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America's Army: Proving Grounds due this year, beta testers being enlisted
The next version of America's Army will arrive this year, the US Army announced on its Facebook page. The developer is taking beta tester applicants for the next Army game, which its official forums users were given a head start on two weeks ago.America's Army first launched in July 2002 as a free PC first-person shooter and Army recruitment tool. The most recent update to the series, America's Army 3, came out in June 2009.[Thanks, David!]
America's Army franchise cost $33 million to deploy over 10 years
According to information obtained by GameSpot from the United States Army, the America's Army series has cost $32.8 million across the 10 years of the franchise's existence. Development costs have risen and fallen over the years – starting with a first year budget of $3.5 million and a 2009 budget of approximately $3.4 million – though we can't imagine that the America's Army program will be spending as much in 2010 considering the developers of America's Army 3 were summarily canned after completing the last game. Over the course of the 10 years that the franchise has existed, the US Army has never released any statistics on recruitment efficacy, profitability of the franchise, or results of the programs efforts, among other things. It has equally drawn support and contempt from critics, with some saying the "recruitment centers" target underage youth and others saying they offer insight into real war. One idea we think most Joystiq readers will agree on, regardless of politics: a gaggle of much better (though admittedly not free!) FPS games are out there right now, just waiting to be played.
Rumor: Layoffs hit America's Army 3 studio
If you're a US Army game developer, do you get laid off or discharged? In any event, Shacknews reports that the Emeryville, Calif. development studio responsible for the just-released America's Army 3 has been closed, its staff let go and future work on the series handed over to a different team at an Army facility in Redstone Arsenal, Ala.Its official forums bursting with bug discussions, the free-to-play game's launch has, thus far, been troubled to say the least. If the team has been let go in its entirety, the question becomes: Who's going to fix the game? We've contacted AA3 HQ for an official comment.
Want to play America's Army 3? Pre-load now from Big Download
If you live in the U S of A, here's something you may not know: your tax dollars pay for the development of a free-to-play shooter called America's Army. The latest release of that series – America's Army 3 – is shipping out tomorrow; however, if you want to get your money's worth (remember: tax dollars) you owe it to yourself to download it today! That's where Joystiq's very own Big Download comes in. Head on over and pre-load the game client so, while the rest of the world hammers those servers tomorrow, you'll be knee-deep in Rules of Engagement. Download America's Army 3 Deploy Client (273 KB)
