I’m looking at a few different models to use for inspiration in the creation of my cross-media model. One of them is military systems. The Future Combat System is a “joint (across all the military services) networked (connected via advanced communications) system of systems (one large system made up of 18 individual systems, the network, and most importantly, the Soldier)”. It has four ‘building blocks’: the System-of-Systems Common Operating Environment (SOSCOE); Battle Command (BC) Software; communications and computers (CC); and intelligence, reconnaissance and survelliance (ISR) systems. I view a cross-media work (a franchise, enhanced television, reality tv, ARG and so on) as a system, indeed, a polysystem. There are some interesting correlations:

The Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) network allows the FCS Family-of-Systems (FoS) to operate as a cohesive system-of-systems where the whole of its capabilities is greater than the sum of its parts.

Check out the videos on website, you will not believe that it is a serious site and not a game (I wonder who they’re marketing to?). It is getting harder to tell the difference between America’s Army and the actual army.