America's Army

This article is about the video game. For the military branch, see United States Army.
America's Army
Developer(s)United States Army
Publisher(s)United States Army
Composer(s)Doyle W. Donehoo[2]
EngineUnreal Engine 2[3], Unreal Engine 3 (v4.0)[4]
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows:
  • July 4, 2002 (v1.0)
  • June 17, 2009 (v3.0)
  • (Open beta) August 29, 2013 (v4.0) - May 5, 2022 (shutdown)[1]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

America's Army was a series of first-person shooter video games developed and published by the U.S. Army, intended to inform, educate, and recruit prospective soldiers. Launched in 2002, the game was branded as a strategic communication device designed to allow Americans to virtually explore the Army at their own pace, and allowed them to determine whether becoming a soldier fits their interests and abilities. America's Army represents the first large-scale use of game technology by the U.S. government as a platform for strategic communication and recruitment, and the first use of game technology in support of U.S. Army recruiting.

The Windows version 1.0, subtitled Recon, was the first released version on July 4, 2002. As of January 2014 there had been over 41 versions and updates released including updates to America's Army: Proving Grounds, which was released in August 2013. All versions have been developed on the Unreal Engine. The game was financed by the U.S. government and distributed by free download. America's Army has also been used to deliver virtual military experiences to participants at air shows, amusement parks, and sporting events around the country.

America's Army had been expanded to include versions for Xbox, arcade, and mobile applications published through licensing arrangements.[6][7]

In May 2022, official online functionality and support for the latest game in the series, America's Army: Proving Grounds, was withdrawn.[8][9]

  1. ^ "America's Army News | AA:PG Shutdown". 2022-04-27. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  2. ^ "Radar Music". Archived from the original on 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  3. ^ Thomsen, Mike (23 February 2010). "History of the Unreal Engine". IGN.
  4. ^ Mezoff, Lori (22 January 2009). "America's Army 3 game to be released this year". www.army.mil.
  5. ^ Army Drops Mac Version of America's Army Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2007-03-17). "America's Army launches mobile offensive". gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  7. ^ Brinkley, C. Mark (2007-03-19). "Expand and conquer". Army Times. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  8. ^ "AA:PG Shutdown - America's Army Forum". 2022-04-27. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  9. ^ Andy Chalk published (2022-02-08). "America's Army is finally closing for good". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2022-08-09.