Not everything is all fun and games.

Current Army Logo

Updated on May 8, 2011
It’s just a game, right? It’s not reality, and nobody gets hurt, it’s a form of entertainment.  For some it is, however over the past few years, the military has starting using it as a form of sharpening fighting skills to help the recruit more soldiers.

In 2002 the U.S. Army revealed America’s Army, it was the first and only free action game that provides training and career advancements and has become the most effective recruiting tool than all the other advertisements combined used by the Army. Since then there have been over 26 versions of America’s Army released.

The game is distributed by free download and is financed by the U.S. government.  According to a December 10, 2009 article called “America’s Army costs U.S. taxpayers $33 million” reports the annual budget for America’s Army, from 2000-2009 the budget ranged from $1.3 million to $5.6 million.

1930's Recruitment Poster 

The military has embrace video games to help recruit and train the new generations of gamers. These are gamers who usually play commercial games like Modern Warfare 2, reported in an August 2010 article on Live Science. The article continues by saying that there are few video games these days that combine physical carnage and mental anguish of warfare. The concept behind the game is not based on scoring due to the number of kills.  The goal of the game is to represent values and career options available within the Army.

The game itself starts gamers off in boot camp; it challenges the gamer in military training.  This allows the gamer to get an idea of what basic training will be like along with the fact that by the time the gamers become soldiers, and they get to the firing line with weapons, they are proficient from having the training from the video games.

America's Army 3 Trailer

America’s Army is not a video game that has extremely bloody kills. In order to make it more of a successful recruiting tool they tamed down the bloodier kills, which allowed the game to earn a “T for teen” rating.  Individuals are now able to start playing the game as early as 13.  That way by the time teens reach 17 they have had time to think about joining the Army.

Jaime Holguin wrote an article on March 2004 called “Army Recruits Video Gamers,” she cited a psychology professor Brad Bushman of the University of Michigan, who said, “America’s Army isn’t real enough.” Bushman goes on explaining that war should not be considered a game. Video game are not showing the truth, when you shoot someone in the video game all you see is a splatter or a bit of blood, you never see a person in agony or pain.

America's Army is just like real life. 

(Warning: Gunshot might scare you at first)

In the same article the game’s creator Col. Casey Wardynksi states, “kids aren’t stupid, they know if they come into the army there is a reason that we have rifles and tanks and all that stuff.” Gamer Bart Koscinski said you understand the risks if your going to join the army.