SGS Feature: 'Frank Blackwell On America’s Army'

Today's main feature written for Gamasutra sister site Serious Games Source, which deals with games created for training, health, government, military, educational and other uses, takes a look at the serious game America's Army. Specifically, the site spoke with Frank Blackwell, program manager for the America’s Army project office, to get his perspective on this recruitment-oriented serious game. In this excerpt, Blackwell discusses some of the current military applications for the technology provided by the America’s Army project: “We are currently developing America’s Army based training applications for many different Army Systems. These training applications include Live Fire Virtual Targetry for Urban Combat Training where America’s Army virtual scenarios are projected on screens in containerized shoot houses for Live Fire training (real weapons and real bullets). We rapidly developed a Bunker Defeat Munition training device by reusing the single screen Future Soldier Trainer and a non-tethered simulated BDM with compressed air cartridges for realistic launch effects. The Javelin Basic Skills Trainer integrates the America’s Army scenarios with the Javelin Basic Skills Trainer hardware and tactical Javelin symbology, menus, and controls functions.” Later, he notes that the army is using Unreal Engine 3 for several in-development projects, and comments specifically on why how the America's Army solution is suited for training purposes: “The gaming technology built on Epic’s Unreal Engine provides “active” education and training where the student is engaged and immersed in the training and decision making is required. Students can experience the consequences of their decisions and After Action Review provides additional feedback to the student and instructor.” You can now read the full Serious Games Source feature on the subject, including more from Blackwell regarding America's Army (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).