US: Army to form $50m gaming division

The US Army has announced that it is to invest $50 million over the next five years on creating games designed to prepare soldiers for life in the battlefield.

Stars and Stripes

reports that the new program is set to begin in 2010 and quotes the product manager for air and ground tactical trainers at Project Executive Office Lt. Col. Gary Stephens as stating: The Army takes this seriously.

We want to take advantage of the growth in the games industry, but we don’t have the intent to become a competitor with the commercial gaming industry. We don’t have the intent or capability to be a commercial game house.”

The US Army already utilises a first person shooting title called DARWARS Ambush, which has been shipped to 3,000 separate armed forces units since 2006. However, the game is becoming dated and is not able to interact with the Army’s current real world computerised battle command systems.

The Army says it will announce further details on the contract shortly.