World of Wargames

The Army has long relied on videogames for training purposes. But most of them are straightforward shoot-em-ups that simulate battles.

Now, Danger Room reports, Maj. Kyle Burley, a staffer at the Army War College, wants to develop a new kind of game that "simulates decision-making at strategic levels." It'd be a virtual world, 3D kind of thing, in which players would take on the role of military commanders, choosing avatars and interacting with each other in moderated chat rooms. Kind of like World of Warcraft, except without the mythological creatures.

In WoW, Burley says, "the collaborative element is useful -- you’ve got chat and avatars -- but the actual content and setting aren't what we’d like for having role players have committee meetings with the State Department."