Nov. 11, 2009 : Video games and military recruitment

WHEN WE CONTINUE THE MILITARY
AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY.
THIS WEEK THE MAKERS OF THE
CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE
VIDEO GAME SERIES RELEASED ITS
LATEST VERSION, MODERN WARFARE
TWO.
GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE IS THE
MAIN THEME OF THIS GAME, WHICH
IS EXPECTED TO SELL BETWEEN 11
AND 13 MILLION COPIES BY THE
END OF THE YEAR.
WHILE IT MIGHT BE REPUGNANT TO
SOME PEOPLE, THE U.S. MILITARY
HAS FOUND VAL NEW THE GAMES,
USING THEM AS BOTH A
RECRUITMENT TOOL AND AS
POTENTIAL COMBAT SIMULATIONS.
JOINING ME NOW IS NINA
HUNTEMANN, CO-AUTHOR OF JOY
STICK SOLDIERS, THE POLITICS
OF PLAY IN MILITARY VIDEO
GAMES.
WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS
ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE AREAS OF
EXPERTISE OF WHICH I HAVE
NONE.
SO I WATCHEDED A BIG CHUNK OF
THIS TODAY AND I GOT AN EARFUL
OF PEOPLE WHO WERE TELL ME
ABOUT THEIR SONS, MAINLY BOYS
WHO PLAY THIS GAME.
I MEAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE
BASIC APPEAL OF IT?

>> SURE.

>> AND THERE'S SOME STRATEGY
INVOLVED.

>> THERE'S ACTUALLY QUITE A
BIT OF STRATEGY INVOLVED.
BUT THERE'S MANY THINGS ABOUT
THESE TYPES OF GAMES THAT
WOULD BE APPEALING.
WHEN YOUR PLAYING IT YOUR
HEART RACES, IT'S VERY
VISCERAL.
IT'S DIFFICULT, THERE'S A LOT
OF SKILL INVOLVED.
CERTAINLY WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING
WITH OTHERS THERE'S A LOT OF
COMPETITION INVOLVED.

>> AND IT'S A MORAL DILEMMA,
LIKE SHOOTING CIVILIANS,
LETTING THEM SUFFER WHILE YOU
MOVE ONTO YOUR NEXT MISSION.

>> YEAH, ALREADY FAME KPUS
INFAMOUS, A CONTROVERSIAL
MOMENT IN THE GAME WHICH I
PICKED UP YESTERDAY AND
STARTED PLAYING I LAST NIGHT.
YOU GET TO THAT SCENE VERY
EARLY ON, YOU ARE UNDERCOVER,
SO YOU'RE COVERT AND YOU'RE
STUCK WITH A KIND OF TERRORIST
SYNDICATE IN RUSSIA, AND THE
SCENE OPENS UP WHERE YOU'RE IN
AN AIRPORT AND YOUR BAD GUYS
THAT YOU'RE WITH THEY JUST
STARTS SHOOTING AT CIVILIANS
AND WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT I
WAS KIND OF SHOCKED BY IT, I
HAVE TO SAY, IT WAS UNEXPECTED,
IT WAS FAIRLY GRATUITOUS.
BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO
SHOOT, SITE WAS AN INTERESTING
MOMENT, I COULD CHOOSE TO SORT
OF WATCH, UNCOMFORTABLEY AND
NOT SHOOT, AS THESE BAD GUYS
SHOT, AND THEN YOU WALK OVER
THE BODIES AS WE LEFT THE
AIRPORT.

>> SO THERE'S A REPETITION
FACTOR, THE SAME SCENE COMES
UP EVERY TIME.

>> IF YOU DIE IN THAT KEEN THE
KEEN COMES UP AGAIN AND YOU
NEED TO PLAY THROUGH IT AGAIN
BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD,
AT LEAST IF DURING THE STORY
ASPECT OF THE GAME.
IF YOU PLAY ONLINE WITH
FRIENDS YOU'RE PLAYING
DIFFERENT CONCERN ARE WHYS,
BUT YOU ARE TO --
DIFFERENT KEN ARE WHYS.
BLOZ

>> TALK ABOUT THE MILITARY
PROMOTING THESE THINGS, THEY
ACTUALLY USE THEM AS POSSIBLE
SIMULATION AND COMBAT.

>> SURE.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
MILITARY AND VIDEO GAMES IS
ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD.
ATARI CREATED A GAME CALLED
BRADLEY TRAINER FOR THE U.S.
ARMY AS A WAY OF TRAINING
SOLDIERS ON A PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT.
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING SIMILAR
THINGS EVER SINCE.
THE RELATIONSHIP HAS BECOME
STRONGER.
IT'S REFERRED TO OFTEN AS THE
MILITARY ENTERTAINMENT
COMPLEX.
WHERE IT INVOLVES NOT JUST
VIDEO GAME COMPANIES BUT FILM
STUDIOS, SOFTWARE MAKE
EXAMINERS SO FORTH.
WHAT THE MILITARY IS
INTERESTED IN IS TRAINING
THEIR SOLDIERS BETTER,
TRAINING THEM FOR A NEW KIND
OF WARFARE AND THEY ARE
LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.
WHAT KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES CAN
WE USE TO DO THAT.
AND VIDEO GAMES ARE AN OBVIOUS
TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE THIS
COMBAT SIMULATION.
CAN WE TAKE OUR SOLDIERS, OUR
SOLDIERS UNDER TRAINING
THROUGH SOMETHING THAT LOOKS A
LOT LIKE WHAT THEY MIGHT FACE
SO THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED
FOR IT.

