"This October, Ubisoft will unveil both an Xbox and a PlayStation 2 version -- to be called "America's Army: Rise Of A Soldier" -- with subsequent games expected to be developed, including cell phone and next-gen versions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, according to Col. Wardynski.

The MSRP of the games hasn't yet been determined but they won't be free. Critics have questioned whether the Army will profit from the agreement with Ubisoft, and Col. Wardynski cites the National Defense Authorization Act of 2005 in which the Armed Services are authorized to "recoup the cost of their trademarking activities," he explains. "We are hoping that the royalties from Ubisoft will offset the cost of our marketing efforts, the cost of patenting, and all the legal fees."

Wardynski describes the 10-year license with Ubisoft as one in which the Army retains full control over the marketing, public relations and content of the game.

"Ubisoft will have to make sure that the Army's values are present and we will review all games for their accuracy," says Wardynski.

In fact, maintaining accuracy and making certain "America's Army" doesn't trivialize the Army's role has been a priority from day one of development.

"To pump up the gameplay, the developers frequently wanted to include action that just wasn't appropriate for a game that depends on realism," explains Lt. Col. Juntiff. "It was my job to say that, no, the Army doesn't do it that way."" [more]

Related Links:
Ubisoft
America's Army: Rise of a Soldier