In addition to being part of the traveling Virtual Army Experience, the America's Army video game is part of a new Army facility that opens in Philadelphia tomorrow. Visitors to the Army Experience Center will be able to play the first-person shooter game with virtual reality equipment as part of the educational outreach of the center.

With over 41 million downloads since the game first launched in July 2002, the Department of Defense is readying the latest version of America's Army 3.0, which will be the first to utilize Epic Games' ubiquitous Unreal Engine 3 engine. Erich Blattner, producer of the franchise, took some time to look back over the years as the game has evolved. In addition, he unveils some new ways the game is being applied across the government for training. And he reveals some of the ways the new game's upgrade will impact the first-person shooter experience gamers will get when the latest game is released.

GameDaily BIZ: What role do you see the America's Army game playing in the new Philadelphia Army Experience Center?

Erich Blattner: The America's Army game is an integral part of the Army Experience Center . The public will be able to see how the Army is using gaming and simulation technology. The America's Army platform is the basis for the HMMWV, Apache and Blackhawk virtual simulators and it is the foundation of other software such as the Gladiator and Rapid Response Missile System trainers that allow participants to virtually experience some of the technologies used by our Soldiers. Putting the game side-by-side with those systems shows how an off- the-shelf technology can be embraced by the Army and adapted to the needs of today's Soldiers in a way that is easily understood by the public.

BIZ: GoArmy.com has received over 1.5 million click-throughs from the America's Army website. What impact has the game had on recruiting for the Army?

EB: The game is a valuable communications tool in connecting with young Americans. We have found that people enjoy coming to events that feature the America's Army game and often have questions for our Soldiers as a result of playing. Recruits have told us that the game was a factor in shaping their interest in the Army or was a part of their information gathering process on the Army. Surveys have also shown that teens and young adults report that the America's Army game is one of their leading sources of positive awareness about the Army.

BIZ: Can you talk about the actual structure of this game and how it differs from other shooters, including Ubisoft's America's Army retail games?

EB: Two of the key features that differentiate us from other games in this first person action genre are the swapping paradigm (always seeing yourself as the U.S. Soldier) and the lack of respawn during matches. The swapping paradigm is a function of the goal of the project: to highlight the U.S. Army and the need to show the U.S. Soldier as an inspirational figure; otherwise known as 'the hero.' Any video game on the market is a vehicle for the player to imagine themselves in a fictional role, but without the need for specific marketing goals, that imaginary role they play can be anything that a game designer can come up with. We will always have a need to portray the player in a narrowly defined role because of the nature of the project. The decision to not allow players to respawn is an mechanism by which to reward players that treat their virtual lives as 'important' and to encourage teamwork, both of which are key messaging points to communicate about the way the U.S. Army functions.

BIZ: How do you see this structure evolving moving forward?

EB: In keeping with the goals outline above, the game's structure with the key features will remain the same.

BIZ: How have you seen the America's Army game expand over the years?

EB: On the PC game side, we are continuing to update our current version and beginning development on America's Army 3.0, which will broaden the public's awareness of the life of a Soldier. Another way that we increase awareness is with the Real Heroes program. The America's Army Real Heroes program puts a face on some of the exceptional Soldiers who are at the forefront in the defense of freedom. The America's Army team is continuing to expand our Real Heroes program to incorporate new heroic Soldiers.

EB: Can you talk about the game's role in the Virtual Army Experience?

BIZ: The America's Army game platform has been utilized to create a number of assets including the Virtual Army Experience (VAE) which provides participants with a virtual test drive of the United States Army. The core of the 19,500-square-foot VAE is the America's Army PC game, rendered with state-of-the-art Army training simulation technology to create a life-size, networked virtual world. The VAE highlights key Soldier occupations, Army technologies, operating environments and missions, within a fast-paced, action-packed, information-rich experience that immerses visitors in the world of Soldiering. Participants employ teamwork, rules of engagement, leadership and high-tech equipment as they take part in a virtual U.S. Army mission.

EB: What are some ways this America's Army technology is being used by other government agencies?

BIZ: As a result of the America's Army Platform's ability to render exceptionally realistic and flexible environments, player interactions, and scenarios, a wide variety of military and government agencies have joined with the Army Game Project team to repurpose the technology for training simulations and applications. The Software Engineering Directorate (SED) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, manages the government and military applications created with the America's Army technology. The applications range from training for the Army's most advanced missile systems, remote weapons stations and nuclear, chemical and biological detection systems to virtual learning for Force Protection, Adaptive Thinking and Leadership, and Convoy Survivability. Over the next year, the team will be supporting a number of applications including the Live Fire Targetry Program, which replaces static or pop-up paper or metal targets with virtual targets for interactive live-fire training, as well as the Future Soldier Trainer and Future Soldier Training System, both which use America's Army technology to train new Soldiers.