From game bestseller to military developments: Halo connection with the US Army
All conscious time series Halo I was perceived by me as a story about the battle of space soldiers. I have not heard about the contribution to the development of the gaming industry or the deep lore, and I probably did not want to hear then. Why do I need another space operator if I already had Warhammer? I decided to close this gestalt only this year, having passed all the games in the series.
Launching the proposed to me in chronological order Halo Reach , I had a feeling of dejavu, the explanation of which I could find only after the ending. Everything that was happening on the screen, I already saw. And the point is not that 10 years ago, I played in Halo 4 . I did not remember anything from it about which I was convinced of the repeated passage. All KAT scenes, dialogs and staging moments seemed to me familiar. And I understood! I have already seen all this in the countless number of American films: a briefing of a mission in a helicopter, tense shootings, dedication and general images – all this was already as if it were. Up to Halo Infinite I perceived a series like American cinema about soldiers. As it turned out, not groundless.
Initially, I thought that familiar images were only references to famous films, and equipment and weapons are only indirectly similar to existing samples. But everything is much more complicated. Series Halo Not just trying to do “as in life”. The whole franchise is built around specific things, which, as it turns out, are sometimes very beneficial to the American army. And this comes down not to direct propaganda of values, but to an amazing union where the games Halo and the armed forces of the United States of America, directly affect each other’s development. It is about this story that today we will be discussed. But before we move on to intrigues and technological breakthroughs, it must be indicated what is a typical movie about American soldiers and how it originated.
Hollywood is to blame for everything
When the United States entered the Second World War, not only young men and women were called into the army. Hollywood also signed up.
Tanner Mirrlis, Associate Professor of the Department of Communication and Study of Digital Media at the Ontario Technological University
Before the start of World War II, American cinema was engaged in the creation of entertainment films that were supposed to distract the townspeople from everyday routine. With the beginning of hostilities, there was a great need to support the Americans of military operations. Thus began the propaganda machine that does not stop its work and to this day
Between 1942 and 1945, the most severe censorship of all scenarios was held, in which the Americans were negatively related to military operations. The image of a soldier was to be heroic. And those who were engaged in the creation of films this image had to be sold. It is not surprising that the military shifted this duty to the shoulders of Hollywood. After all, it is much easier to sell propaganda, masking it under the entertainment so that people do not even understand that it was propaganda.
The Second World War ended, but other conflicts began, each of which was accompanied by a nearby movie. Such films could serve as a plug for failures at the front. Producers tried to present everything in the right light, to disguise what civil citizens should not see.
From time to time, paintings came out that denounced all the horrors of war and made “evil” both sides of conflicts. A great example – Apocalypse today Francis Ford Coppol, in which the distraught US Colonel created his kingdom of violence, because of which he was ordered to eliminate his own side. Such anti -war cinema, as a rule, collects a large stir and sometimes raise unrest.
In contrast, entertaining cinema acts. He does not even have to be based on real conflicts. Actions can take place in space on fictional planets, and an enemy can serve as a race of alien beetles.
Speech, of course, a Star landing. Thesis, film and Halo They are even similar. Society in the film as militarized as possible, the army guarantees citizenship, and figuratively it gravitates to the US armed forces. And although in comparison with the original novel Star landing He was simplified for the sake of film adaptation, in both cases ideas about civil discipline, patriotism and accessories to society, which are relevant to this day are described
Even their shape is similar. Star landing.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Fantastic films can not only show the struggle, but also raise moral and ethical issues related to war. As an example: the use of children in hostilities. IN Ender’s game, Humanity suffers the defeat from the next race of aliens and its last hope – children. As part of a special selection of groups, children are trained not only physically, but also mentally, but after they send them to fight in the simulator on which they should build military strategies to combat aliens. As it turns out – there was never a simulator, and the children commanded real troops and won both real victories and were the cause of real deaths. The film examines the topic of manipulation of young minds and how adults can use children to achieve their goals.
