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Did the Army get out-gamed?
It paid $5-million for an urban combat training aid and got a product of uncertain value. The maker got a bonanza, with much more likely to come.
By BILL ADAIR, Times Washington Bureau Chief
Published February 20, 2005
WASHINGTON - In a unique deal with Hollywood, the Army spent more than $5-million in taxpayer money to create Full Spectrum Warrior, a video game that was supposed to teach soldiers about urban combat.
The Army got what some say is a mediocre training tool, but the companies that designed the game got a sweet deal.
Pandemic Studios not only got paid by the government, it stands to earn millions from the hot-selling commercial version, which retails for $50. The company and its partner THQ have sold nearly 1-million copies for PCs and the Xbox game system; a PlayStation 2 edition will be released next month. Sony Pictures Imageworks, which did art work for the game, also earned money from a partnership with Pandemic.
Andrew Paquette, a former Sony art director, says the companies were so focused on creating a best-selling game that they cut corners on the Army version. As a result, the urban scenes are not as accurate as they should be.
The designers "pretty much disregarded the Army's concerns," said Paquette. "They wanted to make money on the commercial version."
Lt. Col. Jim Riley, chief of tactics at the Army's infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga., says his school rarely uses the game because it doesn't offer a realistic simulation of urban combat.
"It's not accurate enough," he said.
The Army says it's satisfied it got a good game at a fair price. The companies say Full Spectrum Warrior was a bargain.
"The Army got an incredible deal," said Josh Resnick, president of Pandemic. "This kind of product had never been done before."
But the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense says the game was "full-spectrum welfare" for the companies - and a lousy deal for taxpayers.
Keith Ashdown, the group's vice president for policy, said the game was "a feeble attempt at training our troops in urban combat. But it became a cash cow for Pandemic and Sony."
http://sptimes.com/2005/02/20/Worldandnation/Did_the_Army_get_out_.shtml
It paid $5-million for an urban combat training aid and got a product of uncertain value. The maker got a bonanza, with much more likely to come.
By BILL ADAIR, Times Washington Bureau Chief
Published February 20, 2005
WASHINGTON - In a unique deal with Hollywood, the Army spent more than $5-million in taxpayer money to create Full Spectrum Warrior, a video game that was supposed to teach soldiers about urban combat.
The Army got what some say is a mediocre training tool, but the companies that designed the game got a sweet deal.
Pandemic Studios not only got paid by the government, it stands to earn millions from the hot-selling commercial version, which retails for $50. The company and its partner THQ have sold nearly 1-million copies for PCs and the Xbox game system; a PlayStation 2 edition will be released next month. Sony Pictures Imageworks, which did art work for the game, also earned money from a partnership with Pandemic.
Andrew Paquette, a former Sony art director, says the companies were so focused on creating a best-selling game that they cut corners on the Army version. As a result, the urban scenes are not as accurate as they should be.
The designers "pretty much disregarded the Army's concerns," said Paquette. "They wanted to make money on the commercial version."
Lt. Col. Jim Riley, chief of tactics at the Army's infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga., says his school rarely uses the game because it doesn't offer a realistic simulation of urban combat.
"It's not accurate enough," he said.
The Army says it's satisfied it got a good game at a fair price. The companies say Full Spectrum Warrior was a bargain.
"The Army got an incredible deal," said Josh Resnick, president of Pandemic. "This kind of product had never been done before."
But the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense says the game was "full-spectrum welfare" for the companies - and a lousy deal for taxpayers.
Keith Ashdown, the group's vice president for policy, said the game was "a feeble attempt at training our troops in urban combat. But it became a cash cow for Pandemic and Sony."
http://sptimes.com/2005/02/20/Worldandnation/Did_the_Army_get_out_.shtml
