video game as kid recruiting tool... where do i sign up?!

I think I saw this one once, it was the "Last Starfighter"
Or was it "Toys"

I think they got the idea from Hollywood.

 

The America's Army game has been out for about 5-6 years now. Nothing new there. Putting the likenesses of actual soldiers in the game is a little creepy but probably won't make it any more effective as a recruiting tool.

And to be honest, it probably isn't any more effective as a recruiting tool anyway than similar games produced by private manufacturers such as Rainbow Six, Counterstrike, etc.

 

Wow, someone has been listening to too much punk or something. "Greasing their profit machines with the blood of American youth" that's almost poetic. But this idea isn't exactly new, nor is it an original idea. I know this whole anti-establishment, damn the man thing is fun, but let's find something a little more worthwhile to be outraged about.

 

Other than the fact that they give it away for free, you mean.

I remember when this first came out it didn't really measure up to Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, IIRC. Has it improved?

 

I'm suprised no one has mentioned the delightful irony of this. This is a video game designed to show just how much fun killing people can be supported by the same government that seems to suffer a seisure and demand the banning of every single video game each time a kid who commits a murder is found to have played a video game once in his life time.

 

Apart from the fact that it has a link on the main screen saying 'Sign Up' and a link to the US Army recruitment page.

 

It was Last Starfighter. Which was Robert Preston's last feature film.

 

Do they still?? I know they used to, but I could've sworn I saw it in a store a few weeks ago. Could be that they give away the PC version and sell the console version (which is what I saw in the store).

I got it when it first came out and it pretty much sucked, couldn't even really get it to run right on my computer...the Clancy games are much better.

 

I don't really think that means a lot. If playing any of those games actually motivates you to enlist, you're probably able to find the recruitment website on your own.

 

Kinda funny. You hear some people say that games like "Vice City" causes kids to become criminals. Some say "No Way, it's just a video game." Then the same crowd that thinks "Vice City" is harmless are squealing about the Army using video games for recruitment. And those that think "Vice City" is evil, pretty much discard the effectiveness of the Army's video game. Classic.

 

This whole story is so full of irony and hypocracy that it almost isn't even funny.

 

thread closed.

 

I miss Counterstrike.

 

I seem to recall, although it was not a good Robin Williams movie that they used games to train kids to operate new weapons systems in Toys.

Last Starfighter was a good movie.

 

I don't know. I do know the original version sucked major ass. Give me the Medal of Honor or the Call of Duty series any day.

 

My 2 cents: if you are convinced by a video game to sign up to the military, you clearly need help. I'd like to think that most people who sign up have better incentives than that.

 

You tend to see a few of those kind of people show up. Hence the development of aptitude tests.

 

Except Vice city's objective is sheer entertainment based on movie references, they don't intend to make you sign for a gang.

I've DLed it. What happens if I sign up ?

 

You get a card that lets you buy cheap gum.