I don't have much time for games now.. but do remember playing quite a few that had Non combatants running around, as well as 'hardware' that you were not suposed to shoot.
While the actual mouse or joystick movements wouldn't help any.. the critical decision making process of ID'ing a target and threat assessment should/could help. Couple that with good muscle memory from real-time practice with your carry piece.. and it may help... even if only in the awareness and observation dept.
soundguy
Soundguy, I will stand in your corner (mostly) on this. I offer the following: My last time back to grad school was in Instructional technology (1994 San Diego State University) as a condition of my employment (thanks for paying my wages, tuition, and books, taxpayers.) I later was co leader of a team of 30 people who engineered training solutions for warfighting systems.
Trade shows I attended were replete with various combat simulators. You go into a booth and pick up a modified M-16 rifle (or whatever, SAW or...) that actually has realistic recoil and sounds and shoot the bad guys on the rear projection screen. All the fog of war was simulated heat mirage, dust, noise, distractions and not all potential targets were bad guys. Some were ladies carrying a baby others were similar looking but carrying a bomb. Get too excited and you take down some buddies with "friendly fire." Pretty good stuff. Taught muscle memory as well as cognitive stuff like decision making.
To a degree the decision making "can be" separated from the motor skill portion. In general any specific "shootem up" game may not teach decision making worth a darn but as I am NOT a gamer I can't say there aren't games that do it well.
So far as the theory goes, moving a mouse cursor on a computer screen onto a picture of a button and clicking on it is about 90% as effective for training purposes as having the real item and pushing the button with your finger.
One of my last development projects was computer based training for the F/A-18 Hornet pilots who were test pilots on a weapons development effort. It was the JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon) It was very cost effective to have them set at a computer to learn to program and launch the weapon as opposed to having to power up an aircraft. With appropriate software decision making skills regarding shooting situations could be practiced to good effect on a computer. I can't say what software (games?) wouild be useful. I have not searched for but expect there are COTS programs out there for that purpose.
Pat
