America’s Army is the name given to a game technology platform used to develop first person shooter (FPS) games published in 2002 by the U.S. Army. The game is branded as a strategic communication device, designed to allow young Americans to virtually explore the Army at their own pace and according to their interests to determine if soldiering matches their needs, interests and abilities. America’s Army represents the first large-scale use of game technology by the U.S. government as a platform for strategic communication and the first use of game technology in support of U.S. Army recruiting.
The America’s Army concept was conceived in 1999 by Colonel Casey Wardynski; the Army’s Chief Economist and Professor at the United States Military Academy.[2] Wardynski envisioned “using computer game technology to provide the public a virtual Soldier experience that was engaging, informative and entertaining.”[3] America’s Army was managed by two other U.S. Army officers serving with Wardynski at the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis (OEMA): Major Chris Chambers and Major Bret Wilson.
The Windows version 1.0, subtitled Recon, was first released on July 4, 2002. As of January 2014, there have been over 41 versions and updates released, including updates to America’s Army: Proving Grounds which was released in August 2013. All versions have been developed on the Unreal Engine. The game is financed by the U.S. government and distributed by free download.
According to game historian Carrie McLeroy America’s Army has “grown in ways its originators couldn’t have imagined”.[3] Dozens of government training and simulation applications using the America’s Army platform have been developed to train and educate U.S. Army soldiers.[4] America’s Army has also been used to deliver virtual soldiering experiences to participants at events, such as air shows, amusement parks, and sporting events around the country. The America’s Army series has also been expanded to include versions for Xbox and Xbox 360, arcade, and mobile applications published through licensing arrangements.[5][6]
| Minimum System Requirements | Recommended System Requirements | |
| CPU | 2.4 GHz processor or equivalent | 3.0 GHz processor or equivalent |
| RAM | 512MB RAM | 1GB RAM |
| OS | English version of Windows(R) 2000/XP/Vista Operating System with all updates | English version of Windows(R) 2000/XP/Vista Operating System with latest updates |
| Graphics Card | 3-D graphics card with 128MB memory and support for hardware transformation and lighting | 3-D graphics card with 256MB+ memory and support for hardware transformation and lighting |
| Direct X | DirectX(R) 9.0 | DirectX(R)9.0 |
| SOUND CARD | 100% Compatible DirectX 9.0 soundcard | 100% Compatible DirectX 9.0 soundcard |
| HDD Space | 3.5GB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files | 3.5GB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files |
| CD-ROM | DVD-ROM (not required for downloaded installation) | DVD-ROM (not required for downloaded installations) |
| Note | The General System Requirements for America's Army are: * Video card supporting Pixel Shader 2.0 or later with at least 128MB RAM. * Any modern Intel or AMD processor. This can include Intel Core2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 or Intel Pentium 4*** * English version of these Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows(R) 2000 SP4 Microsoft Windows(R) XP SP2 Microsoft Windows(R) Vista SP1 * 512MB RAM or more. * 3.5GB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files * DVD-ROM (not required for downloaded installations) * Mouse and keyboard * DirectX(R)9.0c or later * 100% Compatible DirectX 9.0 soundcard * Internet connection *** - Please note that the Clock Frequency required to player America’s Army has been omitted due to performance differences between processor vendors and their processor families. Systems running Intel Core2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 require lower CPU clock frequencies to run America’s Army efficiently. Systems using Intel Pentium 4 may require higher clock frequencies due to the nature of the products design - as a guideline generally the higher the core frequency the better the expected performance. Windows 2000/XP compatible system (including compatible 32-bit drivers for video card, sound card, mouse and keyboard) *Nvidia® nForce™ or other motherboard/soundcards containing Dolby Digital® Content Encoder required for Dolby Digital® audio. | |