US Army Recruits Online Gamers

"This is a way for the army to extend the impact of a title they have done well with and reach an increasingly challenging audience to reach," Anders Ekman, vice president of the McCann World Group, which handles the new project for the US Army, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Saturday, April 14.

Ekman, who is handling the project for the US Army, said the project stands as an ample opportunity for the Army to find willing and enthusiastic gamers.

The two-million-dollar project is aimed at sponsoring a channel at the Global Gaming League (GGL) website, a popular spot for Internet computer game lovers, to recruit top-notch players.

The channel will be based on the "America's Army" game, which ranks in the top 10 most popular computer games of its kind.

The tactical multiplayer first-person shooter was mainly released as a global public relations initiative to help with US Army recruitment.

Players at the channel can compete for prizes and rankings in 15 games.

They then can move into the top rung of competition with the service's America's Army video game.

Top players will also face off in a monthly Elite Forces tournament.

Gary Bishop, who oversees Army marketing and advertising, says the new project is adapting with the Internet culture.

"The consumer model for traditional media is changing," said "We're grappling with the challenge of how do we better use new media to tell the Army story. Online is probably the best way."

Young Recruits

The Army's channel, to be launched in early June, is targeting 17-24 age groups, who make up 80% the gamers on the GGL.

"We're taking the idea of military gaming and having the Army leverage an existing environment to find potential candidates for recruits," said Reuben Hendell, CEO of MRM Worldwide, the agency that will create the specialized games section.

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