Gamertell

A city in northern China is using a video game as a way of training their police force in anti-terrorist tactics. In the port city of Tianjin, about 300 police officers gathered at an Internet cafe for participating in a three day Counter Strike tournament in order to hone their skills in anti-terrorist warfare. Officers say the game helps them train because it teaches them how to take advantage of certain weapons or the terrain. By representing scenarios similar to what they can encounter in real life, the game also helps them in being mentally prepared for tough situations.

I had always wondered if playing first person shooters for hours would do something to improve your chances in a real life situation. Maybe if you have never been involved in a gunfight it won’t but apparently it has worked for these police officers. Han Zheng, a tactical instructor for Tianjing’s police said the game has improved the officers’ performance in field missions.

At first I thought it was great that police officers could train by using video games, but then I thought about the other side. If officers can train with a game, then what stops terrorists from getting a copy at their local store and doing the same? I guess it’s one of the downsides of these technologies becoming widespread, most of the time they don’t reach the people that need them and they reach people that don’t deserve them.

Read[People’s Daily Online]