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Army shelves virtual warfare game at festival

MILWAUKEE — The Army agreed Tuesday to remove a virtual urban warfare game at a Summerfest exhibit that allowed festival-goers to hop into a Humvee and fire machine guns.

Participants as young as 13 were able to shoot at life-sized people displayed on a computer screen as part of the Virtual Army Experience game.

The game drew criticism from Peace Action Wisconsin. The group called it “totally inappropriate and offensive.”

Summerfest officials said they received a handful of complaints and first requested the Army raise the minimum age of players to 18 and stop giving out a DVD of a similar virtual experiences.

The Army’s exhibit includes a pull-up bar and recruiters gathering data and answering questions.

Army spokeswoman Pat Grobschmidt said the game gives the public a glimpse into what it’s like to be a soldier. More than 500 people played the game on Summerfest’s opening day, she said.