>> I WAS READING THAT DAVID
RHODES SERIES IN THE "NEW YORK
TIMES", THE GUY CAPTURED BY
THE TALIBAN AND HE SAID HIS
CAPTORS WERE FASCINATED WITH
THIS KIND OF STUFF AND WATCHED
IT ALL DAY LONG.
THEY WERE LESS INTERESTED IN
THE GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS
AS JUST SORT OF THE SHOOT 'EM
UP ASPECTS OF IT.
I'M WONDERING IF IT DOESN'T
INURE PEOPLE TO THE MINDLESS
VIOLENCE.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH
THAT SUGGESTS THAT IT PRODUCES
MINDLESS VIOLENCE, COMPLETELY
DESENSITIZES US.
I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT
IT GIVES US A VERY NARROW VIEW
OF WHAT WAR IS LIKE.
SO THE PLAYER WHO IS NOT
ENROLLED IN THE ARMY AND WHO
MAY NEVER EVER BECOME AN
ENLISTED SOLDIER GETS A VERY
SPECIFIC SORT OF DEEP BUT
NARROW VIEW OF WHAT IT MIGHT
BE LIKE TO BE IN THE MILITARY.
THE FASCINATION IS BECAUSE
IT'S FULL OF A LOT OF STRATEGY,
IT'S FULL OF A LOT OF VISCERAL
MOMENTS, IT'S FULL OF A LOT OF
TRIGGER, YOU HAVE TO RESPOND
QUICKLY, AND MAKE DECISIONS
QUICKLY.
AND THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF
SKILLS THAT FRANKLY ARE
NECESSARY IF YOU ARE IN THE
FIELD.

>> BUT DO YOU WIN BY KILLING
THE MOST PEOPLE?

>> SOMETIMES.
NOT NECESSARILY.
NOT NECESSARILY.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE
STEALTHY.
BUT OFTEN CERTAINLY VIOLENCE
AND KILLING YOUR MEN MEESE IS
THE KEY WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.

>> SITE WAS NO COINCIDENCE
THAT THIS NEW SERIES, MODERN
WARFARE TWO, WAS RELEASED ON
VETERANS DAY.

>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
IT IS PREHOLIDAY SEASON, IT'S
AROUND THE TIME WHEN WE'RE
GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE GAMES
BEING RELEASED, GETTING READY
FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
ASSASSINS CREED TWO IS DUE TO
COME OUT SOON.
BUT OF COURSE IT'S CONNECTED
TO VETERANS DAY, AND IN FACT
THERE HAS BEEN A RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE ARMY AND
SPECIFICALLY THE ARMY AND
VIDEO GAME MAKERS FOR SEVERAL
YEARS NOW. THE ARMY SHOWED UP
AT THE LAUNCH OF HALO 3
BECAUSE THEY SEE THE PLAYERS
OF THESE GAMES THAT AS YOU
SAID ARE MOSTLY YOUNG BOYS, AS
POTENTIAL RECRUITS.
AND THERE IS A SYNERGISTIC
RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY CAN
EXPLOIT ABOUT IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN THE MILITARY,
HEY, WE'RE RIGHT OVER HERE,
YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE AT THIS
HALO TREAT LODGE OR AT
TOURNAMENTS, I'M SURE WE'LL
HAVE MILITARY REPRESENTATION
AS THEY DID FOR THE FIRST
GAME.
SO IT'S GOOD MARKETING.

>> BUT THE WINK WINK NOD NOD
ON THIS IS THAT THIS IS POSELY
MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY, WHICH
IS OVER 18.
I'M SURE THERE'S PROBABLY AT
LEAST 50% OF THE PEOPLE ARE 18
AND OVER, BUT THE REST OF THEM
ARE NOT.

>> YEAH.
YES, THEY ARE RATED M, W
RECOMMENDED 17 AND OLDER.
I WAS AT BEST BUY YESTERDAY
PICKING UP MY COPY OF IT AND
STANDING IN FRONT OF ME WAS A
VERY YOUNG, YOUNG AS IN
CLEARLY 12 BUT NOT ANY OLDER
THAN MAYBE 16, IN LINE WITH
HIS MOM.
GETTING THE GAME.
AND HE WAS PAYING THE MONEY
AND SHE WAS STANDING THERE
LIKE, WELL, OBVIOUSLY SHE'S
MADE THE DIGS THAT THIS IS
OKAY FOR HIM TO PURCHASE.
$60, IF YOU GET THE REGULAR
EDITION.
THE PRESTIGE EDITION COMES
WITH WORKING NIGHT VISION
GOGGLES THAT I'M NOT SURE WHAT
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE DOING
WITH THESE NIGHT VISION
GOGGLES, BUT THAT IS A BUNDLE
YOU CAN GET.
SO THEN I ASKED THE CLERK, THE
YOUNG GIRL STANDING BEHIND THE
CASH REGISTER, I ASKED HER DO
YOU SEE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
BUYING THE GAME AND SHE SAID
OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
IN FACT MY SCHOOL, SHE WAS IN
HIGH SCHOOL, MY COOL HALF THE
COOL TOOK OFF TODAY SO THEY
CAN PLAY THE GAME.

>> SO THESE AREN'T THE CROOKS
--

>> THERE WAS A MOTHER STANDING
RIGHT THERE.

>> THAT'S FASCINATING.
INVITE ME OVER.
I'M SURE I'LL LOSE.

>> I'M NOT VERY GOOD EITHER.

>> THANKS VERY MUCH.