Serious Games in the Field of Military and Defense - Essay Example

Serious Games in Military and Defense Industry Name Date Course Serious Games in Military and Defense Industry Introduction Serious games are designed primarily for entertainment and are associated with games. The major purpose of the serious game is dependent on the industry. Serious games have different features which make them useful in an industry. The military and defense is one of the industries that utilize the serious gaming for its activities. In the military serious games were developed about 30 years ago (Raybourn, 2014). In most cases, it is specifically used for simulations and training of the personnel. The use of serious gaming mainly simulates the events in the real world. The military is usually involved in battles and this requires a lot of training and expertise. The serious games therefore play an important role in terms of providing a simulation of the battle field. This enables the recruits and trainees to be exposed in real world scenarios regarding a battle field. The use of gaming in military and defense not only exposes the trainees to the real battle field scenarios but it is also safe. This is considering that training has to be carried out through the use of different weapons which put the lives of the recruits and trainees at risk. The United States of America is one of the countries that heavily rely on serious games in the training of the recruits and other military personnel (Prasolova-Forland, Fominykh, Darisiro & Morch, 2013). Intense research is also carried out from time to time in order to ensure that the games are able to deal with the modern challenges. The paper thus discusses the concepts of serious games in relation to the military and defense industry. Discussion Current products The military has been using the serious games for the purposes of training on strategic skills. One of the earliest uses of serious games in the military was the Prussian military training which utilized a game known as Kriegsspeil which is a German name for war game (Hammond, 2015). However, a lot of development has taken place since then. More complex games that have the ability to meet the needs of the trainees and recruits have been developed. The products are diverse due to the nature of the training that military personnel have to undergo. One of the most famous games is one that was developed by the US Army. The game mainly depicts the life of a soldier in a battle field. This game is mainly used for the purposes of training the recruits and the other trainees on how to conduct themselves in a battle field. This type of game is also useful in providing the recruits with information about the conditions that they are likely to face in the battle field. The serious games are thus useful in terms of providing the trainees with information regarding what is required of them in future (Iuppa & Borst, 2012). The current products in the field of military and defense can be used for training a group of recruits or individuals. The information provided is vital to the recruits and it can save their lives in the battle field. The incidences of recruits being killed during the training has also been reduced in USA. This was common in the past where the recruits were required to carry out live fire exercises and training. Serious gaming in the field of military and defense also plays an important role in terms of introducing the trainees to the weapons that they are required to use in the battlefield. A product that introduces the trainees to weapons during the training process is available. It also provides the trainees with information about the efficiency of the weapons and where it can be used effectively (Tolk, 2012). This information is crucial as the trainees will have to use different weapons once they have completed their training and have been deployed to the battle field. The US Army is considered a leader in the serious gaming in the field of military and defense. Most of the products are developed based on the experience of the soldiers in the battle field. This therefore makes it effective for use and provides a better outcome during the raining of the recruits. The battle in most cases is fought in different fronts and this has been carted for in the serious games. The Army has developed serious games that can be used for the training of the ground troops. This mainly involves the maneuvers as well as the tactics that can be used on the ground during in a battle field. The use of serious games in the military is effective as it makes the training much easier (Schulzke, 2013). Under ordinary conditions, it may be difficult for the trainees to be exposed to different conditions as well as the terrains. The serious games in the industry are thus effective as compared to the other forms of training. Different products are also available for the training of military pilots. The products are mainly used in most of the countries during the training process. It is effective in terms of exposing the trainees on the uses of different controls during battles. Under real life situation, it is not possible for the military pilots to train through the use of live military planes that are armed (El Borji & Khaldi, 2014). The serious games are useful in enabling the military pilots to understand how to shoot different targets on the ground and in the air. The training that the pilots receive cannot be carried out under ordinary circumstance. In the past, trainee military pilots caused a lot of accidents with some downing their planes which are quite expensive. These losses have therefore been avoided through the use of serious games. The pilots are usually trained using the serious games before they can use the actual planes. A the military pilots who fly the jet fighters have to undergo training through the use of serious games (Evans, Bihm, Szekely, Nielsen, Murray, Abroms & Snider, 2014). It is usually created through the use of the serious games which expose the pilot to different conditions. The serious games therefore ensure that the situation is similar to a battle field and hence improving on the experience of the military pilots. The use of serious games has therefore improved on the training process of the pilots. It has reduced the incidence of planes being downed by the trainees during the training process. This has reduced loses and it has also impacted positively on the safety of the trainees. Landing a fighter jet is also a difficult process for most of the trainees. This is a difficult process for most of the pilots. However, through the use of the serious games the situation is improved. Serious games are also available for the military trainees and recruits in the navy. This mainly involves the training on the use of submarines and the naval ships. The knowledge and information gained during the training has been beneficial in enhancing the quality of the training (Sormani, Soldatos, Vassilaras, Kioumourtzis, Leventakis, Giordani & Tisato, 2016). The products also play an important role in terms of maintaining operational readiness for the war fighters. A lot of innovations are also put in place to ensure that the experience of the trainees is improved. Engaging as well as interactive learning is provided to the trainees by the games. The risks that are associated with the training of the recruits have been greatly reduced through the use of the serious games. The cost of training has greatly been reduced through the use of the serious games. This has made it easy to train a large number of