No game accurately conveys the terror in real combat, he said, and many make human life seem less fragile than it really is.

"It gives the wrong impression when you can run around, get shot 18 times, and there's a health meter there telling you you're still alive," Day said.

The games Day and others are playing are part of a genre of video games so popular that even the Army is capitalizing on them, to the offense of some who view them as an attempt to profit off killing.

Hitting their target

Though the Army says its versions are intended to provide a glimpse into military life — not necessarily to serve as a recruiting tool — one expert says it's clear that they are hitting their target.

"The Army is now recruiting amongst a generation of the computer-literate," said David Segal, executive director of the Maryland-based Center for Research on Military Organization. "And video games are a great way of doing that."

Combat games that re-create historical events — from the D-Day landing at Normandy to fighting on the Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam and on the streets of Baghdad — are big business. The Army's online combat game, "America's Army," boasts more than 4 million registered players.

The military has become increasingly involved in the gaming business as a means of conveying what life is like in the service, spending an estimated $7 million to develop "America's Army." The game reached top-five status last month among online games. It soon will be joined by the Air Force's "USAF: Air Dominance."

Each year since the 2002 release of "America's Army," recruiting has risen. In 2003, the Army signed up 74,132 recruits. In 2004, that number is up to 77,587.

M. Paul Boyce, an Army public affairs officer at the Pentagon, said there is no way to know how many people have enlisted as a result of the game.

"Hopefully, the answer is none," he said. "The Army is a career opportunity that you need to ask hard questions about. Is it right for me, is it right for my family, and is it right for my country?"

Game reflects values

"America's Army" does things a little differently than some combat games. You won't often see players shooting their own teammates or violating military guidelines without repercussions, and it lacks the gore of other commercial combat games.

Players also agree to go through a simulated basic training session where they are exposed to the Army's seven core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and courage.

The military has helped private software developers with games. The Navy provided technical support for "SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals," an online game available for the Sony PlayStation 2. "Close Combat: First to Fight," an urban warfare simulation, was put together with the help of the Marine Corps.