America's Army Funded by Taxes

TheDarkChocobo · 12-10-2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

The free-to-play shooter America�s Army, meant to act as a recruiting tool for the U.S. military, cost $32.8 million over eight years.

The annual, year-by-year budget for the promotional game was revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request by Gamespot. The game�s original budget was meant to be much lower; at first it was said that the America�s Army project would spend $7 million over five years. But the series has expanded beyond its original scope: The game is now on its third sequel, and had retail versions were eventually released to stores.

The ballooning game budget might seem excessive, especially considering the fact that genuinely profitable games have similar costs. But ten years of Super Bowl ads (at a rate of nearly $3 million for thirty seconds) could easily have cost as much.

I'm not really sure how i should feel about this, but Skynet and The Matrix come to mind for some reason.

Sir Pinkleton · 12-10-2009, 11:01 AM

I thought everyone knew this?

The way it was described to me was that everyone paid the equivalent of a penny, maybe less, that went into the game (At least when it first came out) which meant it was free for citizens because they had paid for it with their taxes.

It does seem to be quite a bit of money for a game though.

Azisien · 12-10-2009, 12:32 PM

Government made. Massive pensions balloon development costs.

The game's actually not that bad. I haven't played it since the first edition though. It was certainly heavy on the realism bit.

Sir Pinkleton · 12-10-2009, 01:21 PM

Last I played it was pretty much like the original, but they added a bit with a rocket launcher. I forget the specifics of what it's called, but it was the one that can send rockets high in the air to then hit target from above, making it easy to hit guys behind cover, as well as the regular point-and-shoot mechanic. You switched between both.

Osterbaum · 12-10-2009, 01:38 PM

Isn't that a "Javelin"?

EDIT: FGM-148 Javelin

Sir Pinkleton · 12-10-2009, 02:09 PM

Yeah! I knew it had a name that's easy to remember.

Krylo · 12-10-2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDarkChocobo

I'm not really sure how i should feel about this, but Skynet and The Matrix come to mind for some reason.

Gettin' more of a Last Starfighter vibe, personally, but ok.

Premmy · 12-11-2009, 11:49 PM

You should feel that way about ALL murder simulators. They train you to be killers. God-bless our country for turning this evil medium into a force for good.

TheDarkChocobo · 12-13-2009, 01:58 AM

better to splatter CG brains than real ones?

Marc v4.0 · 12-13-2009, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDarkChocobo

better to splatter CG brains than real ones?

No, better to splatter the brains of anyone suspicious and brown while in another country

12-10-2009, 01:38 PM	#5
Osterbaum The revolution will be memed! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: FIN Posts: 5,967	Isn't that a "Javelin"? EDIT: FGM-148 Javelin __________________ D is for Dirty Commie!

12-11-2009, 11:49 PM	#8
Premmy Stop the hate Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a nice web on fifty first street Posts: 4,466	You should feel that way about ALL murder simulators. They train you to be killers. God-bless our country for turning this evil medium into a force for good. __________________ Drank

12-10-2009, 11:01 AM	#2
Sir Pinkleton What's going on? Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon Posts: 1,237	I thought everyone knew this? The way it was described to me was that everyone paid the equivalent of a penny, maybe less, that went into the game (At least when it first came out) which meant it was free for citizens because they had paid for it with their taxes. It does seem to be quite a bit of money for a game though.

12-10-2009, 12:32 PM	#3
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Government made. Massive pensions balloon development costs. The game's actually not that bad. I haven't played it since the first edition though. It was certainly heavy on the realism bit.

12-10-2009, 01:21 PM	#4
Sir Pinkleton What's going on? Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon Posts: 1,237	Last I played it was pretty much like the original, but they added a bit with a rocket launcher. I forget the specifics of what it's called, but it was the one that can send rockets high in the air to then hit target from above, making it easy to hit guys behind cover, as well as the regular point-and-shoot mechanic. You switched between both.

12-10-2009, 02:09 PM	#6
Sir Pinkleton What's going on? Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon Posts: 1,237	Yeah! I knew it had a name that's easy to remember.

12-13-2009, 01:58 AM	#9
TheDarkChocobo Yeah, I went there. Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Danville, Kentucky Posts: 113	better to splatter CG brains than real ones?