On 15 June 2005, USA Today reported:
Shhh. A true spy game is afoot. Video gamemaker Destineer, which created the Beirut-based tactical game Close Combat: First to Fight, used by the Marines for training, is developing game-style 3-D virtual training simulations for the USA’s intelligence agencies.
No, your teens won’t be running CIA-sanctioned scenarios from the basement anytime soon. But Destineer plans to eventually create realistic spy games based on what it learns making the simulations…
Covert operations have been addressed fictionally in games such as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid and James Bond titles such as GoldenEye and Nightfire. But so far, intelligence gathering hasn’t gotten the kind of real-world treatment that military operations have in video games.
The popular game Full Spectrum Warrior, on Xbox, PS2 and PC, was developed by Pandemic Software after working with the U.S. Army on a military training simulation. A sequel, Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers, is due later this year.
And the Army has its own game, America’s Army, available online with a sequel in the works. Originally created as a public relations and recruiting tool, the game is now used for training other agencies, including the Secret Service. (more)
Source: Mike Snider, "Video games help spies, soldiers learn their crafts," USA Today (15 June 2005).