Adapting Video Games For Military Applicatons.

• Author: Baker, A. Duffy

The realistic qualities of video games today make them increasingly valuable tools for military training, officials said. But they also recognize that glitzy Hollywood-style animations offer only partial solutions to the challenges that have emerged in military training.

Both military and industry experts debated the virtues of gaming technology during the Interservice/Industry Simulation Training and Education Conference in Orlando, Fla. The annual event is sponsored by the National Training Systems Association.

Training-oriented video games and PC-based training tools are known as "microsimulations", explained Marine Maj. Chris Sharp, of the College of Continuing Education at the Marine Corps University, in Quantico, Va. Some microsimulations focus on physical and mental skills needed in combat. "I work with majors and captains, so we are focusing on decision-making skills," explained Sharp.

The benefits of microsimulations are many, according to Sharp. They are accessible, since they operate on PCs. The technology is reliable and inexpensive, having been refined in the entertainment field for more than a decade. That also makes them user friendly. "They're intuitive. They were built for a two-year-old or a 12-year-old to understand," said Sharp. And they allow players to interact via the Internet.

Another advantage Sharp sees in the use of microsimulations is the ability to record the missions played. "If you've ever done a flight simulator, you might find that you spend more time reviewing what you did than actually playing the game."

Sharp also discussed some unique requirements for video games used by military trainees. One was a chain of command element where the various levels of commands can be played. For that reason, Sharp would like to see compatibility between games. "Nor necessarily to have one game execute everything, but a console that can support an aviation model played along with a tank simulation," said Sharp. These elements can be seen in games such as Close Combat, made by Atomic Games, in Houston. Close Combat is a series of games based on different World War II battles.

Commercial games are seeking a middle ground "between pure simulation and a fun game," said Brian Upton, of Red Storm Entertainment, in Morrisville, N.C. One of the company's most popular games is Rainbow Six, based on the series of books by Tom Clancy. It is a close-quarter fighting and counter-terrorism game. Red Storm was to make the game "as real as possible, while still easy to play and accessible to consumers," Upton said. "Part of the fun for our players is the realism.

"There are things that you can do in the real world, because of the training you do or the capability of weapons, that just aren't fun for the player. For instance, you can shoot somebody from two miles away in the real world," explained Upton. In the game, that person would be just a tiny pixel. This takes away from the tension level and excitement for the player.

Commercial Platform

LB & B Associates Inc., in Columbia, Md., has developed the Military Element Tactical Trainer Simulation (METT Sim) based on a commercial platform. "We took...