Goverment intel recruiting via Xbox Live News • News • Eurogamer.net

News PC Xbox 360 PlayStation 3

Gamers deemed to have necessary skills.

Xbox Live has been targeted by the UK's Government Communications Headquarters as a great place to pick up recruits.

Frequenters of the service are desirable for their "quick thinking, problem solving and team work", said intelligence organisation GCHQ (reported by The Guardian). The 18-to-34 year-old demographic of Xbox Live also suits.

GCHQ, incidentally, is one of three UK intelligence agencies, the others being the better-known MI5 and MI6, where James Bond works.

A six-week advertising campaign will run on the XBL Dashboard and include banners, videos, free themes and gamer pictures.

"As well as tackling 'traditional threats' GCHQ's work is also about helping government departments, such as the Ministry of Defence, to protect their information and communication systems," said a GCHQ spokeswoman who probably has a pen which doubles as a gun.

"This means we can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills.

"However, the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do. Using video on Xbox LIVE helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner," she added.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

Comments (50) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

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Apostle #1 2 years ago

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Playing all those Tom Clancy games finally pays off!
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Xerx3s #2 2 years ago

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Hmmm, time for a career change.

/buys tux
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penhalion #3 2 years ago

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Information war. Yea sorry but, we know all too well what you do at GCHQ. You monitor our phone calls, internet traffic and every other kind of electronic comms you can think of. The reason you don't get recruits is because most people have the moral fibre not to want anything what so ever to do with you!
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Bigglesworth #4 2 years ago

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This is crying out for an article on The Onion.
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Shadders #5 2 years ago

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I'd like to be a spy! My headshot skills are leet yo!

Sign me up!
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Restart #6 2 years ago

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I pwn terrorists on MW2, can I haz job?!
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kangarootoo #7 2 years ago

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Nothing but nothing but PR.
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Monkey_Puncher #8 2 years ago

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Sweet, I better get my James Bond on!

Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 10:52
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butler` #9 2 years ago

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Suppose it's better than 'picking them up' in Oxbridge toilet blocks like days of old.

I can't think of a more diverse spread of people as XBL, though.
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Buztafen #10 2 years ago

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Awesome!

/bagsies Max Powers as his 'Spy' name.

Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 11:01
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septimus #11 2 years ago

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Yeah because tea bagging while saying fag, a lot, is a critical skill for M15 agents.
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wizlon #12 2 years ago

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Starting by hiring employees that don't leave government secrets on the bus would be a better start.
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Buztafen #13 2 years ago

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septimus - that shows adept multi-tasking skills and the ability to abbreviate words to save time without losing meaning.
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M_of_the_sys #14 2 years ago

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*Envisions the next James Bond style agent sneaking up on a terrorist, breaking his neck without a sound and then simply saying 'LOLFAG' before saving the world*

At 13 years of age too!
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nuanimal #15 2 years ago

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"we can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills."

By specialst skills they mean know how to pull off a head shot, right?
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tachometer #16 2 years ago

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I'd sign up, but I aint going to no Moscow Airport fool!
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Ace_McCloud #17 2 years ago

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At 13 years of age too!

That'll be Alex Rider then!
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The-Bodybuilder #18 2 years ago

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I'm ready, recruit me.
Just as long as you call me "naked snake", and I'll become the greatest soldier ever.
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asphaltcowboy #19 2 years ago

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Well, I've been pwning terrorists in MW2 for days now... Just yesterday I was bombing around the Italian coastline in an Aston Martin in Forza 3... Anyone know if there's an impending zombie apocalypse, because I think I might be your guy!
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mcmonkeyplc #20 2 years ago

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Cool I look forward to my free MI5 and MI6 theme and gamerpic.

Finally give those yanks something to shout about.
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seasidebaz #21 2 years ago

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GCHQ isn't anything to do with spies though. Or shooting people. In fact, GCHQ isn't MI5. Or MI6.
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jamsed #22 2 years ago

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Post deleted at 11:10:24 12-12-2011
bioreit #23 2 years ago

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Ahem.

Not quite sure that GCHQ also doubles up as MI5 and MI6. Unless, of course, it was only GCHQ that were talking about a wider Intelligence Services recruitment drive....
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bioreit #24 2 years ago

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"Frequenters of the service are desirable for their "quick thinking, problem solving and team work""

And presumably their innate ability to constantly stream forth a torrent of verbal abuse, too?

