The recent E3 game expo in the US was buzzing with news of the new US Army’s computer game designed to improve recruitment figures. What has only just come to light is the cost of this exercise – around $7 million, and that’s just for the first stage. It gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘valuable asset’.

The Unreal engine powered game will be distributed for free on the Army’s Web site next month, as long as you live in the US (although I’m sure that someone will work out a way to surmount that little obstacle – after all, surely the armed forces are all about initiative?)