War Games

Sergio Valera, 43, is a father and husband. It’s early Saturday morning in Barcelona, Spain.

With a coffee in hand, Sergio goes through various velcro flags. Today, it’s the American one. Afterward, he performs a final gear check before leaving his apartment for the weekend:

Assault rifle – 4 magazines – Pistol – 2 magazines – Night vision goggles –Protective goggles – Comms radio – Helmet – Flak vest – Camouflage uniform

Sergio and his friends are very strict about the terminology they use. They don’t call them “guns” but “replicas,” nor do they refer to “battles” but “games,” even though everything they use is a one-to-one replica of real combat gear an American special forces operator might use in a warzone. Sometimes, they use mercenary-like gear or Spanish Army equipment.

However, Sergio is not part of any military organization, nor does he intend to train for real combat scenarios or join any paramilitary group. For him, this is purely about playing war for fun.

Airsoft originated in Japan in the early 1970s when photographer Ichiro Nagata, an avid shooting enthusiast, envisioned model guns that could shoot real projectiles but not kill.

Using this particular game I want to explore a deeper question about what it seems to be human nature.

Whether through war movies, video games, combat sports like boxing or MMA, or, in this case, a lifelike roleplay of war, one has to wonder:

What makes people so fascinated by war and violence?

About the budget