The Army Wants You. . . To Play Free Games
The New York Times has an interesting article that went up on Sunday about the Army invading your mall. Now before you run to your Space Invaders turrets to fight off the impending horde, they come in peace (and bearing free games). Apparently in the lovely city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia) the Army Recruitment division has closed down 5 recruitment centers in the city and replaced them with The Army Experience Center. The Center takes up 14,500 sq. ft. in the Franklin Mills Mall there and has numerous gaming rigs where visitors can play Rainbow Six: Vegas, Madden, and Halo 3 for free. They also have three full-scale simulators that try to recreate for a small group what it is like to be part of the U.S. Army.
The Center is a prototype that the U.S. Army is testing out to try and increase awareness and presence in urban areas. The Army has used many techniques to increase enlistment in recent years such as direct marketing promotions, online presence, recruitment-themed music videos, and even home video games like America's Army. This new arcade-like center seems to be the newest push; however, according to the powers that be, recruitment is not the overall goal of the facility:
"We want to put people in the Army, but that's about our third priority. Most people think joining the Army means being a grunt, and that Iraq equals death. We try to show them that there's more to the Army than carrying a gun. If people come in here and they learn that but they don't join, that's O.K."
The center opened in August and since it has opened the facility has recruited 35 people, which is lower than what the five recruitment centers it replaced normally bring in during that time; however, if we are to believe what they say, recruitment is not the end goal. I find the use of videogames and simulators as a means of PR interesting, much like the Burger King XBox games, and while I am not a big fan of joining the U.S. Military myself (unless this guy was going the recruiting), I have plenty of friends who have and great respect for those that do serve in the armed forces. In the end all that really matters is that if someone drags you to the Franklin Mills Mall, you can get in some free gaming while they go off to shop, and that I can definitely get behind.
Urban Tool in Recruiting by the Army: An Arcade [NY Times]
PixelPoet
Posted to Video Games on 6 January 2009
· Comments (2)
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Yvan eht nioj!
First one's always free.