WASHINGTON — “Experience true combat gameplay in a massive military sandbox. Authentic, diverse, open — Arma 3 sends you to war.” So goes the battle cry of popular war-fighting video game, Arma 3, which sends its players into military combat between NATO forces and CSAT, an imaginary opposition.
In September, the makers of Arma 3 introduced an add-on module dealing with a subject that has never before been the focus of such a game: international humanitarian law, or IHL. Produced in consultation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the add-on — “Laws of War” — introduces a fictional humanitarian organization to the game to spread understanding of IHL among its 3.2 million players.
To the relief of its producers, the module — which costs about $40 to download — is attracting favorable reviews and considerable gamer interest, with scant pushback from dissatisfied players.