14 DAY TRIAL // So, what does it take to get someone to enlist in the Army, be it the United States military forces or those of any other country? The first answers that come to someone’s mind are: loyalty to the country, the passion to defend, a good physical condition, a strong mind and a good level of understanding of the world around you. Well, it seems that the United States Army tends to believe that people with all the above mentioned qualities will be attracted to enlist by the possibility of getting an Xbox 360.
The GamePolitics blog has spotted the add pictured alongside this article on CNN, telling those willing to click through that they might get an Xbox 360 Microsoft made gaming console if they are interested in getting involved with the Army.
Given the dangers that videogames are supposed to bring with them, it's weird to see such a respected institution associate with them freely. It's also cynical to promote videogames alongside war, considering the fact that someone joining up for the Army is set to experience something real and not the sanitized, videogame version of conflict, like we do when playing Call of Duty or Armed Assault.
The Army has long used videogames to attract potential recruits. America's Army, which is billed as being a real military videogame, has long been around and is free, meaning that people will likely play it if only to get a feel for what it has to offer.
In more recent times, the Army has also began creating multimedia experiences of the life one can have after enlisting, complete with videogame simulations, which have been presented to the public in a center set in Philadelphia, created at a reported cost of 12 million dollars.
We fully expect to see the various armies around the world replace combat training with a rigorous program of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Operation Flashpoint 4 sometime before 2020. We'll surely be combat ready without having to leave the comfort of our couches.