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| Home Front: Tech |
| Grand Theft Auto: Baghdad |
| 2004-11-15 |
| November 15, 2004: Close on the heels of the U.S. Army training game, "Full Spectrum Warrior," comes a similar U.S. Marine Corps game; "Close Combat: First to Fight." Both are used on the Xbox game console. The army game, developed to commercial standards (in terms of graphics and easy-to-use interface), is intended to train members of infantry squads on the most effective combat tactics. The marine game, also created to commercial standards, includes more peacekeeping and fire control operations (calling in artillery and airstrikes). The marine game also addresses one of the major weaknesses of the army game; fighting inside buildings and room clearing. The commercial version of "Close Combat: First to Fight" will be released in January, 2005. Both games were first developed for purely military training purposes, but with the expectation that a commercial version could easily be created from the military one. This kept the development cost, for the military, down. These cooperative arrangements have been popular with game developers, as they get some money from the military (rarely more than a few hundred thousand dollars), as well as expert advice. All they have to do is keep it realistic, which is something the games want to do anyway. However, the purely commercial versions will remove some of the realism (unlimited ammo, more accurate weapons, troops moving faster and not getting injured as easily, and so on.) Despite the complaints about the limitations in the army game, it has been very useful for new troops, who have no experience with combat. "Full Spectrum Warrior" does run the player through the correct moves a squad should use in combat, and this is very useful. Future versions of the these games will probably feature the "open world" capability found in games like "Grand Theft Auto." |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #7 FSW is now on pc. |
| Posted by: raptor 2004-11-15 11:41:17 AM |
| #6 I believe (and I THINK I read) that they are using the Unreal Tournament engine. |
| Posted by: Snolulet Phusing8642 2004-11-15 10:54:24 AM |
| #5 Steve: IE MS is the Publisher, not the designer. A very common arrangement. But usually the Publisher owns the rights to a game name, NOT the designer, IIUC. In any case is this the old Close Combat engine being used? |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-11-15 10:36:57 AM |
| #4 Doubt it, LH. IANAL, but the Marines definitely have lots of prior art regarding "First to Fight". |
| Posted by: BH 2004-11-15 10:31:44 AM |
| #3 Are MOABs, Hellfire Predators, and Harriers included? If so, I'm buying! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-11-15 10:22:53 AM |
| #2 MS is just the distributor, game is designed by Destineer Studios. Here is part of their press release: First to Fight is a tactical first-person shooter in which you lead a four-man fire team in close-quarters urban combat in the streets and buildings of Beirut. It was created with the help of more than 40 active-duty U.S. Marines fresh from firefights in the Middle East and will be used by the United States Marine Corps for training. Enter firefights with confidence, knowing that your fire team follows Marine Corps doctrine known as âReady-Team-Fire-Assist,â now used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ready-Team-Fire-Assist gives your team 360-degree security. When you cross an intersection, ascend a staircase, and engage the enemy, your team will do it the way Marines are doing it, right now, in the most dangerous places in the world. You and your fire team are not alone. You are part of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, the razor-sharp tip of Americaâs Military spear. Call in tanks, sniper teams, mortars, helicopter gunships, and more, to shock your enemy into surrender or retreat. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-11-15 10:05:52 AM |
| #1 isnt close combat the name of the MS World war 2 Tactical warfare game? Can the USMC just run over a trademark, or did they make a deal with MS? |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-11-15 9:51:17 AM |