Army Sets Up Video-Game Studio

Army Sets Up Video-Game Studio
The U.S. Army, riding the success of its video game America's Army, has set up a game studio with industry veterans to write software to simulate training for a variety of projects.

The Army got into the game business when it released America's Army in July 2002, essentially as an interactive Army recruitment ad. The game is available for download free, and 3.4 million gamers have registered to play it.

To build on that success, the America's Army Government Applications office was quietly opened in January in Cary, North Carolina, with a team of 15 video-game creators, simulation specialists and ex-Army personnel. Many of the studio's employees come from local video-game companies like Interactive Magic, Timeline, Vertis, SouthPeak Interactive, Vicious Cycle Software and Red Storm Entertainment.