recruits at a low cost as compared to the past. Most of the products usually send the soldiers on a mission which requires proper judgment in order to deal with the prevailing conditions (Mead, 2013). This plays an important role in terms of enabling them to learn different lessons without being exposed to any danger or serious consequence during the training process. The products are therefore increasingly becoming useful in the training of soldiers in most parts of the world. Research and development in serious games in the field of military and defense A lot of research and development of serious games in the military field is currently taking place. Different organizations are involved in the research and development of the serious games in the field of military. This includes both the public as well as the private organizations in different parts of the world. A private organization such as IBM is currently being involved in the research and development of serious games in the military industry (Hammond, 2015). The company has been contracted in the past to develop serious games for the military in the United States of America. The current research being undertaken by the organization mainly involves the processes of designing, hosting, supporting and maintain a high number of players. This is mainly for the purposes of ensuring that a high number of military personnel can be involved in the training at once. Once this research and development program is completed, it will play an essential role in reducing the costs that is associated with the training of the recruits (Raybourn, 2014). It will also be effective in terms of ensuring that the training period of the new recruits is reduced to a greater extent. Research is also focused on the security of the games. This is considering the games provide a lot of skills and expertise to the trainees. It may therefore be misused if accessed by criminals or terrorists. The research on security will therefore ensure that the games are only used for specific military organizations in specific countries. Cloud hosting of the military serious games is also being conducted by technological companies including IBM. This is for the purposes of ensuring that the serious games can be played online rough then use of cloud computing. This is useful in ensuring that a high number of trainees can easily access the games. The use of cloud computing is also much cheaper when the games are being played online and this may further reduce the cost of training the recruits using the serious games (Prasolova-Forland, Fominykh, Darisiro & Morch, 2013). Research and design contributed to the commissioning of two well known serious games by the US military. The two games are Full Spectrum Warrior and America’s Army. The two serious games had advanced features that are relevant in the modern day Battle field. Countries in different parts of the world ate also increasingly embracing the use of serious games in the training of is personnel. Canadian Royal Air force as fully embraced the use of serious gaming for the training of its personnel. Other countries are also following suite which is an indication that the serious games are likely to be part and parcel of the military training in future. Australia is also increasingly embracing the concepts of serious gaming in the training of its military personnel (El Borji & Khaldi, 2014). The increasing interest in the use of serious games in training of military personnel is an indication that it is effective and it has the ability to meet the needs of the trainees. Commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) Game was recently developed by the Australian Defense Department. The game is named Harpoon 3 and it is used for naval operations and tactical training. As a result of research and development ion the serious game, modern technological gadgets are being used in the serious games in the field of military. COTS utilize a head mounted display together with wearable electronics and motion sensor systems (Hammond, 2015). This is mainly for the purposes of creating a sense of reality when using the games and hence impacting positively in the ability of the trainees to obtain the required experience. The concepts of virtualization have played an essential role in improving on the experience of the trainees. Unlike the past versions of the serious games, the trainees are able to develop a feeling of being in the environment being simulated. Current research and development is ongoing for the purposes of developing a serious game that can be used for training the parachute troops (Mead, 2013). This is mainly for the purposes of bridging the gap that existing between the early stage training and live jumps. This may also impact positively on the ability of the serious games to provide a safer environment for the operating officers. The trend is therefore an indication that serious gaming is finding useful applications in the military and defense industry. The support for the use of serious gaming can be attributed to intense research that has been conducted regarding its efficiency. Research and development is currently being carried out for the purposes of improving on the existing technologies. Research is being carried for the purposes of ensuring that a scenario generator is developed in the military serious games. This will play an important role in ensuring that the simulations are more effective during the training of the training of the soldiers (Iuppa & Borst, 2012). A user interface that automatically generates a military scenario is effective during the training process. This will ensure that the experience of the soldiers is enhanced during the training process. The current rear halos focus on the improvement of the serious games to ensure that it has the ability of working under s 3D scenario. The use of 3D images in a virtual world is useful in terms of bringing a sense of reality during the training of soldiers. The presence of a 3D terrain as well as a virtual soldier will play an important role in terms of ensuring that the efficiency is achieved during the training process (Iuppa & Borst, 2012). The military organizations and department in the developing world have intensified their research on 3D serious games which has the potential of improving on the outcome of the training process. More resources are being allocated for research due to the benefits of serious games. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the serious games play a significant role in the military and defense sector. It is mainly used for the training of recruits as well other trainees. It is evident that the serious games have the ability of simulating the real battlefield environment. It is evident that there are different types of serious games that are used in the military training depending on the needs of the trainees. The most common application of the serious games is in the training of military pilots. It is evident that the use of the serious games leads to reduced costs as well as increased efficiency. Research and development is currently being conducted for the purposes of enhancing its use in the military and defense sector. More countries are also increasingly embracing its use due to its advantages. Bibliography Raybourn, E.M., 2014. A new paradigm for serious games: Transmedia learning for more effective training and education. Journal of Computational Science, 5(3), pp.471-481. Prasolova-Forland, E., Fominykh, M., Darisiro, R. and Morch, A.I., 2013. 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