Technology design c Avatar, very similar to technology from Halo. No wonder James Cameron was a consultant for a long time Bungie, For issues of cinematography and science fiction.
The image of a warrior in science fiction should not always be positive. IN Avatar, which looks like Halo, American military are greedy mercenaries ready to destroy entire planets for the sake of their own benefits. One of the rare examples when the aliens are more humane than people.
Each of these films represents the American army in various contexts and for different purposes, but they all reflect the military power and spirit of the battle fraternity inherent in this organization. Whether this adopted Halo? Another how.
As in propaganda films about the US Armed Forces in Halo Master Chief – a soldier, a heroic person who is ready to sacrifice himself for the common good. He is a selfless hero who protects not the country, but a whole universe and lifestyle from alien invaders – Kovenant.
If in realistic military cinema, US soldiers use the latest technologies to achieve their goals, then in fantastic, when people fight with races repeatedly overtaken them in technological development, one super -technological costume “Mjolnir” will not be enough. In such cases, mankind fakes a lot of emphasis on combat tactics. Soldiers are experienced and effective fighters who are able to manage with any type of weapons and adapt to circumstances. And most importantly – rallied.
The importance of teamwork is one of the main topics of propaganda cinema. As in it, in Halo often emphasizes the significance of the command spirit and connections that are formed between the soldiers. Master Chif is working closely with soldiers, AI and sudden alien allies to achieve common goals. If we are talking about the motivation of people in a galactic war, then very often they are patriotism.
The manifestation of patriotism is like in Halo, and in many films, starting from serious – as Save the ordinary Ryan, in which the theme of the battle fraternity is fully revealed. And ending with popcorn, like Transformers, in which the soldiers will not ask moral questions about the feelings of the victims, why, when their opponents are soulless walking machines?
And although Halo, First of all, an entertaining Homepage series, the purpose of which is to lick the player with an action and appropriate drama, sometimes thoughts about duty or soldier’s honor pop up in it. When in Halo Infinite Chif won the main villain, he asks him to tell everyone that he lost. But lost with honor. The main character agrees what causes a misunderstanding among a partner. Why did he show sympathy for such a creature? To which the chif replies: “In fact, he was just a soldier. Who hoped that he had acted correctly “.
Already based on a general set of topics and situations, visual parallels are emerging, which are distinguished by staged scenes from the cinema. It’s about cliches that remain unchanged from the film to the film. How many times have you seen in the films when a soldier is struck by a bullet and a friend catches him under his arms? Or how many last points were when the soldiers managed to give each other or to cleanse the bomb? How many motivating speeches have you heard? How many requests to throw the wounded from their mouths were heard from the screens? All this in Halo There are plenty.
But this does not mean that it consists of 100% soldier bravado and routine of military battles. In the games, interesting and important questions are raised about impossible love, about the awareness of Ai as a person and about whether there is a difference between the Spartans and soulless machines. Simply, today it is more important that the franchise with propaganda films and the image of the American military has in common.
And why did people get the idea that the prototype for the United Nations Space Command – the main military organization of the universe Halo – The US Army served?
Unlike the same Warhammer with its huge number of imperial worlds, on each of which the regiments of the imperial guard have unique tactics and uniforms, scale Halo much more modest and every platoon of soldiers looks like the previous. Therefore, both weapons and their form are the same plus or minus. And it turns out that the sources of inspiration were American developments. Which ones? I’ll tell you now.
What things Halo adopted?
Weapon
It is impossible to say with complete certainty that the weapons of soldiers in Halo completely migrated from their American colleagues. First of all, in Bungie sought to create an eclectic image based on real samples of weapons. With this, the developers tried to achieve the effect of recognition and contrast. If you look closely, then all the armor and weapons of the carpet is very motley. Against their background, human technique with its green-brown color scheme looks very familiar.
