The truth behind FPS- Are they really military trainers?
- Thread starter Tonimata
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FPSes do not train you for the military. However, skills picked up in the military are often transferred well to games. I seem to remember a study where a squad of marines were pitted against some pro gamers, and the marine squad won due to their superior teamwork and tactics. I also have a friend who was suddenly a lot better at FPSes after his stint in the military.
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I actually wrote an essay on this (gun control and whatnot, anyway) for my English 101 class not long ago.
Here is the relevant excerpt:
Their skill in this game could have not only desensitized them from what they were about to do but also prepared them for the rush that was going to overtake them so they could better control their muscles. In fact, the United States Army has released a video game called The Virtual Army Experience, a game that puts users through a virtual Army mission. ["Virtual Army Experience"] On top of that, when I was enlisted I was taken to Fort Jackson and told, as others were, to practice firing inside a virtual environment with an M-16 rifle made to shoot virtual bullets on to a virtual target range. It goes without saying that video games can psychologically get you "used" to shooting a weapon if you grow used to mocking the motions and, though it's virtual, taking lives.
*edit*
To be fair, I stole a lot of the idea from that twat Jack Thompson.
For the longest time I didn't (and still partially don't) agree with the idea that Doom promotes violence and ease of the use of the weapons in real life, but military use of games and virtual firefights as a part of training soldiers opened my eyes at least a little bit.
And I just wanted to put in something relevant to lengthen said essay.
Here is the relevant excerpt:
Their skill in this game could have not only desensitized them from what they were about to do but also prepared them for the rush that was going to overtake them so they could better control their muscles. In fact, the United States Army has released a video game called The Virtual Army Experience, a game that puts users through a virtual Army mission. ["Virtual Army Experience"] On top of that, when I was enlisted I was taken to Fort Jackson and told, as others were, to practice firing inside a virtual environment with an M-16 rifle made to shoot virtual bullets on to a virtual target range. It goes without saying that video games can psychologically get you "used" to shooting a weapon if you grow used to mocking the motions and, though it's virtual, taking lives.
*edit*
To be fair, I stole a lot of the idea from that twat Jack Thompson.
For the longest time I didn't (and still partially don't) agree with the idea that Doom promotes violence and ease of the use of the weapons in real life, but military use of games and virtual firefights as a part of training soldiers opened my eyes at least a little bit.
And I just wanted to put in something relevant to lengthen said essay.
I suppose you could learn something about tactics from video games. You can also learn about war tactics from Chess, or Poker, or a thousand other things. Games in general help you in the practice of thinking. Ill bet that in a simulated firefight, a gamer would do better then a non-gamer. But that's not because of any actual training, but because a gamer has learned to plan a strategy.
Though I suppose, if you wanna get really technical, a video game might instill the absolute basics to a limited extent: Stay behind cover, check your corners, that sort of thing. But in most situations, if your trying to apply video games directly to reality, you are more apt to do something stupid.
Ill say that it might help, but don't count on it. Like, at all.
Though I suppose, if you wanna get really technical, a video game might instill the absolute basics to a limited extent: Stay behind cover, check your corners, that sort of thing. But in most situations, if your trying to apply video games directly to reality, you are more apt to do something stupid.
Ill say that it might help, but don't count on it. Like, at all.
I'll happily take my real life shotgun rather than an FPS shotgun any day. FPS shotgun = 5 yard range and anything beyond it takes sod all damage. Real life shot gun range 60-80 yards.
I've said it to people when I use a shotgun in a game that is supposed to be 'realistic' about how rubbish the shotgun is and how unrealistic it is. They say 'no in real life a shotgun has short range' so I say fine go 50 yards up that field and start running while I go get a shotgun...
I've said it to people when I use a shotgun in a game that is supposed to be 'realistic' about how rubbish the shotgun is and how unrealistic it is. They say 'no in real life a shotgun has short range' so I say fine go 50 yards up that field and start running while I go get a shotgun...