19 June 2012

Early Computer Wargame Concept?

Found over at DTIC, there's an interesting concept paper that posits computer-aided information systems for gaming way back in 1964

Abstract : Scientific war games have been under development by military operations research groups since about 1960 and business games by industrial operations research groups since 1956. From an information system point of view these games may be divided into three types--computer simulations, digital man- machine games, and continuous variable man-machine games. Computer simulations, or completely automated games, (i.e. Carmonette, AD-257 012) are always rigid, usually stochastic, and generally very detailed. Since they are not limited by the decision-making speed of human beings, they may be executed rapidly, permitting repeated plays with large-scale variations of input conditions and chance factors. Digital man-machine games, or partly mechanized games, (i.e. Theaterspiel) employ digital computers for bookkeeping, computing, and transmission of data but use people for decision making. In digital man-machine games both speed of execution and level of detail are sacrificed in the interests of obtaining the flexibility of human participation. Continuous variable man-machine games employ people for decision making and electronic analog computers for computation. The human decisions are introduced continuously as the game proceeds rather than periodically. (Intended as a chapter in a book to be published by McGraw-Hill, 'Fundamentals of Information System Science and Engineering.')

LATER EDIT: Looks like someone is flapping this around Matrix Games' forums and some other places as "his" find.

By: Brant

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