As the high-definition era of gaming continues to mature, the concept of 'immersion' has risen to become one of the key words in the game developer's lexicon.
Powerful modern consoles and increasingly high-tech televisions mean that, from a purely audiovisual perspective, today's games have more power to immerse players in new worlds than ever before.
The latest graphics engines give game developers the ability to realistically recreate real-life scenarios or invent entirely fantastical ones.
While gamers might choose to battle bizarre alien species on distant worlds or live out their superhero fantasies, many opt for an experience much closer to what they might regularly see on news reports and documentaries - the modern military shooter.
Console combat: the rise of military shooters
"For Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, a full four-man team of former US Navy SEALs was used in the motion-capture process."
Over the course of the latest generation of games consoles, now considered to be approaching their dotage as even more powerful hardware prepares to hit store shelves, military shooters have become one of the pre-eminent forces in video games.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the latest iteration of the Call of Duty franchise (the undisputed heavyweight of the genre), sold around 6.5 million copies in the US and UK in its first 24 hours on sale when it was released in 2011, grossing $400 million in the blink of an eye to become the most successful entertainment release of all time.
Steadily gaining in popularity over the last ten years, these games, in which players step into the combat boots of a modern soldier and complete objectives in realistic virtual battlefields, take their inspiration from real-life military technologies and tactics.
They range from accessible fare like Call of Duty, which finds its closest counterpart in the wham-bam simplicity of Hollywood action films, to highly complex tactical combat simulations that pay close attention to military accuracy and authenticity.
The developers of the more tactical war games go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that, as far as possible, their products are an accurate reflection of the cutting-edge technology and tactics which are being used on today's battlefields. It's an attention to detail that fans have come to expect, but how can development teams with little to no military experience create games that are at once immersive and entertaining, authentic and accessible?
Arma 3: advanced military simulation
A huge amount of research is invested into the world's most respected tactical military games, from vehicle and equipment designs to consulting with defence manufacturers and military advisors. Bohemia Interactive, an independent game studio based in the Czech Republic, takes great care to ensure authenticity in its Arma series, reckoned by many to be the world's most realistic military simulators.
Despite the financial restrictions inherent to independent game development, Bohemia spends the time and money required to make the military technologies in its games, from calling in artillery strikes and air support to piloting advanced military vehicles, ring true with a knowledgeable fanbase.
According to Ivan Buchta, creative director of Arma 3, the company's latest game, due for release in summer 2012, this attention to detail is an absolute necessity.
"There is a hardcore milsim [military simulation] community around our games, consisting of many military professionals, military enthusiasts and other generally knowledgeable fans, who regard military accuracy and authenticity as very important," he said.
That means plenty of man-hours spent trawling public resources online and at libraries, but also liaising with expert re-enactment groups, military advisors and even equipment suppliers like Czech small arms manufacturer Ceska Zbrojovka. More sophisticated military platforms like tanks and helicopters involve some speculation, but guesswork is always educated by thorough research.
"Chances to see the exact vehicles are scarce and details on many weapon platforms are confidential, so we often have to work with an educated guess instead of exact information," explained Buchta.
"However, we always try to gather not just pictures or blueprints, but also videos or even stories. The live experience helps a lot."
