Cologne (Germany) (AFP)

"We are looking for young people who specialize in information technology, and those who are computer savvy are coming to the right place," Nils Feldhoff, the communication officer for the German army, told AFP.

With a lot of lattice soldiers and technological accessories, the German army is using Gamescom Cologne, a European high mass of video games, to try to recruit young talents among the visitors. However, privileging computer scientists to lovers of strong military sensations.

Compared to its direct neighbors at the show, prestigious engineering universities, major automobile manufacturers or software developers, the Bundeswehr's impressive stand with its thirty or so military personnel stands out with its excitement.

Dozens of young people flock here to try out a helicopter virtual reality flight simulator or play a two-speed game with light-touch boxes.

However, the German army does not want to take advantage of the enthusiasm of many young people for shooting games, often violent, to rally candidates.

"We have a clear educational mission: we are strictly trying to separate the virtual game from reality by explaining to young people that this is not a video game," he adds.

If a player "wants to become a soldier because he is interested in weapons, this is not a good argument," he says.

- Image "rehabilitated" -

Hand-written brochure touting the possibility "to make the difference, even without a uniform", Lucas Heilmann, 19, said he was interested: "I answered several questions about different programming languages, networks and databases ".

This very active recruitment policy of the German army is relatively recent in a country which, because of its Nazi past, has long been infused with anti-militarist culture and where military operations, especially abroad, remain unpopular .

In addition, the Bundeswehr suffers from a bad image in the public opinion because of its obsolete equipment, underinvestment and various recent scandals, related to the expenses of the Ministry of Defense or the influence of the far right in the troop.

But things change. With the end of conscription in 2011, the military now has to recruit heavily and it struggles to find talent in the field of information technology. The profile of many video game users is attractive to her.

Some soldiers originally helped develop video games. William Higinbotham, who during the Second World War had designed the ignition mechanism for the first atomic bomb and created the radar display of a bomber, later realized in 1958 with "Tennis for two" one of the first of its kind . Another game, ping pong this time, "Pong", was developed by a former soldier.

The Bundeswehr now runs regular poster campaigns and also participates in shows such as video games, where it hopes to find recruits for one of its growing missions: the fight against cybercrime.

- Mistrust -

Present at Gamescom, 20-year-old Linus Niebuhr is still skeptical: "Frankly, the hackers in this room are not stupid enough to sit at the military PC to show their skills right next door. intelligence ".

Because on the other side of the screen of the military, the German Interior Intelligence has installed its own stand.

In addition to the profiles of computer scientists, the organization is also looking for "employees to deal with extreme right-wing phenomena and for observation," said a spokeswoman.

"We attach great importance to reliability, the willingness to take responsibility and the ability to work in a team," she adds.

A presence that disturbs some: "My generation of players defends a free internet and when we see the intelligence services we say we will be controlled." Better to stay away, "mistrust Tim Henrik Walter, jurist of 34 years old and casual player.

© 2019 AFP