How Military Consulting Leads to the Video Game of the Year

Written by Dabney B. on Friday, October 26th, 2012

Military games have always been a hit. Just look at the overwhelming success of the Call of Duty or Halo franchises. While first-person shooter games certainly dominate the industry, one video game could stand to change all that: XCOM Enemy Unknown. Rather than taking on the role of a soldier, you play as a commander in charge of an elite military organization designed to combat an alien threat.

The core gameplay is compelling, but one of the things that has made the game so popular is its attention to detail. Players have to spend a significant portion of the game managing resources, directing research, building new facilities, hiring soldiers, responding to foreign aid requests, and requisitioning new weapons. The XCOM base is arranged in an ant-colony-esque layout that gives the player a view of facilities, such as the barracks and the research lab. Overall, it makes players feel like they really are the leader of a government military organization.

 

The popularity of XCOM may very well create a new market in the video game industry. Military consulting firms have worked closely with game manufacturers over the years to give developers an idea of what buy valium 10mg modern combat is really like. With the help of military consultants, game developers can create lifelike combat scenarios that will ultimately lead to more immersive gameplay and higher sales.

Image source: Thegames.cc

 

In the past, most game manufacturers have sought information about the life of a soldier or the intricacies of an F-15’s cockpit. XCOM takes a different approach, though. They don’t replicate the life of a soldier or a pilot, they replicate the life of a general.

To accomplish that goal, game developers need accurate information about military command. They need to know what a control room looks like, how the military interacts with military contractors, and how technicians interact with each other in the control room. These might seem like boring, insignificant details, but XCOM proves otherwise. The devil is in the details, and XCOM is truly one hell of a game.

In the future we could see a shift in the way that game manufacturers interact with military consultants. They’ll still need information about combat, but the emphasis might shift away from soldier lingo and squad tactics and move towards the chain of command, managing large groups of soldiers, and strategic planning.

If you want advice about the world of military aviation, there’s no better people to turn to than men and women who have sat in the cockpit and flown some of the world’s most advanced aircraft. With over 50 current and ex-warfighters on call, Strike Fighter Consulting Inc. can give you access to up-to-date, first-hand technical and tactical expertise.