Nevertheless, for some reason, most often trunks from Halo It is the US armament. Here are a few examples:
The V6C Magnum pistol (left) in Halo in its characteristics is similar to several trunks at once: in design – Glock 19 (below) and German Valter 99 (from above).
Machine gun M343A2 is similar to the minigan M134
Ma5 (from above) form factor resembles the Belgian FN F2000 (left), and in terms of its qualities and popularity in the ranks of the soldiers – the American M4 (right)
S2 am in Halo S2 am in Halo is similar to Barrett M82
M41 SPNKR rocket launcher is based on the M202 Flash anti -tank grenade launcher
Technique
Battles on vehicles are the same integral part of the universe as the master of chief. With the search for primary sources to technology, everything is slightly more complicated than with weapons. Cars and planes in Halo have a futuristic design and with real technology they have more practical and properties. I’ll try to explain with examples:
The most famous vehicle in a series of games Halo – SUV Vepr (M12 LRV WARTHOG). It resembles two SUVs standing in service of the United States – Humvee (High Mobility Multipose Wheeled Vehicle) and its newer analogue JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle). Humvee was developed in the 1980s and was widely used in military conflicts, such as the war in the Persian Gulf and the war in Iraq. The machine is a multifunctional and capable of performing different tasks, such as cargo transportation, transportation of troops and medical evacuation. And of course, you can install a machine gun on it.
JLTV was developed in the 2010s and is a more modern version of Humvee. It is designed to improve mobility, protection and arms power of American troops on the battlefield. Both of these jeeps have similarities with Warthog. They have an open back for transporting goods and weapons, as well as a strong design for use at distant distances in difficult conditions
Space fighter Saber (FSS-1000) appears only in Halo Reach And it takes place the only battle in open space in the history of the franchise. The prototype for the creation of Sabble was two American aircraft-F-86 Saber and F-100 Super Saber. For some (for me), these names can mean nothing, but for American aircraft construction these are two most important milestones in the development of the industry.
F-86 Saber was the first American fighter to cope with the Soviet fighters MiG-15. After he served as a prototype for subsequent fighters and formed the basis of the F-100 Super Sabre. His follower became the first American fighter capable of flying at supersonic speed.
We continue the topic of aviation. GA-TL1 Longsword is the main model of single fighters to protect humanity. Honestly, I do not remember him in any game, but studying his appearance, it turns out that he was in almost every. Visually the fighter is similar to the American stealth bomber B-2 Spirit. Both aircraft are made in the “Flying Wing” scheme
D77-VT “Pelican”, although it looks extremely futuristic, has many common features with American military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules. These planes have an elongated shape of the fuselage, a lifting wing and four engines. In addition, the pelican has folding doors on the back of the fuselage, which allow you to quickly load and unload goods and troops. The main feature of the pelican is the possibility of a vertical take -off. It is absent in aircraft, but present in convertibles. So Bell V-22 OSPREY is the closest to Pelican.
Appearance and structure
The structure and appearance of the Kon is inspired by real armed forces, in particular the US Army. There are the titles, roles and positions in Kkon that repeat the American hierarchy of titles, for example, ordinary, sergeants and generals. The form of the highest titles of the space fleet is similar to the form of the US Navy. And the shape of ordinary soldiers is similar to the American uniform of the war in Iraq.
With the development of capacities, developers have the opportunity to make the shape of soldiers more realistic in each game. If the soldiers were originally wore plate armor, then they had belts and pouches then, their armor became more realistic, and in Halo 3, a universal fastening appeared on their helmets similar to the US Army introduced at that time at that time. The soldiers attach a night vision device for it. Thus, the shape of the soldiers is improved simultaneously in real life and in the virtual environment.
The CCO CCO approach to combat operations often repeats the tactics and strategy applied by the US Army. The use of combined weapons, tactics of detachments and air support resemble a real military doctrine. Super soldiers of the Spartans who occupy a central place in a series of games Halo, Intensive training and augmentation procedures are underway, which can be compared with elite training and selection processes to the special forces of the US Army.
