Teen Cites America's Army Game in Enlistment Decision
Teen Cites America's Army Game in Enlistment Decision
October 6, 2008
Did you ever wonder if the America's Army game ever actually inspired anyone to join the service?
Wonder no more.
A 17-year-old Wisconsin boy, Tyler Battig, told the Fond du Lac Reporter:
I felt like enlisting because I have a lot of family that joined the Army and served, plus 'America's Army,' the computer game, came out and that got me thinking more and more... I do face the fact that I could be going overseas, but that shouldn't stop anybody from joining.
America's Army has sparked protests in recent months from anti-war groups. In August, protesters marched outside Ubisoft's San Francisco HQ. Ubi published the console editions of America's Army, although the more popular PC version is freely distributed by the Department of Defense.
In the photo Tyler is seen with his mother, Kim Battig, who also enlisted, as well as two Army recruiters.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
I would question whether someone citing AA as a non-trivial factor in his decision to enlist should be allowed to enlist.
I would question whether someone citing America's Army as a factor in their decision to refuse enlistment should get to oversee enlistment.
What are you referring to?
That those like yourself who would refuse enlistment simply because advertising had an impact on their decisions, probably should not be overseeing enlistment.
-Gray17
So in other words, if advertising for the Army keeps someone thinking about it until they decide to enlist; they shouldn't be allowed to enlist because they payed attention to the advertisments?
-Gray17
...what?
If they're thinking about it, and AA is the thing that tips them in favor of enlisting, I think they need to seriously re-evaluate what they're expecting life in the Army to be, because AA it ain't.
I didn't say that AA was the thing that tips them in favor of it. I said it was the thing that kept them thinking about it. Like say, seeing TV ads for the army over and over kept the subject in their mind for consideration. Then after considering it for a while they decide to enlist. The ads didn't "tip them in favor of it", but merely kept it fresh in their mind. Likewise for AA.
Afterall, out of sight, out of mind does have some truth to it. Conversely keeping it in sight helps keep it in mind.
-Gray17
His MOTHER enlisted, but the game was the only notable factor for his enlistment? I don't mean to imply she forced him or anything, just that I think having family in the military might be a bigger influence than a game.
Read it again. A lot of his family is apparently military, that was the main reason cited. AA's role was:
"plus 'America's Army,' the computer game, came out and that got me thinking more and more..."
In other words, it served as advertising that kept him considering enlisting for himself.
-Gray17
I don't know where you're getting this "advertising" angle from. U.S. Army ads are all over the place. He didn't say "and there was that Army commercial on television last night" or "I saw this Army ad in a magazine, and it got me thinking". Advertising for the Army is so commonplace that it doesn't bear mentioning when discussing the factors that lead to a decision to enlist. The fact that he explicitly mentioned it, in the same sentence as having several enlisted family members (a much more significant factor), suggests that the game itself was something that helped convince him to join, not just something that kept the idea of the army in the forefront of his mind.
That is because most people worth a grain a salt ignore commercials other than for humor. AA is a more solid form of advertisement, but it still advertisement. Saying that it isnt is like saying that NASCAR isnt like one massive commercial. So calling it an ad would be correct, or else it wouldnt have the title American Army, with the Army logo.
Like Deepthorn said, the game itself is one big advertisment. I'd imagine he specifically mentioned it as it was the only advertising that actually succeeded in it's purpose of keeping enlistment in mind for consideration.
-Gray17
Oh god, dont let all of the big companies know this. We really do not need Toyota Driving Experience, Bubble Smack Gumtastic, PETA hug the trees, Chase Bank: Release Your Money, and Menards Buildathon... (of course, it would be nice to have less commercials, because when there is a commercial break every 5-10 minutes, it ticks me off... thank god for hulu)
What it really comes down to is the controversy over games colliding with the controversy of the military.
"Veterans and recruiters are evil! How dare they seduce little kids into their assimilation of murderers and conquerors! Through toys, none the less!"
According to tesh.com, an Associated Press and MTV survey showed 90% of kids #1 inspiration on major decisions are their parents. This kid followed family tradition. THEN, AA helped establish his choice.
My Dad was a marine, and my grandfather was in the Army Air Corp. (or whatever division of the Army it was called before it became the Air Force... This is going back to WWII, just to say). I know this'll be dismissed, but I'd NEVER think of joining the military... Well, that's partly a lie. I'd join the military if there was a draft (before i was drafted), but ONLY if I couldn't make it out of the country first.
Anyway, AA, regardless, played a crucial role. It kept the idea in his mind, kept it a possibility. But the use of America's Army to recruit is just like offering to pay for college or the commercials (which I don't think they're supposed to do, but it's the military).
Also, I'd like to point out that if TV media outlets got their hands on this, they'd make it a positive thing. However, whenever someone shoots someone else, it's video games...
Or that kid that snuck into the zoo and fed other animals to the croc. I'm surprised JT hasn't said that video games have perverted his mind.
The game isn't the only thing that keeps this in people's minds. Suggesting that only the AA game led to this decision is ridiculous, and I think the kid's probably a simpleton.
You can see Army, National Guard, and Navy SEAL ads during primetime TV, latenight TV, and before movies.
Suggesting that only the AA game led to this decision is ridiculous, and I think the kid's probably a simpleton.
The kid's a simpleton for follow in several family member's footsteps?
"I felt like enlisting because I have a lot of family that joined the Army and served..."
Yeah, really sounds to me like only the AA game led to his decision.
-Gray17
I think you misinterpreted what he said. He said that "suggesting that only the AA game led to this decision is ridiculous" meaning that to say nothing else influenced him is wrong. At least that's how I took it to be. The last part of the sentence kind of offsets the first and makes it hard to tell what was really said.
I would have to agree that he would be a simpleton though if AA was the only reason he joined, which it obviously isn't. Family history of military service usually has a very strong influence on wether or not a person joins. In my case, both of my grandfathers and my dad were in the army, and all 3 of them advised me to avoid it if possible. Other families have the exact opposite view.
The game sucks thats why you can;t forget it!
:P
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
I'm more annoyed by the recruiters that came to my high school everyday and passed out free folders and pencils with the army on them.
--- Official Protector of Videoland!
All of this is a moot point in the end. Nothing here violates any sort of law, treaty or convention. Child recruitment is specifically meant for active recruitment into the military of a minor. So basically anything less than the US military is giving children guns and body armor, and shipping them off to war is completely legal. Of course, it then falls into the area of "is it moral?" and no internet forum argument is going to change your take on it.
As for the part it played in the kid's recruitment, I feel it's minor. Family tradition seemed to play a major factor in the kid's decision, and the game just played the part of keeping the question of if he should join or not in his mind. It's a shitty game, but I also think the same of Halo, and a lot of people seem to enjoy that one.
The way I'm reading it, this has more to do with his family's long-standing tradition of serving in the armed forces. America's Army was just a proverbial nudge.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
What surprises me is that this is "news," not that it has happened. Just last week I was at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) to take a language test and I spoke to a kid who was joining the Navy with the stated purpose of achieving the rank of Master Chief because, and I'm only barely paraphrasing, "that would be cool and Halo's awesome."
The good news, for anyone who's interested, is that the vast majority of the people I spoke to had made much more reasoned and reasonable decisions prior to enlisting.