Veterans and Games

The gaming industry is often a point of relaxation as well as a source of irritation for veterans – to the point where a somewhat simple question like this is hard to answer concisely.

“How could we successfully get video game companies to incorporate overall lessons and messages from veterans about war and the military into military themed video games, based on what veterans want citizens to see and think about more?”

The way I see it, there are three parts to this question:

“How would the customer indicate what they want in video games?”

The video game industry, from an outsider’s perspective, is much like how sequels are currently being made for some of our beloved classics (think Blade Runner, Star Wars, and Star Trek) – the canon is promptly chucked out the window and the producers do what they think is “right.” There are times when it feels that the loyalty towards a story or game is overruled for the sake of being the “next best thing” or “paradigm-breakers.” When the new release hits the markets – specifically talking games – everything that was wanted but not included ends up becoming available as a mod… if there is any overall interest in the game remaining.

I loved Hearts of Iron II… and the follow-on games added much playability; HoI IV and on never held my interest like II, however. Interface was wonky, some of the ideas like spies were tweaked poorly, and I reverted to what I enjoyed about the game with the older ones rather than follow the evolution of the product. Perhaps I am a crotchety old man who dislikes change (plausible), and perhaps I never really gave the newer games much of a serious try. [shrug] They lost me on that franchise because I would rather sacrifice graphics for detail in gameplay.

Do some games listen? Sure – I recently started fiddling with X Plane 11 and I have to say that modeling dust for unimproved landings really made me perk up. However, with others – Cold Waters, for example – the developers failed to listen to those of us who wanted a more updated version of Dangerous Waters and instead listened to those who felt that a submarine warfare game should appeal to those who don’t understand that visibility is never miles upon miles underwater. What one small group of customers want, in terms of realism, overrules what the majority want in terms of fun.

“Is there any way to market a video game which is based upon realistic experiences?”

This aspect makes me laugh. If there was such a game designed to be realistic in terms of being a soldier, sailor, or airman, it would consist of much of your time being frustrated at contradicting or ineffective leadership/orders, standing around waiting for a signature, stamp, or decision, cleaning, or being yelled at because you were or were not doing all of the above. Very little would be dedicated towards actual combat, and that would look like Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising: odd round counts in what few magazines you carry due to reloads, questionable target-ish figures moving around, interior/exterior ballistics variables, weapon instability due to just having sprinted 500 yards… that sort of thing. Most folks don’t want that level of realism; it sells with some titles, but for the most part, look at the big winners in combat games: Call of Duty, Battlefield, ect. They all have huge followings not because they are realistic, but because they are somewhat formulaic and scripted. Want to flank a fixed position? Too bad – you have to go a certain route to activate a trigger for the next cut scene.  

“Are the experiences of veterans ‘playable’ when it comes to the general public?”

It depends on what one is looking for. Keep in mind that I am not a hard-core gamer; I have purchased games/sims only to find out after a few hours’ play that the realism is way too high (I’m thinking Falcon 3.0, Flanker 2.0 and offshoots). Some first-person shooters were very interesting (Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis), while real-time tactical games like Close Combat III continue to be played out of sheer frustration at the power disparities enjoyed by either side at different stages. Noteworthy in this genre is Syrian Warfare, as long as one doesn’t have much of a problem with the idea of a game being modeled upon a current and controversial conflict. On a higher level of realistic experience, grand strategy games like the aforementioned HoI and any of Sid Meier’s titles bring odd elements into the overall conflict like diplomacy, manpower, dissent, and logistics – often overlooked aspects of warfare which can determine success, failure, or domestic implosion.

Ok, so I have given away the fact that I will more than likely replay older games until my operating system no longer recognizes the ancient programming of these favored titles. Like I said, I am an old fart trying to provide perspective when it comes to realism and experience in the world of marketing when it comes to video games.

One thing about the original question stands out and needs to be addressed: “…based on what veterans want citizens to see and think about more.”

I would LOVE to see a simulation of where we are at this given moment – politically, diplomatically, economically, and socially – and let it model how things would realistically pan out if a policy, negotiation, trade dispute, or trend goes (or doesn’t go) a certain way:

You want a more isolationist/interventionist policy? “This is what happens.”

You want to appease/provoke a nation? “Gotcha… check this out.”

You want to be self-reliant/cooperative in imports and exports? “Ha. Betcha didn’t see that happening, did you?”

You want to be permissive/draconian? “Your cities died of dysentery – game over.”

I would play the hell out of that game.

For the others, I think that there is a level of ethics involved. Warfare is stressful, disturbing, bloody, frustrating, and a whole litany of other strong adjectives which would dissuade most people from participating in as a form of entertainment. Most folks want a game with victory conditions, clear objectives, and a workable interface to get things done. Warfare, like life, is never that easy and the experiences are never definitely good or definitely bad… but they can keep trying to replicate it all. Whether or not they listen is an entirely different thing.