Second Take: America's Army, JT and Joust

[bennyblanx]

Ben and Rob tackle the protest against America's Army, Jack Thompson's subpoena of Bush and the wave of nostalgia video game movies.

Watch Video: Ben and Rob tackle the protest agai... and the wave of nostalgia video game movies.

Please sound off here!

Note: A couple of folks have commented on the audio issues. Turns out our mikes were on the fritz. We had to use a back up source this week, so it will have a tinny sound to it. Sorry about that. We are getting upgrades. Also played around with a second camera angle this time around. Please send me feedback on it.

Thanks!
Ben

 

[utopic]

AFAIC America's Army is a great free game. I realize they are trying to use it as a recruiting tool, to spread propaganda etc (it never shows any blood) but in the end it's just a game.

I'm not from the US, I couldn't care less about joining, I ignore the in-game propaganda and I take the limitations with a pinch of salt.

As for wargames and violence, why is this game worse than battlefield 2, for example? Beacuse it's supported by the US goverment? They'll always be hypocrites (goverments in general), they'll always try to manipulate the masses and hide the inconvenient truth. Some things never change, see the history books.

Are you against the hypocrisy or this game in particular? It's like being mad on the child for the mistakes of the parent...

I wish they'll keep developing the game and continue to offer it free.

 

[Grub]

Good points utopic...Especially the one about being mad at the government for being hypocrites...they just are, and its no use getting angry over it. Ethically though, using a video game to recruit kids into combat situations is wrong (i believe). ITs a kind of bait and switch tactic that should not be allowed. With that said, military recruiting tactics have almost always been 'bait and switch'. They promise you one thing, and you get more (or less) than you bargained for. America's army is just the newest tool for them to perpetuate their shady practices.

I believe that being in the military is an honorable profession (I served 6 years), but you are used from the moment you get in to the day you get out. The only thing that makes it worth it in the end is the abstract idea of service to your country, and the fellowship of your comrades in arms.

 

[Tsukasa]

Most of this video seemed like a rant against the government, big business, and "The Man". The government makes a great game, and guess what, it's free! So what do we do? We b*tch about it. Let's all send in our $50 so we can enjoy our military propaganda (BF2 *cough*) like normal people... >.>

As far as their actually being propaganda in the game, anyone who has ever played the game knows that there is a little to no push to join the military, and only because it's meant to be as realistic as possible.

However to present the opposition, as of the 2.6/2.7 patch more information can be obtained about the military via a clearly described link placed in the main console area (If you click on it then your obviously seeking information, which can't possibly be the responsibility or fault of the user. *sarcasm*) As if anyone cares about the link, it's a game, who's going to actually stop playing to click on it; and it's not like their isn't a minimum age requirement for the army, or the fact that most people have parent's who advise them on life, etc.

But seriously, AA is an awesome FPS, with great team play that doesn't get old. It receives constant updates and patches, and is arguably the most well kept up and supported game. It's free, it's fun, and it avoids any "Join the army" propaganda (exception: said link above). Like most games you login in, go search for your favorite server, jump in, then kick ***. It's a truly respectable game now go out and play it!

www.AmericsArmy.com

 

[Tsukasa]

I would personally rather read an article then watch a video, but as for how the video was choreographed:
I didn't notice the audio issue, if there was one, but as far as the new camera angle I'd say it looked less professional then the stationary point in the center, and the color seemed a bit off (I instantly noticed the picture was out of place). It's nice to hear your experimenting though, should add some flavor to future vids. Good luck and keep it up

 

[bruce555]

I agree with all you that the Government supporting this is very hypocritical and very shady, but this isn’t the only form of shady recruitment. @ utopic, no one was commenting on the game itself, and I agree with you that the game in it’s game nutshell is, just a entertaining FREE game. But to me this is beside the point, because this is a discussion of the role of the game, to recruit players into the US army.

IMO I have a hard time seeing the usefulness in this game for the job of recruiting. I only see this game as Counter Strike or one of the many games like it. I don’t see where the US army decided that AA would do a good way to recruit players into it’s army in a game that doesn’t offer anything different than any other online shooting game (IMO it offers less). Now with that being said, even if it was the best game out there and no other game could touch it, I still don’t think people would sign up to the army solely on playing a video game. If you were going to sign up, you were going to sign up. You’re not going to play a game then snap, “Hey I want to be in the army!”

Ya Ben, what the hell is up with these crap game movies and why out of all of them couldn’t they do Halo. I’m with you that I’m the furthest thing away from a Halo fan but I could be interested in seeing it, especially if it’s a big budget movie. With such a lack of idea’s are out there why couldn’t they put that one out, the only sure blockbuster of a movie. I think I know if they’re low budgeted movies and are done on not so well known games and are done by lower production studios than it spells itself out. The production studio has little money to buy big name games so it buys older, smaller franchises that are known to make a movie, to sell them to people who played the game for a moment and may have enjoyed it.

I’m not to sure if I like the different camera views, I think that when you change I just sit there and wonder why the hell do you do this, but give it another go cause why not, all the same things get said in the end.