Apparently someone in the Ministry of Defense was so impressed by what they decided use the game to promote the army.
Recruitment among gamers
Long before cooperation with Halo, The US Army before the draft transported interactive attractions on settlements, which through the video games format allowed to feel like a real soldier. To participate in such entertainment, it was necessary to fill out the questionnaire, indicate all the information about yourself (even scans of a driver’s license) and undergo a survey about the interest of service in the army. After passing the attraction, all data on physical skills and previously specified information were sent to one database. Which was further used to recruit the most suitable candidates.
US Armed Forces have long been using games for their own purposes. Starting with similar films of propaganda about seasoned American military. (Hello, Call of Duty And Battlefield ), ending with crane games that not only popularize the army in the eyes of future soldiers, but also allow you to develop some skills. The most famous example is America’s Army .
America’s Army – a game in the genre of a military simulator in which players can get an idea of the experience of real service. Players can choose their role and perform various tasks – participate in combat operations, provide medical care or conduct engineering work. With an increase in the level of complexity, the need for shooting and teamwork skills increases. The game is absolutely free and is distributed on the official website. First of all, the game is used for recruiting volunteers and training of the already held soldiers, and already in the second – serves as an interactive entertainment.
Another type of game used by the army for their purposes is the simulation of combat and extreme conditions from which players have to get out. Escape the Room And Escape the Base – designed for a more mass user. The game takes place in a room or at the base and imitates the combat environment. Purpose – to get out of the location by performing tasks: searching for hidden objects, decoding messages, solving logical problems and other puzzles that require subtle analysis and logical thinking. Games show the importance and necessity of teamwork and are aimed to show that during the service in the army, not only physical, but also mental qualities are needed.
Guardian And Guardian Centers – have a similar concept, but are used by professional soldiers to improve their skills. Another main difference from “escape” is in Guardian there is not only a virtual, but also a real environment. Consider that these are military quests.
No matter how cool simulators are the game above, their main problem is narrow -mindedness and general unpopularity. In return America’s Army Players can play in Arma, and experience the action of hostilities in popular Call of Duty And Battlefield. Therefore, the Ministry of Defense chose another way of PR – Advertising and sponsorship.
The US Army has long been a sponsor of large shooting tournaments.
For example – “Call of Duty Endowment (C.ABOUT.D.E.) Bowl: This is a charity in Kolde, organized by the Endowment Foundation to support veterans and recruiting new military personnel. As part of the tournament, participants fight each other in virtual battles, and prize money go to support veterans and their families. And how are things with the sponsorship of tournaments in Halo?
The American army became the main sponsor of the first tournament in Halo 3 in 2008. And did it on very interesting conditions. In addition to the fact that, along with civilians in the tournament, soldiers took part under the terms of the contract Bungie should have developed unique maps on which players in Halo 3 could try on the experience of service in the army. The concept even within the framework of this article is not new, but so that in such a popular game? The regime was called Halo 3: Believe. It was possible to launch the regime either on the official website of the army, or by clicking on the advertisement, which, judging by the comments, had long flaunted on the main screen Xbox.
Within the framework of the action, players were given 3 schools: “School of Snipers”, “School of Heavy Weapons” and “School of Vehicles”. At the same time studying in these schools and preparing for the tournament, the players participated in the prize draw. They were Microsoft Points glasses (the winnings amount were equivalent to $ 10), and the main prize was a limited artbook to the third part, certified by the “Sniper School”. In between training missions, videos with real soldiers who talked about the advantages of service in the army were played. As noted by the only source that I found, after conducting such shares, the set of volunteers to the next call increased significantly.
After this moment, the army became not only a sponsor of many tournaments (including the largest, main and now existing – Halo Championship Series), but also by the organizer of its own. Last year, for example, Soldier Showdown 4 took place.
On the example of the latter, it is clear that the army sponsor not only Halo, but also many other disciplines popular among the audience. But no Apex Legends, Not Madden And no other game can boast of the fact that it directly affects the development of the army.
