NEW YORK — The U.S. Army plans to invest $50 million over five years to develop video games for use in training soldiers for combat, according to a report in Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper.

The money will fund a "games in training" program beginning in 2010, the newspaper reported recently. It will watch trends in commercial video games and look for technologies that can be used in training — but it does not plan to compete with the industry.

The Army's gaming unit also plans to buy a "state-of-the-art" commercial game it can modify for use in training. Called "Game After Ambush," it will replace the Army's current shooter training game, "DARWARS Ambush," the newspaper said. The new game, unlike the old one, will let trainers modify terrains, scenarios and missions during play.

Video games are already widely used in recruiting and training soldiers, with the best-known example being "America's Army," a game released to the general public in 2002 to help with recruitment.

Earlier this year, the Army opened a 14,500 square-foot "Experience Center" in a Philadelphia mall — featuring gaming stations, video installations and a replica command-and-control center — in an attempt to give the public a glimpse of military life.