America's Army Surpasses 8 Million Global Users

Officials representing America's Army have revealed that the popular PC 'serious game' America’s Army has surpassed 8 million registered users from 60 different countries. Representatives add that the originally recruitment-related PC game, which was released in 2002, has averaged nearly 150,00 new accounts each month, and that registered players have logged over 3 billion player rounds and nearly 200 million player hours since the game's release. A global phenomenon, 38 different countries currently host almost 1,200 honor servers, which track the honor points that form the basis of America's Army scoring and rewards system. The tactical first-person shooter is built upon the Unreal engine, and is financed through tax dollars and distributed free of charge. The most recent addition to America's Army came in December with the launch of America's Army: Special Forces (Coalition), which introduced the America's Army mission editor. This new tool allows players to construct new levels or modify existing levels using any of the game's art, sound, particle effects and gameplay assets created by the development team. While America's Army was originally designed as a recruitment tool for the U.S. Army, the game has enjoyed a great deal of mainstream success. Besides the PC version, America's Army has also been released for the home console market as well with versions for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, with an upcoming version dubbed Real Heroes in development for the PlayStation 3.