U.S. Army Gets Ambushed Over Gears of War

If you have never served in the military and are complaining about a tournament being done by the army. Get over it. Most recruiters are pulled from there job to be recruiters. Most did not ask or volunteer to be one either. This is an opportunity for them to talk to people about what the army has done for them. To tell there army story. Most people won't join from playing a video game. They may know somebody who might just need the army. Not that the army needs them.

I think I'd be more tempted to enlist if I could use a chainsaw on the enemy. Our foes would definitely think twice before tangling with an army of chainsaw wielding ass kickers.

I have no problem with this.

JLTate: You've moved the bar from all jobs to oil rigs and oil rigs change out crews every two weeks. They can't make you go back and they certainly can't throw you in prison or wreck your chances of working pretty much any other job if you refuse.

I'd rather join a militia than the armed services... But thats just me...

Bongotezz: But darnit, not with chainsaws! Not with chainsaws!!!

Hmm... Maybe they should be using Top Spin 2 in their tournament! Then it can be open to anybody! ...can you imagine how badly that would go over?

Ace of Sevens: Ehh... try telling your boss that you're quitting when you're living on an oil rig! There's a saying about this. The undetermined need not apply.

The armed services is one of the very few parts of the US government that's still for the people, by the people. It bugs me that there are folks who prop up self-serving jackass politicians and then turn around and treat our soldiers so poorly.

Consider the job of the Army is to kill people and break stuff, I don't see how a video game could be too violent.

@ the Raw Story

1) It's a video game

2) It's rated M for Mature, and the tournament is for 17+

3) It's not like the Army wants the winners, which will probably be nerds that can't lift anything more than a controller or a 6-pack of beer, except for tech-savvy individuals

4) Quit your belly-aching, games like these, which should only be in the hands of MATURE people over 17, aren't making psycho-killers, and shouldn't be in children's hands, as long as parents DO THEIR JOB

5) If you don't like the amount of violence in the game, ignore it. The first amendment gives game developers the right to make or say whatever they want (as long as it isn't dangerous or slanderous). I may hate the game all I want, but i would still die to protect their right to make it. As do all the soldiers out in the war right now that are dying so we can say what we want

Grow some balls and live up to American ideals, or get the hell out

Sakimori -- the Army (and the other armed services) have a budget set aside specifically for recruitment purposes. No matter what happens, X number of dollars is getting spent on recruitment, because you always need more people to join. The idea is to get as much exposure as possible on a per dollar basis. Throwing $15k at a core demographic is actually pretty well spent.

um... it's the army. they train people to kill each other with guns, knives and bombs.

Creative idea, kudos for chosing a neat game - if it gets them any recruits, so much the better.

In before JT or a Larouche ite says they were right all along.

Personally, I"m surprised it hasn't happened already, or the messages were taken down, if so, I applaud you Dennis.

As for this idea, I applaud the military for trying a new idea, but, I do find it a shame that the gamers who show up will likely be useless for service. Personally, I see this as a more creative draft.

Again, I applaud the Army for sponsoring competitive gaming.

Sponsoring tournaments is a great way to reach a young, tech-savvy demographic, and the choice of game is very important because you have to choose titles that have a large, active, competitive playerbase.

Then again, I'm one of the people who thinks that the America's Army game was a superb application of a few dollars from my tax contribution.

Why is it that when people try to ban Manhunt 2, everyone here is up in arms saying that we should have freedom of speech and that there is nothing wrong with the game, but when the Army tries to use an M rated game - for a competition consisting of adults by the way - everybody says "Look how evil the Army is, they're using violence to glorify their evil agenda."

Maybe not exactly that, but something to the point. I don't get it.

Dog Welder,
Nor would they have a chance of getting in touch with their more sadistic side such as torturing prisioners or blowing away innocent citizens and saying "Sorry! My Bad!"

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

P.S. Yes, I know there are honorable indiividuals in the military. too bad the scumbags have better press agents than the good soldiers.

Why not just back to the way it was dones centuries ago?

Hear ye! Hear ye!
On today's date, July 09, 2007, the Grand Recruiter for this Region doth appear!
Bring forth all persons recently become 18 years of age in the last 11 months, or to turn 18 years of age in the next month!
The Grand Recruiter will inspect all said individiuals and, upon approval by the Grand Recruiter, will be ordered into service of his majesty's Great Army!

Any meeting the age requirements to appear, or those chosen by the Grand Recruiter who do not appear at the ordered departure time and place, will be considered as avoiding their duty to the High King and will be charged with Treason and executed upon locating said individuals!

There are NO execptions to this order!

-------------------------------

Yeah, that's better than making recruitment voluntary, eh?

Nightwng2000
NW2K software

"While I do not like the army targetting young adults in this way"

I'd love to see a military force consisting entirely of overweight 50-year-olds. It's like Grumpy Old Men meets Apocalypse Now.

Wait... There is a problem here? Where? I don't see it. Can someone explain the problem in an intelligent manner so that I can get this? I just dont see the problem with a game that is rated M, being used as a recruitment strategy by the militay, that is open only to 17 and up.

Off topic, but...

I realize the need for recruitment efforts, I realize that this kind of event attracts the target demographic, and I'm willing to believe that the Army's recruitment numbers are lower than they'd like. But does the Army really have so much money lying around that they can afford to just give $15k away? Aren't these the same guys that didn't have enough money to put armor on their vehicles a few months ago? I mean, I realize that $15k doesn't even qualify as "a drop in the bucket" when you compare it to the $200,000,000/day we're spending on the war, but come on.

Hey, Army guys: you think maybe you can come up with some other recruitment effort? You know, one that doesn't involve throwing money out the window? Us taxpayers would really appreciate it. Thanks.

So... they're mad that an organization which has no purpose but violence (my personal views aside, they don't train at changing diapers or doling out food to the homeless; they train to kill) is using a violent game at a tournament? This isn't being run by the Peace Corps, here. I can't think of any reason to be offended by this, except for the sake of being offended.

So what is an appropriate way for the army to recruit? They're targetting the most likely demographic to be interested in service in the army. Who are the common FPS players? Young adult males. Who would the army like to recruit? Young adult males. If they were recruiting during Saturday morning cartoons, or were having a New Super Mario Bros. tournament, than I could see there being some kind of issue.

Why should they care if only people old enough ("allowed") to play it are playing it?

100% in agree wiht you xzero87! no matter how much they try to stamp war out of games IT IS 100% REAL AND THERE ARE REAL PEOPLE RIGHTING IN IT. Cutting it out of games isnt going to cut it out of the world. War is real. Violence is real. Blood is real and blood gushing from gunshot wounds is again real.
Its supposed to be a surrealistic war game isnt it? So why should it contain all these things!

Has anyone noticed that the violence in Gears doesn't even compare to the brutality of war? There is no way possible that GoW is more violent than actual war.

I never understood why people got mad at he Army for targeting their primary demograpic. Getting upset over this is on par with getting angry at Viagra for putting ads in Golf Magazine.