From Halo to the army
In 2001 during the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved-combat exoskeletons were something from the field of fantasy. Despite the fact that the first working prototypes were invented in the last century, they are widespread only now. Of course, we are still very far from the armor of the master of Chif, but individual companies go to this confident step.
Exoskeletons DARPA (management of promising research projects of the US Department of Defense) is the easiest and most common option. Their Warrior Web model is a military exoskeleton aimed at helping soldiers. It allows you to distribute the load and reduce stress and fatigue. And also reduce the risk of injuries, increasing stability and balance.
His older brother – Talos is still only under development, but there is enough one look to evaluate his futuristic design. This is how assault detachments look like Halo! The declared characteristics also look fantastic:
Yes, the rechargeable shields did not bring it, but what is not a Spartan costume? Unfortunately, the project does not yet look promising. The case in the fabulous cost of production and too much energy consumption. Such a compact source of energy has not yet been invented that would allow to calmly move in such a suit. Where exoskeletons are only trying, one development has already entered our world tightly, and there is a great merit in this Halo.
The visor of the Spartan helmet is a unique thing that will tell you the purpose of the task, and the state of health will display and derive the hologram. An indispensable thing in the war of the future. Although. Not so and the future is no longer.
In 2014, at the E3 exhibition, visitors could participate in a unique attraction Halo 5: Guardians & Warzone Experience. Killer Ficha were Hololens augmented reality glasses developed Microsoft. A studio in whose hands is located Halo. Guests could take a walk along the corridors of the spacecraft, and the coolest was to participate in the briefing held by Sarah Palmer – one of the iconic characters for the franchise. Everything was done by means of a hologram, which was displayed directly to the participants. With the help of fingers, players could interact with the interface on the information table. And God, how cool it looks.
4 years later, in 2018, the US Department of Defense concludes with Microsoft HoloLens development and supply transaction for military purposes. The amount of the contract is $ 480 million. And this is one of the largest transactions for Microsoft. The helmet is already used by the American military, and what used to be entertainment, now pays for its investments in the field. The military use glasses for teaching beginners: for example, when you need to study first medical care or the basics of repairs. But they are also actively used in hostilities. In real time, all relevant information about the whereabouts and numbers of the enemy is displayed on the screens, and they also allow you to quickly coordinate the actions of the soldiers.
In moments of calm, with the help of glasses it is possible to project a plan of the terrain and build further actions on a hologram. What is it if not the future?
And most importantly, everyone can feel the future. With an extra half million in your pocket. Hololens 2 is freely sold in specialized stores, and believe me is an unforgettable expirence. Especially if this is your first acquaintance with augmented reality.
HoloLens 2 work on the operating system Windows, This means that the voice assistant Cortana (the main artificial intelligence in the series Halo). The assistant using voice commands can display information on the display, interact with holograms and give brief reports on demands. But the most important thing. You can say: “Hello, Cortana” and enter into a dialogue with her. And this means that everyone at least for a moment, but can feel like a master Chiff.
We summarize
It is quite logical that the technologies have been dreamed by people of the past, realized in the present. All the same, science does not stand still. An example of a symbiosis of games Halo and the armed forces of America – this is confirmed. He is unique and infinitely interesting. But at the same time, it is important to understand that military contracts are not an end in the end of the franchise or developers. IN Microsoft do not sign under each proposal for cooperation. It understands what it can be fraught with.
In 2006, the company abandoned the contract for the supply of a ton of Xbox 360 console for training American soldiers. Microsoft I was concerned that “do we want the Xbox 360 to be perceived as a weapon? Do we want mom and dad to know that their child buys the same game console on which the military train “sea cats” and rangers?”.
After all, we are ordinary players, play games not to become first -class soldiers, but in order to get new experience and pleasure. Therefore Halo Let the adventure remains for us about the selfless master of Chif, and not a military simulator.
