Kuma\War Launches I.E.D. Sweep Improvised Explosive Device Training Mission
Latest Simulation Trains Players How to Recognize and Destroy Deadly Roadside Bombs, Saturday, Sept 15, 2006
New York (Sept 15, 2006) – Kuma\War, a free "Virtual News" experience which uses advanced video game technology to recreate real military events, has released its latest interactive episode, "I.E.D. Sweep." The training mission puts players face-to-face with the deadly homemade bombs that have accounted for more than 90 percent of all U.S. casualties in Iraq. The mission is available for free download at www.kumawar.com.
"Kuma\War offers consumers a glimpse beyond the images in the media and puts you on the front lines, into a reality best understood experientially," said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Reality Games. "The challenges, danger and tension our soldiers overcome each day are difficult for outsiders to fully grasp. By letting the American public experience these detailed virtual simulations, we hope to help them better understand and appreciate our soldiers´ extraordinary service."
The homemade bombs the U.S. calls "Improvised Explosive Devices" are by far the most common insurgent weapon - last month, insurgents used IEDs to attack American forces more than seven hundred times. They´re also the most effective, accounting for four out of five combat deaths, in part because they are often disguised as common items: a garbage bag by the side of the road, a car, a pile of rubble, a converted soda can - even the hollowed out carcass of a dead dog.
Kuma\War´s latest mission, "I.E.D. Sweep," allows ordinary individuals to put themselves in the boots of American soldiers trying to disable hidden explosives across an Iraqi town. The details of the mission and the IEDs themselves are drawn from actual soldiers´ experiences, as related in newly declassified DOD materials. Players must identify, avoid and destroy these IED weapons; one careless move could kill or maim squad members and innocent civilians. The Iraqi town of Qaim, site of this week´s joint military operations by US and Iraqi forces against al Qaeda fighters, has been modeled in 3D for this training mission.
For nearly two years Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. Delivered just weeks after the events have taken place on the battlefield, Kuma has created more than 55 episodes including "Uday and Qusay Husseins Last Stand," "Operation Anaconda", "The Battle for Fallujah," "Iran Hostage Rescue" and "John Kerry Swift Boat." Episodes are now available for free download at www.KumaWar.com and come with a playable mission, video news show, extensive intelligence gathered from news sources around the world, and insight from Kuma´s decorated team of military advisors
KUMA, LLC., is the industry leader in the new market for Episodic Video Games rich, 3D, immersive game experiences delivered to PCs and consoles in weekly episodes. Using their pioneering technology, Kuma develops and delivers games with unprecedented speed, making game episodes that reflect just-released TV shows or films, real world events, audience input or players´ own in-game actions. These episodic games are a thoroughly unique user experience and present distinct marketing advantages for content owners and distributors. Kuma Reality Games, headquartered in New York, New York, is a privately held company.