The US Army has established a unit to gather and develop video games and systems for use in training soldiers.

Starting in 2010, The unit will have a budget of $50 million to spend over 5 years, for watching gaming trends and identify technologies for training soldiers.

Games that are already in use include the commercial first-person shooter DARWARS Ambush. PEO-STI has sent more than 3000 copies of this game to the army, air force, navy, marines, coast guard and defence department since 2006. This game trains soldiers on how to react to ambushes and roadside bombs. It can, however, only apply to a small number of players, in a small virtual space. It also doesn’t allow for the army’s real-world digital battle command systems, and the terrain cannot be modified.

The new unit will develop new games for specific military purposes, such as a revamped version of DARWARS Ambush, called Game After Ambush.

The army is planning to have 70 gaming systems in 53 locations in the US, Germany, Italy, and South Korea by the end of 2009. Each system will consist of 52 computers and accessories such as headsets, mice, and steering wheels.

The first video console, the Magnavox Odyssey, was introduced by military contractor Sanders Associates in 1972. Modified version were sold to the army for training during the 1970’s.