Would certainly work as an alternative means of interrogation - stick a headset on the suspect's head and let the tweenies on CoD do their work. After 6 straight hours of being called a 'fag' by the Yanks and a 'twat' by the Brits, even the most hardened terrorist would give up everything for just 5 minutes' use of the mute button....
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bigtechno #25 2 years ago

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Ah so that's what all those GCHQ adverts were on 1 vs 100 at the weekend
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actionfitz #26 2 years ago

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I wonder if 001337 is taken
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jebus #27 2 years ago

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In my experience the majority of people on XBox live are retarded chavs.
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inni786 #28 2 years ago

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"In my experience the majority of people on XBox live are retarded chavs."

Or retarded yanks, sorry to offend any yank readers but its the truth.
Not sure which one out of the two are more annoying though?
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MiniAmin #29 2 years ago

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Agent 1: So how'd you get the job then?

Agent 2: I was playing Xbox and applied soon after. At the interview we played COD for a bit and I kept winning so I got the job, and yourself mate?

Agent 1: I was in Admin for 17 years before being offered a role.

Agent 2: PWNED!
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keyboardmonkey #30 2 years ago

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"In my experience the majority of people on XBox live are retarded chavs."

Or retarded yanks, sorry to offend any yank readers but its the truth.
Not sure which one out of the two are more annoying though?

I'm all for acceptable losses
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seasidebaz #31 2 years ago

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You do all realise the reason these "skills" are important is that the job involves sitting in a chair identifying dots on a screen for 8 hours a day? Nothing to do with "1337 5K1LLZ" in any way whatsoever...
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mull #32 2 years ago

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MI5 and MI6 are different to and separate from GCHQ. This article's headline and first paragraph are completely incorrect.
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Clive_Dunn #33 2 years ago

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I shall be sorely disappointed if the advert doesn't use the theme music to The Professionals.

/dons curly wig and vaults out of Ford Capri.
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cyacomini #34 2 years ago

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I did wonder why there were GCHQ adverts on 1 vs 100 over the weekend..
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Dr_Wadd #35 2 years ago

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So which XBLA game has been planted to serve as a recruitment assessment in the style of Stargate Universe? If there isn`t one it's surely a missed opportunity.
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TheJuriel #36 2 years ago

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Next step, analyzing applicants' achievement lists.

'I see it says here you killed 5 babies. That is exactly the kind of moral fibre we want!'
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davisorle #37 2 years ago

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@Apostle
Simply lol.. XD

On the other hand.. I really wouldnt wanna know that my country's inteliggence is bassed one kiddos bred and raised from craptalking from mics while chopping eachother appart on Gears or Halos. I mean.. yeah great games etc but I felt even worst when i served the army here in Greece when i saw them. I cant even imagine what id get to see from the ones volunteering through XBL. Think Id give up hope fully. I do find this a bad idea, really.
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Quickstick4 #38 2 years ago

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glad the title was updated since when it first went up. GcHQ is not MI5! Two very different operations that rely on each other....have i said to much?
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sickpuppysoftware #39 2 years ago

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edit - I should really read the previous posts before posting myself.

OMG Look at ur ghey volcano and ur lame sharx, haha gheybo, im gonna rape ur cat

Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 14:36
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JensonJet #40 2 years ago

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I would rather work for America's intelligence agency. You're allowed to be more creative there; like fabricating a whole arsenal of non-existent weapons. Or allow your imagination to run wild and pretend you can see things that aren't there in satellite photographs.
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AliRay #41 2 years ago

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STOP GETTING BOND WRONG!!!
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hiddenranbir #42 2 years ago

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Pathetic. Are their current application processes REALLY not enough? Are their own specialised assessments crap all of a sudden?
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YourMessageHere #43 2 years ago

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You misspelled the headline.
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Rusta #44 2 years ago

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They want to run experiments on geeks you see, it's a trick
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smelly #45 2 years ago

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I dont approve of this one bit.
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hiddenranbir #46 2 years ago

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Goverment?

Is it not Government?

Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 18:10
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agparrot #47 2 years ago

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TeamKill!
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DrStrangelove #48 2 years ago

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I heard Labour is hiring in the Dungeon Keeper community.
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septimus #49 2 years ago

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"You killed 007 you team killing fucktard!"
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kongzi #50 2 years ago

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What actual skills do you need to work a wiretap, anyway? Being a fat, paranoid idiot with RSI and a huge friendslist to tap but no one of them that would miss you if you 'disappear'?
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