[xrp]

I don't know about anyone else, but I sure don't have a problem with this. This is a great pasttime for our brave men and women overseas. It keeps them on the bases more and away from the anti-American Euro-weenies. In addition, the $200,000 is being spent on a service that is supported by American networking professionals and software engineers. Win, win it sounds like to me!

[dennisw]

These are needed in Japan and Okinawa to keep our service men from getting into scandels with the local babes.

[nothingnew]

You might want to find out what Willie Green thinks. I mean, this might cost some peoples jobs (somehow).

FMCDH

[dennisw]

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2138176,00.html The idea for the gaming centres emerged from focus groups conducted by the branch of the USAFE concerned with community activities. Bases received between $7,500 and $20,000 for the centres' furniture, equipment and networking costs. Germany's Spangdahlem Air Base hosted the pilot programme, and got its centre in April.

The Air Force said it chose the Xbox for its superior online gaming capabilities. While Sony has introduced an Internet adapter for its PlayStation2 console and Nintendo launched online capabilities for its GameCube, Microsoft is putting its faith in a far more ambitious plan.

Instead of leaving it to game publishers to provide online options, Microsoft is handling all infrastructure needs for Xbox Live. The company has assembled four massive server farms to handle Xbox Live traffic, including a main data centre near company headquarters in Redmond, Washington that employs military-grade security measures.

Xbox owners pay $50 a year or $6 per month for the online service, which requires a high-speed DSL (digital subscriber line) or cable connection to the Internet. Xbox Live serves as a common portal for online games offered by publishers such as Sega and THQ Interactive.

The service launched last November.

[Tailback]

I agree, in addition it was probably paid for with a morale and welfare fund which is in part financed with Base Exchange profits. I'm sure there will be plenty of people that will criticize this, but this is nothing my current Air National Guard unit hasn't done for the last 5 years anyway. Everyone brings their laptops to deployments to network game, and our Command and Conquer tournaments are legendary.

[zarf]

So what's wrong with this?

[bd476]

That's cool - it's money well spent. Let's send them whatever will help.

[Bogey78O]

14 bases and 17 centers?

I take it 3 bases received 2 centers. And hw many consoles are in a center?

No complaints. Just curious if we're going to have these guys fighting over access.

Does this remind anyone of the SOCOM commercial?

[Brian S]

Well spent investment, IMHO!

[joanil]

I think it should be increased to $1,000,000 !

[Registered]

It's an abuse of taxpayer's dollars.

[Jumper]

Great news. Most Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs are funded from re-cycled monies to start with in the Military communities. Thanks to the Clinton initiatives, soldiers, sailors and airmen have less than ever before. Looks like our servicemen and women living in Europe will have small taste of home.

[bootyist-monk]

The US Military is also paying for game development, and has done so for a number of years. One of the better Xbox titles is called Full Spectrum Warrior (from Pandemic), which will be released as a consumer product in early '04.

[LasVegasMac]

I don't know about anyone else, but I sure don't have a problem with this.

Complete agreement.

A fairly recent TV commercial showed a bunch of friends playing an on-line, shoot-em up, in the burbs, type game.

They got their a$$ waxed by the "enemy".

Then it shows who their "on-line" opponent was.

Army troops sitting in a tent, who knows where.

Good commercial.

LVM

[InvisibleChurch]

if we're not going to give them a living wage then give them xbox

[baseballfanjm]

I need to get myself an XBox. There are going to be some great games coming out that I can't get on Mac or PS2.

[LonghornFreeper]

This is a great idea, but they better get a lot more of these set up before Halo 2 comes out in early 2004 (or this Christmas if the guys at Bungie put in enough 16 hour days), otherwise there will be mutiny over playing time.