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Play Video Games? Join the Army!

Avalith | December 29, 2007 | News | PC Playstation 3 
Are you good at video games and live in Arizona? Army recruiters want to see your skills with America's Army! The enlistment rates are so low that the military is trying to come up with creative ideas, so what better than to target video gamers? It's not like they have lives or anything; they just sit on the couch all day in front of a television screen or at a desk with their computer controlling characters in fantasy worlds all day long, so let's let them have a taste of the real world! That's probably what the Army's thinking with this strategy. If it works, it works, but I bet you that most people would prefer to be a sniper on a video game than go to war and use a real sniper rifle.
Military recruiters are becoming increasingly creative as they work to boost enlistment rates.

Broad marketing strategies involve pouring millions into advertising, but more localized efforts focus on interacting personally with potential recruits using stylized promotional media.

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  • 0 thumbs!
    Play ISDF | December 30, 2007
    The Arizona military must really be stupid and pitiful to pull a stunt like this. More piss poor stereotyping for gamers expecting them all to want to grab a weapon and march off and shoot crap in real life since they have no lives of their own. [sarcasm]I LOVE this stereotyping, I really do [/sarcasm].
    • -1 thumbs!
      Seproth | December 30, 2007
      Why is this stupid and pitiful? That's really the point of Americas Army. Who do you think developed it? It's meant to help train soldiers. It's realistic in every way. They released it to the public because it's meant to draw in those military types.
      • 0 thumbs!
        Play ISDF | December 30, 2007
        I don't know, it just sounds like a *bleep*ing stupid and pitiful way to get recruits to me. I think it's just the whole, they have have to resort to video games to get people to join thing that just sounds sad to me. I'm not saying it's a bad game or anything like that, I haven't played it so I can't comment on it. But still, to me it just sounds like a desperate move to get recruits, a very pitiful desperate move. If you got a problem with me thinkin that, then bite me.
  • 3 thumbs!
    Gothic Girl | December 30, 2007
    Oh, god no! And here I was, thinking that Jack Thompson blaming the Department of Defence and the gaming industry for conspiring to create 'super soldiers' out of gamers was crazy. Well thanks alot Arizona military, you're just giving him more fuel for his conspiracy!
  • 2 thumbs!
    TurMoiL911 | December 30, 2007
    Okay, I want to join the U.S. Army and I've played America's Army. That is absolutely no connection between the two.

    Besides, AA is nothing like what the real Army is going to be like. No video game can prepare for what happens in the Army.
    • 0 thumbs!
      Seproth | December 31, 2007
      Accept for the fact it was developed by the army for training purposes
  • 2 thumbs!
    Xtrordinary | December 30, 2007

    Oh yeah. I totally wanna go overseas fighting in a meaningless war now! I mean, VIDEOGAMES tells me so, so I must do it! *hypnotized*
  • 0 thumbs!
    Storm | December 30, 2007
    Maybe not the army, but they do have the right thing going for them with certain simulators such as Flight Simulator and Train Simulator. Those kinds of games work well for those in training, but I'd have to agree with Turmoil here, can't be done with AA and the US Army.
  • 2 thumbs!
    Supernouva | December 30, 2007
    Gimme a MJOLNIR Mark V armor and I'll go.

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