British Army salutes 'PlayStation generation'

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 29th November 2007
Comments (17) Stumble
Sir Richard Dannat has saluted the gaming generation on their readiness for battle.

Sir Richard Dannat has saluted the gaming generation on their readiness for battle.

In a public speech given to various important and well-to-do business types, the Chief of the British Armed Forces, General Staff Sit Richard Dannat, has praised the modern of generation of gamers and said that they make excellent soldiers and that many of the soldiers currently serving in Iraq are fervent gamers.

"There was a time when commentators and some more experienced members of the Army expressed concern as to whether the 'PlayStation generation' were up to dealing with the gritty bloody conflict," Said Dannat.

"However, our young soldiers, drawn from across British society, are more than a match for what is required of them and I salute every one of them."

Not everyone in the UK is as proud of the 'PlayStation Generation' though, as Joystiq point out. Sir Dannat's comments come just a few weeks after football manager Harry Redknapp said that videogames were stifling and destroying any hopes the UK had of establishing any new athletic talent.

Pfft, shows what he knows - has he never heard of the Wii diet?

What do you reckon? Are computer games causing us to all get even flabbier, or would we all be lazy even without the games? Let us know what you think in the forums.
Quote Veles 29th November 2007, 11:46
At last someone saying something good about gamers.

TBH, the people getting flabby playing computer games wouldn't be professional athletes anyway, they'd probably be watching TV instead.
Quote Juppun 29th November 2007, 11:47
Well... as long as they don't try to make a game and recruit us gamers with it I guess it's alright. You know the one I'm talking about.
Quote steveo_mcg 29th November 2007, 12:07
I can see the daily mail headline now... Children desensitised by Playstation, Enjoy actual war!
Quote VictorianBloke 29th November 2007, 12:31
Quote:
Originally Posted by steveo_mcg
I can see the daily mail headline now... Children desensitised by Playstation, Enjoy actual war!

especially when combined with fetching exoskeletons:

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=142953
Quote Lazarus Dark 29th November 2007, 12:54
The most hardcore gamer I know, my gf's brother, is a marine. He's done two tours of Iraq so far with one of the most elite groups, he was even being considered as a guard for the President at one point. From what he says, there are a lot of gamers in Iraq and in the armed forces. All they do is play games on the base. In fact, I think every person I know in the military is a gamer of some level.
Quote Kipman725 29th November 2007, 16:57
I have never been in war but paintballing feels exactly like a computer game to me as does driving and as such I never get worried or paniced when doing such activites. Driving is a little dull when your doing 60 and know that you can get round that corner at 80... everything happens in slow mo in the real life driving game.
Quote liratheal 29th November 2007, 17:34
the question is:

Are they fervent gamers because they actually like gaming, or are they fervent gamers because there's only two other options for things to do out there (Get shot by 'friendlies' or get shot by enemies)?
Quote TheEclypse 29th November 2007, 17:39
Quote:
What do you reckon? Are computer games causing us to all get even flabbier, or would we all be lazy even without the games?
I think we would be lazy without the games. I like to play games, but I also love the gym, I cant imagine that anyone is playing games so much that its just not possible to do any exercise.
Quote specofdust 29th November 2007, 17:49
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus Dark
The most hardcore gamer I know, my gf's brother, is a marine. He's done two tours of Iraq so far with one of the most elite groups, he was even being considered as a guard for the President at one point. From what he says, there are a lot of gamers in Iraq and in the armed forces. All they do is play games on the base. In fact, I think every person I know in the military is a gamer of some level.

The USMC are hardly elite. They're pretty well trained and they're fairly badass due to the ethos/brainwashing, but there are 220,000 of them - and frankly, the training really isn't particularly long compared with many other marine organisations.

I'd definitely not f**k with one though :D
Quote KoenVdd 29th November 2007, 22:51
Of course statements like this will make it easier to convince all those angsty parent and crazed lawyers (or is it just 1 crazed lawyer) that video games do not make people kill.
Quote Bungle 29th November 2007, 23:12
The Clan I've just joined has a large community of US/Euro servicemen/women. The Clan is well run as they bring alot of their real life knowledge to the games. The guys I'm online with tend to play more hours than me and I concider myself to be a regular gamer at 8hrs a week. Good alround players most of them and real friendly bunch.:D
Quote DXR_13KE 29th November 2007, 23:59
i hate when people say that we are the "playstation generation", the current generation started playing with other older and more interesting consoles.....
Quote Major 30th November 2007, 00:39
Quote:
Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
i hate when people say that we are the "playstation generation", the current generation started playing with other older and more interesting consoles.....

I started on the Amiga 64, and I'm not even 20. :)
Quote NaThRo 30th November 2007, 00:56
Quote:
Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
i hate when people say that we are the "playstation generation", the current generation started playing with other older and more interesting consoles.....

I would never consider myself a console gamer... I owned an Atari but the family had a PC before we got that and I've always much preferred PC gaming...
Quote completemadness 30th November 2007, 03:23
Quote:
Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
i hate when people say that we are the "playstation generation", the current generation started playing with other older and more interesting consoles.....
yeah definetly, i started on the 386, didn't get a PS1 until like 1 year before the PS2 was launched, and still mainly play the PC

But i guess "PC generation" "N64 Generation" "SNES Generation" or whatever doesn't roll off the tongue as well as the "Playstation Generation" does (actually the snes one isn't that bad ;))
Quote CardJoe 30th November 2007, 07:34
C64 and Amiga A500+ - I didn't even get a console until the original Xbox and used to have to go down the road to play my mates PS1 and Saturn.
Quote steveo_mcg 30th November 2007, 10:42
C64 then a mac, didn't do that much gaming on that: sim city 2000 ate my life though. Didn't really get into gaming till i went to uni and i got a half decent pc and my flat mate brought UT home with him. Never owned a console, played my flat mates occasionally but i'm too anti social.
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