The war simulation arms race has escalated. In 2002, the U.S. military launched America’s Army, a computer game designed to both help soldiers train and allow the layperson a chance to experience the strategy and teamwork of the nation’s land forces from the comfort of their own office chair.

This past June, the People’s Liberation Army of China released “a simulated large-scale military exercise,” named Glorious Mission.

According to the PLA sources, the game allows a maximum of 32 online players. It is the PLA’s first large-scale local area network (LAN) video game which trains players through three stages: basic training, individual operations and team combat.

Xinhua reported that the design of the characters, weapons and vehicles in the “Glorious Mission” were on the basis of real PLA equipment.

Though this version of the game is specifically meant to train its own soldiers, a “civilian” version of the game is slated for release around June 2012.

-Jon Irwin

[via]