British Army Chief Commends "PlayStation Generation"

British Army Chief Commends "PlayStation Generation"

November 29, 2007
While West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green whines about the effect of the PlayStation and other video game consoles on the quality of England's football play, the top general in the British Army has only praise for the "PlayStation Generation".

As reported by icWales, British Army Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt (left) praise the efforts of his nation's young soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq:
There is no doubt in my mind that our people, whether from the specialist Air Assault and Commando Brigades, or from the Ground Manoeuvre Brigades are all up to the job.

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. 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.

The courage, steadfastness and professionalism of our soldiers has been exemplary.

Dannatt made his remarks during an address to the Cardiff Business Club.

Via: Joystiq

Comments

@Kurisu


exactly, he only thought the less offensive stereotype that gamers are lazy wastrels, but stands corrected when proven wrong

now if only the nutjobs like larouche and thompson could comprehend the idea of 'being wrong' about everything and realise their mistakes. But alas, I fear it wont happen.
I usually don't do this, but....


LaRouche "I told you so!" in 5, 4, 3...

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Well, at least someone isnt trying to have us destroyed.
Now if only we could get him back to the UK and let him have a wack at manhunt.
well, he who shall not be named thinks you can train on Doom to become a great soldier so why the doubts over the "playstation generation"? Of course you need extra training to look skywards, as you can't look up in Doom. But if games can de-sensatise you to killing, the Army must be laughing, but they had doubts?
yep, yep, thats right

if your sports team screws up a match, you blame it on video games

makes perfect sense
Heh, kind of odd how opinion sweeps between how video games turn people between cold phsychopathic killers and lazy unmotivated couch-potatos when the situation suits.

Basically, the army were concerned that this generation that were bought up 'on their butts' playing video games wouldn't be able to match the physical demands of the army.

They aren't saying the Playstation makes people good soldiers, they're saying they are surprised that it didn't make people into bad soldiers.
This has nothing really to do with videogames. The latest generation is referred to as the "playstation generation" as it has been one of the most successful products to appear during that generation and has had an effect on marketing, etc. and been accepted into the language. People who grew up in the 60's might be referred to as the "Flower power" generation, or 70's as the disco generation.

The man isn't saying that playing on a console had anything to do with how suitable they are to be soldiers. The latest generation (as many others have been I imagine) are often seen as softer or weaker than generations past ("Things were tough back in my day, you don't know how easy you have it...").

All he is saying is that despite concerns that today's youth may not care as much, or be brave enough or talented enough to be members of the armed forces, many of them have proven that they are up to the task, and he salutes them for that.
Speaking of unnameable's, any updates one the bar hearing?
I like this man, which is interesting because I dislike most officers.
I'm in the same boat with Shoehorn on this one. Look at the three qualifiers he mentions at the end of the article. Courage, steadfastness, and professionalism. Simply because he states that they are capable of handling "gritty, bloody conflict" means that they have taken their training (see from the military) and adapted to it.
We are considered a softer generation than our forebearers. We are also seen as lazy, apathetic, and , in extreme cases, inept. However, a General is going out there and dropping the hammer saying these young men and women are just as capable, just as professional, just as willing as those first frogmen to scale the cliffs outside of Normandy 63 years ago. Well, maybe not the frogmen per se but the drive and discipline is there.
A general is basically stating that my generation is competent in a very high stress environment.


I'll take a complement where I can get them.
I agree with Shoehorn and others. This guy is not saying that video games make people better soldiers but that this generation is just as willing and capable of serving and previous gernations.
Ah, see? We have some competant people in the Army. Problem is, the MoD can't stay out of Military Operations.
@Austin Lewis

He's talking about God's Own, not you Americans.
See? I told you gamers make better killers.

What's that? He's not talking about games at all? He's just saying that a particular generation, having grown up in the 90s, has turned out to be quite good when it comes to army-type things despite other claims that they're worthless layabouts and yobs?
If games can teach people to become killers, then couldn't they also teach people to be heroic? For some reason no one ever thinks of that one, they always just call it "murder training" or something.
How ironic, considering that his generation of soldiers shot up crowds of protesters in Free Derry.
@ Trevor

That is a very good point. Most games on the market star a very heroic character. Very few games are about criminals.

So let them train me to be a one man army in defense of the world from invading zombie aliens.
To perpetuate the point made my shoehorn et al

His comment is nothing to do with games in general, but one important piece of information is implied here.

He is imlying that beforehand he (or the commenters etc) thought the playstation generation would not cope as well as previous generations in combat, it was their professional opinion that games would lead to worse performance in combat.
@chris

SO he thought the opposite of what people like the Larouche cult and Thompson shove in people's faces, but was pleasantly surprised.

Well, video games do encourage thinking on your toes and quick decision making
All that game playing is good for something!
Re: British Army Chief Commends "PlayStation Generation"
All that game playing is good for something!

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 10/12/08 at 01:02pm
magic_taco: Wow,Whoever knew scum like his was a major hypocrite,im ashamed of living i the same state with him.
Posted 10/12/08 at 11:40am
ZippyDSMlee: As long as the AI is better than WC3 SC2 should be fine even if tis spaned over 3 50$ titles.....
Posted 10/12/08 at 11:29am
sortableturnip: @Magic Taco: Yes, he is this senile...
Posted 10/12/08 at 10:12am
magic_taco: @sortableturnip Is he always this Senile?
Posted 10/12/08 at 10:09am
sortableturnip: JT gets enough "lift" seeing his name here :)
Posted 10/12/08 at 10:05am
magic_taco: Lol, I always though JT would use viagra.
Posted 10/12/08 at 09:56am
Chuma: GoodRobotUs: Well played, sir :D
Posted 10/12/08 at 09:20am
sortableturnip: I think JT misplaced his ADD medicine this morning
Posted 10/12/08 at 09:15am
GoodRobotUs: You mean Garriot's body has gone to meet his mind? ;)
Posted 10/12/08 at 08:47am
Tao2001: He's not as grounded as he used to be?
Posted 10/12/08 at 08:38am
Matthew: So we can legitimately say that Lord British is a loony now? Or at least a space cadet?
Posted 10/12/08 at 08:21am
gamepolitics: chuma, yes. we have covered previews of him going at least twice, but it deserves a mention
Posted 10/12/08 at 07:35am
Chuma: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7664963.stm
Posted 10/12/08 at 07:34am
Chuma: Oh, and Dennis? Richard Garriott flys into space. Worth a mention on the site methinks?
Posted 10/12/08 at 07:33am
Chuma: To be honest, I'm waiting for him to overstep the mark and either do something illegal or get sued. It'll be hillarious.
Posted 10/12/08 at 06:37am
Michael Chandra: ezbiker555: Rather than not having proved, wasn't it that they sort of proved there weren't any games involved at all?
Posted 10/12/08 at 06:21am
Tao2001: I think the whole "don't feed the animals" boat has sailed. He'll be an attention whore no matter what.
Posted 10/12/08 at 06:16am
King of Fiji: @Leet Gamer Jargon: No offense but isn't feeding an attention whore like Jack Thompson something one shouldn't be doing ?
Posted 10/12/08 at 04:38am
Leet Gamer Jargon: Yay! Jack's back! I can laugh (at him) again!
Posted 10/12/08 at 02:38am
PHOENIXZERO: Twice my comments on the JT/Palin story have gone MIA, what's up with that?
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