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Military deploys VR NeuroTracker game to train special ops forces (video)
We've seen virtual reality used to simulate the experience of being in space, to train engineers and even to help patients regain mobility, so it's no surprise that the military is recognizing VR's potential, too. The US Special Operations Command recently announced that it will employ NeuroTracker -- a system currently used to train athletes in the NFL and NHL -- to assess and improve commandos' response times and perceptive capabilities. The VR setup tasks commandos with following the movements of four different balls projected on a 3D screen, the catch being that four "decoy" objects are also bouncing around. NeuroTracker assesses how well an individual can keep track of the designated targets, and also helps determine how he or she would be able to predict trajectories in the field. Once a user has completed the first game, several variations come into play, including a version that speeds up the balls' movements and one that pits two players against each other. CogniSens, the company behind NeuroTracker, says the game develops perceptive abilities just like a workout develops muscles; there's even a high-intensity gameplay option that combines the mental challenge with physical conditioning exercises.
Modern Warfare 3 Spec Ops preview: Walk slowly and carry a big gun
At first, I felt odd when I walked away from a hands-on co-op session of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 earlier today at Gamescom. My colleague Alexander and I had just spent the past 20 minutes carefully defusing IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices, for those of you who don't watch US broadcast news) and murdering potential assailants in a Berlin Spec Ops map, part of a mission named "Invisible Threat." Between laughs, furious button presses, and the occasional expletive, I realized we were having a lot of fun -- far more fun than two grizzled Battlefield vets expected to have with a Call of Duty title, anyway. And soon after our play session, I understood why. That feeling I couldn't place was nostalgia, subtly reminding me that, yes, at one point I used to really enjoy Infinity Ward-developed shooters. As I carefully sniped oncoming baddies, Alex -- dressed in a "Juggernaut" bomb suit, a first for the series -- slowly lumbered around, dodging bullets/missiles/helicopters/tanks (seriously) while I assisted from above. Moreover, his ability to locate the remaining IEDs was based on me tossing up a UAV and spotting them from above, all the while dodging bullets/rockets myself. Of course, that meant I got to regularly drop missiles from said UAV onto the aforementioned waves of antagonists. Points! Somewhere in there, it all clicked. I was back in college, shouting at my roommate to cover my back before we got clipped, frantically popping enemy after enemy, hoping to hold off the never-ending wave for just another few moments so we could complete the mission.
Lockheed Martin's SMSS autonomous vehicle wins Army competition, ships off to Afghanistan (video)
The US military's fleet of unmanned vehicles may soon get some extra support, now that Lockheed Martin's Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) has received the Army's official blessing. Designed to support infantry squads or special ops forces, the company's autonomous craft was recently crowned the winner of the Army-sponsored Project Workhorse Unmanned Ground Vehicle competition, after more than a decade of development. Measuring 11 feet in length, the SMSS is capable of transporting more than 1,000 pounds of equipment over rugged terrain, and features a set of onboard sensors that can automatically track individuals by recognizing their 3D profiles. Both the SMSS and its Block I variant can be carried aboard CH-47 and CH-53 choppers, with the latter offering a driving range of 125 miles. Three of the beasts will deploy to Afghanistan for a three-month evaluation later this year, when they'll become the largest unmanned vehicles to ever deploy with infantry. Shoot past the break for a video tour of the SMSS, along with the full press release.
Global Agenda goes prehistoric with new in-game event
The newest Global Agenda live event proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the folks over at Hi-Rez are, in fact, certifiably insane. Or awesome. Insanely awesome? Well, that depends on how exciting the idea of wearing the severed head of an extinct creature is to you. Following on the heels of the anniversary tournament, which also rewarded players with dino-riffic headgear, the newest in-game event is rewarding players with headgear modeled after everyone's favorite winged dinosaur. That's right, you too can jaunt around the Dome with a pterodactyl head on your shoulders, presumably while hysterically flapping your arms and screeching at the top of your lungs. If this sounds appealing to you, then just stay where you are and some men in white coats will be there to take you away shortly. That, or you can log in to Global Agenda and participate in the Special Ops playlist for your shot at this prehistoric flair. Specifically, you need to win 30 missions in the Special Ops playlist to be eligible. So hoist your guns and get out there, Agents.
Modern Warfare 2's 'Special Ops' missions detailed
We really enjoyed the "Mile High Club" mission unlocked upon the completion of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- despite the fact it was completely out-of-continuity, it was one of the most thrilling segments in the entire game. Fortunately, it seems Infinity Ward has taken a cue from this airplane-combat scenario -- the developer recently explained that it's using it as inspiration for Modern Warfare 2's "Special Ops" missions, which were briefly demoed at GamesCom 2009.Billed as the game's co-op mode, Special Ops allows players to perform standalone missions either on their lonesome or with a friend via online or split-screen co-op. Different difficulty tiers are offered for each Special Ops mission -- those bold enough to tackle the harder echelons will receive greater in-game unlockables.We got a chance to see someone play through "The Gulag" at GamesCom -- a seeming recreation of the shower room from The Rock. The player armed himself at a Left 4 Dead-esque ammo dump, then run-and-gunned his way through a series of enemy-infested rooms. While lacking in the airborne panache that made "Mile High Club" so memorable, it was a neat little slice of gameplay -- we can't wait to see what other precarious scenarios Infinity Ward drops us into when Modern Warfare 2 hits store shelves this November.
First Look: 24: Special Ops for iPhone
Digital Chocolate has nabbed the 24 license (along with a few sounds and music bits) from Fox, and they've released an iPhone game based on my favorite TV show ever. Unfortunately, things don't get quite as good as they probably should, but the run-and-gun gameplay mixes it up with a nice variety of minigames, so if you're a 24 completist (and have an iPhone -- apparently this doesn't work for iPod touch at the moment), it might be worth spending the $5.If not, there's a "lite" version on the App Store which will take you through the game's first few "hours" (in reality, just a few minutes per segment) of stages. The game itself features Jack Bauer backed up by Chloe doing what else but saving Los Angeles from various terrorist threats. The grid-based action gameplay is simple but fun, and the shooter stages are broken up with encryption and driving minigames. None of it is brilliant, but just like the show, watching Jack Bauer kill bad guys is usually good enough.It's too bad they didn't do more -- 24's strengths have always been in its breakneck story pace and twists and turns, and just from playing the first few hours in the lite version, this seems like a Jack-and-Chloe story only (Bill appears in a suit on the menu screen, so apparently he shows up later, in some role at old CTU). If there are any cool story twists or turns, they take place more than four hours in -- it would be great to see Michelle or even Nina (if this is before Day 3) again, but I doubt we get that. Still, it's got Jack killing and blowing stuff up, and that's never a bad thing.
