PS2 teaches soldiers to control robots

Conventional wisdom has it that videogames are only good for rotting our minds and compelling us to go all postal if someone gives us a dirty look. Well at least one organization has taken a different view of the popular medium: the U.S. military has started using PlayStation 2 consoles to train soldiers in the art of controlling unmanned robotic vehicles. In Alabama for a presentation to the Decatur Rotary Club, Col. Edward M. Ward told the audience how he brought 200 PS2s to Iraq to sharpen his men's hand-eye-coordination for guiding the bots in their mission to locate and detonate explosive devices. See, it's all very clear now: videogames don't cause kids to kill, rather, they teach them to operate killer robots.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Remember the export restrictions placed on PS2 because it could be potentially used as a missile guidance system?

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-1703777.html
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000283036527/

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Nothing new here.

http://www.safestuff.com/bradley.htm

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Video games dont kill people, the goverment does.

In soviet russia, robot plays YOU

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Videogames don't Cause Kids to Kill. The Government Does.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

isn't this the premise of the movie toys?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Killing is dumb why not sue them and make them suffer more

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Yes, in fact this is *exactly* the premise for the movie Toys � kids operating killer robots. A spectacular movie, with one of Robin Williams' best roles. Kind of scary to realize that the technology for this exists and is already in use.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

:) this sounds like an elaborate excuse for a grant to get free ps2s for soldiers.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Hey, wait! I've been saying this for years! I mean, what else do think furbies are supposed to be? Oh, wait I wasn't supposed to say that.
AAAAAAAGHH! They killed me....

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

before "toys" there was enders game, which takes this scenerio to the next logical level...

what if the training video game wasn't a game? what if they were actually killing while they thought they were just training