“Modeling and simulation are essential to ensuring that the United States meet the national security and domestic challenges of the 21st century.”

U.S. Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott

CONVERGENT OPPORTUNITIES

Virtually every aspect of the way we work and play is being influenced by the interactive entertainment industry. To satiate the gamer generation, the industry continues to push the boundaries of software and hardware innovations. As Web, mobile and social media converge; gaming principles and technologies are reshaping everything from entertainment and federal research to modeling and simulation. Increasingly, federal agencies and modeling and simulation enterprises require the unique visualization talents and technologies of the interactive entertainment industry.

However, at some point, the innovation occurring through the sheer creative will of the interactive entertainment industry will require the same research efforts that every other advanced industry requires. Interestingly, there is a strong connection between video game technologies and modeling and simulation. There is a natural technical synergy. Today, more than 250 federal laboratories and modeling and simulation research centers offer novel technologies. When one looks at these resources through the lens of interactive entertainment, unique opportunities for next-generation game development can be seen.