I recently learned something quite interesting about video games. Many young people have developed incredible hand, eye, and brain coordination in playing these games. The air force believes these kids will be our outstanding pilots should they fly our jets.
RONALD REAGAN, speech, Aug. 8, 1983
He was often a man who seemed a generation behind the times; yet, in a robust defense of the West against the USSR he was a generation ahead, just as he was in his views on video games.
What’s one thing [of many] men are unquestionably better at than women? Video games of course!
Today’s topic comes courtesy of StrategyPage, a well-respected internet clearinghouse for military-related news.
One of the problems troops encounter in Iraq is taking fire from insurgents. In particular, the gunner on any vehicle (manning a turret) is often the primary target. Disable or kill the gunner, and the vehicle’s firepower is radically reduced. As well as being not great for the gunner.
The solution has seemed obvious for many years: have a remote controlled turret and keep the gunner safe inside the vehicle. Yet many problems have bedeviled this solution, not least of which is the difficulty of providing a feasible camera/control interface that a soldier can readily and effectively use.
Not surprisingly it turns out that the videogame generation of young men who came of age in the 1990’s playing semi-realistic first person shooters is very adept at using the newest CROWS (common remotely operated weapons stations).
experienced video gamers are skilled at whipping that screen view around, and picking up any signs of danger. Iraqis are amazed at how observant CROWS is. Iraqis tend to just wrote this off as another example of American “magic.” But the troops know better. Video games can save your life.
We’re sorry sir, the Evil Empire has ceased operations pending bankruptcy.
You might want to try next door. That little white house with a monkey on the porch. Yes, that’s it. They’re sure to fix you right up with funding and red tape round all your machiavelic schemings.
Video games rule.
Hmmmm, not much happening on this thread, sadly… Yes, games do have a huge future, especially since they are being used in simulators to train people for everything from piloting to operating on the human brain. wolfe do you play Call of Duty 2?
There have been a few ‘wolfe’ players, even though it’s a rather slight possibility.
Rather funny how on MABTW I mentioned that I played CoD and someone replied in a way that suggested I wished I was experiancing the ‘real’ thing. Hah. No sir! Playing a simulation of WW2 does not mean I wish to be upon the battlefield with men dying and suffering and all that all round me. Anyway… Yeah, what I said before.
Video games rule.
I expect this to be more like a conventional blog, BIZ, than like MABTW in terms of comments on older threads.
Dick has a particularly clever approach; he doesn’t date his posts, and he tends to shy away from lots of “current events” posts. Even when he does post on a current event, he often puts a spin on it that will render his views equally relevant (or irrelevant, depending upon your perspective) over the passage of time. e.g., instead of “Steve Irwin has died, how sad” it’s “Germaine Greer is a C—”. (I despise the language use, but I applaud the general approach).
In my case, I tend to comment on semi-current events — often delayed up to a week for a variety of reasons.
But comment away on any post that catches your eye; feel free to email me if there’s something you’d like me to post on that you think would be interesting.
Alas I don’t play Call of Duty 2. I’m simply not that great at fps games compared to people your age. Yeah, I’m old and slow.
I am familiar with CoD2; I do occasional play (singleplayer only, sorry) Brothers In Arms — Earned in Blood as a friend gave it to me for my birthday.
The only WW2 simulation I’m playing at the moment is Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday. It’s the antithesis of Call of Duty. You basically run a country — its diplomatic, technological, intelligence, finance policies over the course of many years. And of course, you are the Supreme Commander of your country’s forces, but you don’t directly deploy any forces smaller than a division!
I used to be a pretty mean Starcraft player, though probably not gosu ^^. I played EQ (Everquest) and World of Warcraft, and was reasonably accomplished at both (possibly the best player of my class on my server; generally the best equipped).
But really, grand strategy games, (’god games’ — like Civ) MMORPG’s like EQ/WoW are my cup of tea.
I’ll probably play Sigil’s new game, Vanguard when it comes out. So if you play that, let me know.
-wolfe
“Alas I don’t play Call of Duty 2. I’m simply not that great at fps games compared to people your age. Yeah, I’m old and slow.”
What a horrible and incorrect thing to say about yourself. There are plenty of ‘old’ dudes (up to 60 years old even) who play fps games and own as hard as a teenager. Age is only in the mind; you’re setting rather low standards for yourself by using such labels as ‘old and slow.’
Heh, I tend to rant at anyone who sells themselves short… But yes if I do play that new game I will let you know.
Ha! You’ve not read me enough, Biz. Trust me, I’m poking fun at myself in calling myself “old and slow”… as I do to others, and as I’ll do to you if you post long enough. But only respectfully.
But honestly, I am less good at fps games than I was 10-12 years ago. Simple fact. I’m probably a bit better strategically, and in wisdom, but that’s a slightly different matter.
Heh, someday I’ll tell of the tale of me playing some variant of Rainbow Six as the counter-tango sniper… (My reflexes were not the problem.)
(MMO)RPGs are what’s fun for me; ditto grand strategy games.
If we both wind up playing vanguard, that’ll be cool.
-wolfe
True.
Well, if it’s only in jest, it’s all good.