(Ecns.cn) -- The Nanjing Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), working in conjunction with Wuxi Giant Interactive Group Incorporated, has been authorized to launch a civilian version of its military video training game called "Mission of Honor," China Military Online reported Thursday.
The game is based on real military experience. In single-player mode, the virtual soldier must take strategic action to complete his missions, and the team combat module allows up to 32 players in two teams to fight online simultaneously.
Many of the weapons and types of equipment now used by the PLA are available in virtual battles, including the Type 92 pistol, Type 89 machine gun, the 96A tank, and the ZBD2000 amphibious assault vehicle.
First-person shooter (FPS) games that simulate battle are now widely used for military education and drills in many countries, but the games played by military commands in China have mostly been developed by foreign companies.
With Chinese-language commands and professional tactical skills, the game "looks cool and really hits the mark," said a soldier who tried the demo version of the game.
Many FPS game lovers also showed a keen interest upon the launch of the software in military version previously. Their expectation for a civilian version will be fulfilled soon.
According to the report, the game will hit the market in 2012.
