k a the Army Experience Center (AEC), at the Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia, is not a recruiting station, but "a virtual education facility," that is, "a place for the American public to get educated about the Army and for us to show that the Army is very high-tech and relevant." Major Larry Dillard, the AEC program manager, would like us believe that playing Americas Army and "wasting" bad guys from the simulated life-size Apache helicopter, Black Hawk helicopter, and armored Humvee that grace this high-tech facility are recreational, educational, and give young people "the opportunity to experience the Army for themselves, so they have an understanding of what soldiers do, and they can be proud of their service."

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