America's Army is a free, online game that the army uses as a demonstration, training and recruitment device: it shows real tactics, offers real bootcamp-scenario training, is meant for practical squad-based combat and is a free download for anyone who wants to use it. Why? Because the army hopes you'll like what you see, and perhaps consider a trip down to the recruitment office.

Recently, someone at GameSpot was curious as to how much a game like that costs to produce, and sent a Freedom of Information Act Request to find out. The result is the discovery that $32.8 million dollars has been spent over 10 years to fund the game both in development and throughout its staggering 26 version updates (the most current version is now America's Army 3). Th third installment was developed by an Emeryville-based company, and merely weeks after the game launched, the army released all ties with the developer and started updating and game from their own programming offices in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Here's a breakdown of the funding budget for each year:

  • 2000 ($3,500,000)
  • 2001 ($5,600,000)
  • 2002  ($1,862,985)
  • 2003 ($2,600,000)
  • 2004 ($3,866,482)
  • 2005 ($1,288,552)
  • 2006 ($4,050,748)
  • 2007 ($2,788,137)
  • 2008 ($3,887,450)
  • 2009 ($3,395,702)

The army refused to respond to other information requested, stating "disclosure of this information is likely to cause substantial harm to the Department of the Army's competitive position in the gaming industry."

What do you think of the budget behind America's Army? Would you have thought it would be larger or smaller? Are you perhaps angry that tax money is likely a large part of this game?

Source: GameStop