News Intro

One in three Dutch between the age of 10 and 30 plays computer games. Giving Utrecht University a reason to host a conference about this phenomenon. At the start of November scientists from over the whole world will consider the many aspects of gaming. Strikingly, games about war rank amongst the most popular. Something for the scientists to investigate. Experiencing The Longest Day daily, be part of the largest battles in history, but an assault or a capture are also possible. Wargames are mostly played by boys and men and are unbelievably popular. You'll know that what you play has really happened That you're sort of part of history, but then on the computer. I think these kind of games are comparable to a good film Jeroen Jansz of the University of Amsterdam is one of the scholars who researches the causes of the great popularity of these games. It's rushing, competitive and it offers you control over the situation to a certain extent because there's return fire. It contributes to the feeling that you're doing something serious It contributes to the idea that you matter. The Defense industry and the army are highly interested in these games and follow the developments closely. There are examples of American research linked to large companies like Lockheed Martin in which the magnitude of the exchange between the war and games industries is emphasised, that the war industry benefits from funding the developments of games for they can use what is technologically develloped in their own tracking systems. The historical relevance is negligible according to specialists. The images may be based on historical material but the battlefield is too empty. None of these games show how the ordinary civilian fares in this. All those elements remain unaddressed in the game. This gives a distorted image in which war is only a battlefield. It is of course much more than that. The gamer can enter the battlefield without fear because he possesses many lives.