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u-s-army-uses-resident-evil-5-best-buy-launch-party-to-recruit-fresh-meat-shields


Resident Evil 5 and the U.S. Army? Where do I sign up??!??!!

The only thing comparable to the way I feel when I see U.S. Army recruiters mixed into events packed with teenage kids would be witnessing Michael Jackson driving a bus load of Catholic priests to Chuck E. Cheese for a quick bite to eat.

I know I may take some heat for this, but I couldn’t help but notice the “GO ARMY” recruitment tent mixed into the Best Buy Resident Evil 5 launch party video (which you can also see after the jump). I don’t mind the idea of recruiters but what I do mind is the methods by which they often recruit.

This isn’t the first time the U.S. Army has been accused of blurring the lines between gaming and recruiting. Promoting an official U.S. Army videogame and lacing their official army game website to contain soldier bios designed to look like videogame stat cards is youth marketing at its finest. Look at all the stats you can wrack up kids – assuming you don’t die first.

Hit the jump for the RE5 launch party video as promised.

Video source: Kotaku

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12 Comments »

  1. DeeJ
    on March 20, 2009 9:58 am

    Considering the role the military takes in the Resident Evil series, it is difficult to draw the line between advertising the video game and real life Army recruiting. I have heard some really nasty stories about how recruiters will do whatever it takes to get a few John Hancocks. But remember, their primary role is…well…to recruit.

  2. Joe
    on March 21, 2009 1:05 am

    They arent forcing kids to join the army.

  3. DavidGX
    on March 21, 2009 1:26 am

    Scum of the earth right there.

  4. Mark
    on March 21, 2009 3:04 am

    Who gives a sh*t?

  5. Dan Landis
    on March 21, 2009 3:17 am

    I'm sure lots of people do. That's like saying "who gives a shit" about Jack Thompson. Lots of people ignore him, but lots of people take time out of their day to actively hate him.

  6. Chad Lakkis
    on March 21, 2009 5:17 am

    No and a pimp doesn't "force" you to select one of his fine lady friends if you happen to stumble into a dark alley that he patrols — but he sure as hell will make his presence known.

  7. Chad Lakkis
    on March 21, 2009 6:04 am

    Jack Thompson is my anti hero

  8. Dan Landis
    on March 21, 2009 6:11 am

    Did you see him on the Jace Hall show? He was actually kind of funny.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b13uYofoqtQ

  9. PaulS
    on March 21, 2009 5:32 pm

    Do you get all upset when BALLZ is advertising at these events? Probably not… I think the only people who are getting mad at the recruiters are people that just don't like our military in general. It's sad how many people get outraged at this, because it's theses SOLDIERS who sweat, bleed, and DIE for you, who give you the FREEDOM to speak out against them.

  10. Keith B
    on March 23, 2009 1:14 pm

    Not to start any crap, Chad, but have you ever stopped to think that the US military is the one organization you can personally thank for the freedom you have to write this crap? It always amazes me how the very people who constantly hide behind the First Amendment never take the time to thank our fighting men and women for the ability to do so.

  11. Ringosan
    on March 23, 2009 8:24 pm

    As I understood, Chad didn't attack soldier for their jobs and tasks. It's about the 'military', as an organization or more like a corporation, made use of teens' activities and hobbies to recruit them. It's like companies who make children products use child psychology to manipulate them through advertisement, the next thing you know, a child nag until his parent buy him some unnecessary stuffs.

    What do recruiters do? Right, recruit… but we also have to take a look of the way they work and achieve their goals. Saying it's just part of recruiter's job is like saying Police have all the right to spy, wiretap or break into your house just because 'policing' is their job.

    Last, soldiers fight and sacrifice for their people, that applies to a 'just war' when they have to protect the peace of the country and lives of it's people. Preemptive war to expand the ambition and power of an empire won't make it's people more safe, it makes them targets. But I'm not blaming the soldiers, most of them did what they did believing they were sacrificing for the country (and usually died for that cause) … therefore they are victims just like those teens in the video, victims of the military corporation.

  12. RighttoPrivacy
    on June 16, 2009 3:49 am

    You're all sacks of shit, including Chad Lakkis.

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