Back to 1984, Sort of

If you pay attention to video game releases, you would notice a very catchy new release from Tom Clancy - ENDWAR. The Ubisoft video game takes place in the not too distant 2020, when a battle for global domination rages between- who else? - United States and Russia. There is only one major distinction here - a European Union-like superpower that is one of the three major global powers in that dystopian future.

The game received major TV coverage - the game trailer that was run yesterday showed US forces battle Russians in the heart of Paris. While the quality of the game is superb, its not-so-subtle political message is as fresh as if it was originally designed in 1984, at the new height of Cold War tensions between America and Soviet Russia.

Tom Clancy has successfully transitioned his vast book content for consumption by the next generation of Americans - by launching video games loosely or directly based on his earlier work. His very popular "Rainbow Six," "Splinter Cell," and "Ghost Recon" game franchises have received major awards and attention, and brought new battlefield-like reality to millions of teenagers across the country. What sets Clancy's games apart from competitors is his eerie ability to almost accurately predict where and how the next conflict will take place that will require American participation.