June 21^st, 2004 (12:00am) - With the success of America’s Army, the U.S. Army has opened the America’s Army Government Applications office, a game development studio set to provide simulated training for a variety of government and Armed Forces projects.

The studio is comprised of fifteen videogame creators, simulation specialists, and ex-Army personnel; many of which come from game studios such as Interactive Magic, Timeline, Vertis, SouthPeak Interactive, Vicious Cycle Software, and Red Storm Entertainment of Tom Clancy fame. Heading the studio is Jerry Heneghan, a former videogame producer Red Storm Entertainment and West Point Academy graduate.

The studio had been quietly opened in January of this year and is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. The decision to open up the game studio is Cary, North Carolina is heavily influenced by the fact that the location allows easy access to a variety on military locales. For instance, the nearby Fort Bragg is used by programmers to spend time getting acquainted with new Army vehicles.

"The Research Triangle’s universities offer a steady flow of fresh young talent, and we’re in close proximity to developer Epic Games, which provides the game engine for America’s Army," said Heneghan.

One of the studio’s current projects involves the highly anticipated America’s Army: Overmatch, which is set for release in March 2005. America’s Army: Overmatch is being developed by the office along with a team of tweny-four videogame creator in Monterey, California. This collaboration is just one of the many, seeing has the studios works closely with Washington agencies, West Point Academy, and Picatinny Arsenal.

This game studio promises to deliver some of the most realistic simulations possible in videogame form. In fact, some are so authentic that they’re not even available to the common person, making them classified. For instance, a White House simulation has been developed specifically for the training of Secret Service agents.

"The positive response for this type of training content has been overwhelming," said Heneghan. "We are having a difficult time keeping up with the many opportunities presented to us."