'America's Army' grows to 8 million, actual Army increase costly
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jan 24th 2007 at 12:25PM }
According to America's Army PR (ostensibly paid for by US tax dollars), the PC version of the popular shooter registered its 8 millionth user this past weekend. The America's Army user base now apparently spans more than 60 countries, likely owing to the fact that the "game" is freeware; the payoff is in the propagation of a positive image of the US Army throughout various parts of the world. It's no secret that the US Government developed the project as a propaganda device, but it's difficult to measure its impact on worldwide opinions, not to mention US Army recruitment success. We do know that the Army met its recruitment quotas in the two years following the game's release (in 2002).Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, a deputy chief of staff, estimates that increasing the size of the Army's active troops by 65,000 (as recommended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates), would cost $70 billion (to be budgeted between 2009 and 2013). Nearly half of that proposed increase has already been accomplished under a temporary program that will likely be made permanent. It's unclear what portion of the estimated $70 billion, if any, would be spent on future upgrades to America's Army. If US troop growth is indeed this costly, then America's Army's true strength may be in its potential to win over the minds and bodies (enlisted in the militaries of US allies) of non-US players.
[Via press release]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steven @ Jan 24th 2007 12:32PM
I think the game was a good idea. Maybe it works maybe it doesn't, but freeware is always good.
Keef @ Jan 24th 2007 12:38PM
i havent played this game in ages, mite just go download it again woooo
raging_evil @ Jan 24th 2007 12:43PM
It's popular cuz it's free.
new comment system.
raging_evil @ Jan 24th 2007 12:45PM
can we change our passwords??
CowboyGA @ Jan 24th 2007 12:50PM
Am I the only one who thought this game was bad? I love that it's free, it's graphically beautiful, and it runs smoothly... but the actual gameplay was "el crappo." I remember being glad to switch back to the considerably more fun Medal of Honor online fights.
But don't get me wrong, as far as ad-games go, I'm still pro America's Army and Burger King games.
Pat Bateman @ Jan 24th 2007 2:29PM
I'm sorry Joystiq, but meeting recruitment goals has very little to do with "America's Army." The US Army met its recruitment goals in the first two years following the Iraq war based on other factors, not "America's Army."
As raging_evil says, its popular because it is free.
copa @ Jan 24th 2007 12:51PM
"We do know that the Army met its recruitment quotas in the two years following the game's release (in 2002)."
Hmmm, I wonder what had more effect on good recruitment numbers in 2002 and 2003:
1) Patriotic Americans were inspired by the events of 9/11, and many had not yet figured out that Iraq was a WMD-less catastrofuck.
2) Fr33 vide0gam3, d00d!
Dave @ Jan 24th 2007 1:43PM
It's only free if you're not from the US. Otherwise, I don't think it's free if you're paying taxes.
Nathan @ Jan 24th 2007 1:36PM
@CowboyGA
Yes the gameplay now is bad.
but if you had played it before verson.. say 2.0 you would have loved it.
I was in a pretty die-hard clan a few years ago playing this game, but once verson 2.0 came out it just turned to crap and i ended up quitting.
geovany @ Jan 24th 2007 1:02PM
I don`t get it this game is suck`s.
fawazr @ Jan 24th 2007 1:08PM
recruiters lying to high school kids about life altering decisions doesn't hurt quotas either (it's okay, I was in the Army too). But this game really does suck though. As far as free shooters go, Enemy Territory is probably better.
Pyronite @ Jan 24th 2007 1:18PM
"recruiters lying to high school kids about life altering decisions doesn't hurt quotas either (it's okay, I was in the Army too)"
Oh man, I got hit with that one. "Go to MEPS! It's an information fair! They'll tell you alllll about your career opportunities."
When they stopped telling me what I could do in the Army and started giving me a physical, I knew something was up.
Matt @ Jan 24th 2007 1:23PM
Wolfentein Enemy Territory is better, as is FEAR Combat and WarRock (though their registration process is a hassle)
The U.S. government should stop wasting all our money on propganda, fear mongering, breeding terrorism overseas, etc. They should spend more on education and health.
Iraq War, 350 billion dollars. 500,000 dollars every 5 minutes or so.
http://www.truemajority.com/
AirIntake @ Jan 24th 2007 1:26PM
If I convince the Iraqis to stop fighting back for 5 minutes, can have some of that $500,000? I'm sure I could convince them for a mere 5 minutes.
Judd @ Jan 24th 2007 1:31PM
"Increasing the size of the Army's active troops by 65,000 (as recommended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates), would cost $70 billion"
So that's over 1 million dollars spent on every soldier. Yet somehow many soldiers are buying armor with their own money. Where is all that money going? It's estimated that the war has now cost $360 billion. If the U.S. population just hit 300 million, whether you support the war or not, from a financial aspect, you've probably spent more than $1,000 our of your tax money for it.
sully @ Jan 24th 2007 2:25PM
Judd: Each actual "shooter" requires six or seven people for support. Food, equipment, medical aid, administration... The money piles up quickly. And that's just for the Army. The Navy and Air Force are worse.
01 @ Jan 24th 2007 1:53PM
So wait...my tax dollars pay for the ERSB, as well as the salaries of Senators who intraduce bills against exssesive violence in video games. Oddly enough, my tax dollars ALSO pay for the US Army creating a video game to recruit people to, and stop me if I'm wrong, commit acts of violence, often exssesive. I love living in a country where I can pay for both and not be pissed at either. Oh wait....
** And as a side comment, the US Army had a VERY hard time reaching its recruitment goals in the last several years, despite recruiters telling applicants there was little chance of them going to Iraq, that the war was in fact over and various other tactics. Good times.
01 @ Jan 24th 2007 1:59PM
Judd- sorry, don't want to make this a total political post, but agree. It is a little confusing how geared up for the war this administration has been, yet at the same time does make many soldiers pay for their own armor, and are finding ways to cut benefits, including health care, to enlisted soldiers. This cost also forgets the tens of thousands of Iraq civillians killed during the course of the war.
Rubang B @ Jan 24th 2007 2:29PM
How do our tax dollars pay for the ESRB?
BillyX @ Jan 24th 2007 4:03PM
War for the masses...Bush's sick plan to get more people killed
SUPPORT PROJECT BUSHWHACKED
PROJECT BUSHWHACKER
Matt @ Jan 24th 2007 5:05PM
humanitarian aid would have been a better use of the 360 billion...
have any lives been saved as a result of the "wars"?
ill trooper @ Jan 24th 2007 6:02PM
"Nearly half of that proposed increase has already been accomplished under a temporary program that will likely be made permanent. "
Huh? Which program is that? The National Guard? The 'Backdoor Draft' where some soldiers aren't not allowed to quit even though their enlistment time is up?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/07/national/main654111.shtml
ill trooper @ Jan 24th 2007 6:05PM
Sorry, double-negative there... "Aren't allowed"
See, that could have been AVOIDED if it weren't for this snazzy new PASSWORD system! Too convenient to fire off comments!
WillTheSecond @ Jan 24th 2007 6:12PM
I feel sorry for you, US taxpayers, having to pay for this game.
Er... not to mention Iraq. Bush should watch Battlestar Galactica season three, it'll teach him some interesting stuff about occupying forces and insurgencies and how buggering off sorts the whole thing out. Frackers.
eialba @ Jan 25th 2007 1:37AM
Lol, people forgot the main reason they met recruitment goals - they lowered their recruitment goals.