Making a play on the US Army’s recruiting campaign of an "Army of One" (which is essentially based on the idea of acquiring skills for post-Army life versus an institution of commitment to the few and the proud… why are the Army recruiting numbers down again?), EA (ERTS) helps bring private security operatives into the mainstream. From an EA press release:
Army of Two™ will throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines where they will utilize unique TWO man strategies and tactics while seamlessly transitioning between playing with intelligent Partner AI (PAI) and a live player. When one man is not enough, it will take an army of two to fight through war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world.
Alain Tascan, VP and General Manager of EA Montreal has been serving as Executive Producer on the title. Tascan comments, "Army of Two is a first for EA in many ways. This is the first EA studio to be built entirely from the ground-up. This is EA’s first original title for the next-gen systems. Army of Two is the first game to put players inside tactical warfare involving Private Military Corporations."
Linking two players, live or AI, via audio & text commands to keep the world safe should be compelling. The rise of the private warrior sector, an extension of the military-industrial complex President Eisenhower famously warned against in his outgoing speech may just a get a boost here.
While the US Army has its own very popular video game, America’s Army, and GI Joe action figures, the private sector is catching up with commercial games and its own action figures.
