Germany’s and its military, the , have both set up recruiting stands at the international conference , which opens to the general public Thursday in the western city of Cologne.
BND spokeswoman Julia Linner says tech-savvy visitors are welcome to come to the agency’s stand to play “BND Legends — Operation Blackbox,” which sees players assume the identity of an undercover agent to foil a cyberattack. The game, which the BND plans to make available on a public platform, tests players’ ability in a number of specific situations.
Spokeswoman Linner, who says “the agency itself is a blackbox to many, we wanted to open it a little,” notes that gamers tend to have skill-sets conducive to spy agency effectiveness — including digital prowess, communications skills, a team attitude and stress resistance.
Germany’s army is recruiting at Gamescom for similar reasons. Visitors to their stand can drive tanks or fly helicopters in simulators, or do an actual physical workout in bulletproof gear under a giant poster reading: “Are you ready for the next level?”
Like the BND’S Linner, army spokesman Marco Mann says, “We’re where our target group is.” Mann says the Bundeswehr, which has been present at Gamescom since 2009, wants to let young people know what an attractive employer it is.
Critics, however, , with pacifists like Jürgen Grässlin of the German Peace Society (DFG) saying, “In killer games, players take on various roles in which they simulate murder, they are even given bonus points for killing an enemy.”
“The Bundeswehr,” he says, “has no reason to be at Gamescom.”
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