Instead of basing video games on actual combat tactics, the Pentagon is trying to do the opposite.
The U.S. military wants to use platforms that connect online gamers to help its soldiers communicate and coordinate on the battlefield. Will Roper, who runs the Defense Department’s secretive Strategic Capabilities Office, is responsible for anticipating the military’s needs for tomorrow and start developing tech to deliver them today.
Developers like Ubisoft and Electronics Arts have already proven their ability to create such systems. Instead of the military developing Call of Duty-like heads up displays that sync up with communications, Roper thinks hiring video game companies is a better way, according to Wired.
Roper envisions working with the video game developers to build the systems with the Pentagon’s specifications. The military would get exclusive access for six months and then the companies could release the full system in their games.
“We don’t own the product, we own the time,” Roper told Wired. He thinks the relationship would particularly be helpful with augmented reality for the special operations forces.
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