Marek Španel, the project lead for ArmA II (which has also been referred to by many as Armed Assault 2, which is also wrong) has penned the reasons behind this, along with providing some insight into the chouice of the name ArmA II (used in press releases) along with his own personal naming preference for the title, Arma 2.

The word "arma" itself, has a Latin origin, with a multifaceted meaning - referring to a number of possible things, including weapons, war, soldiers, the might of an army, defence, and tools. In his musings of the name, Španel explores not only the root of the word, but the difficulties he and his team have encountered.

He begins by explaining that that the choice to use a Latin word means that the name of the game is easy to pronounce in non-English speaking regions, and is easy to remember. he also notes that:

By using a Latin word, we also try to say that our approach to gaming is different, perhaps more scientific in some areas and that we are not afraid of going against the wind or completely ignoring various aspects of the common gaming culture.

This is due to the fact that ArmA II, and in fact all games developed by Španel and his team have strived for a realistic simulation of the modern battlefield, including vehicles, small arms, and bullet ballistics, which are not often included in other games.


Say the name right, or we'll shoot!
The use of "Arma" was difficult says Španel, and complicated by the release of the original title, which was known as ArmA: Armed Assault in Europe. When the sequel was announced, much to Španel's dismay, "partners" chose to instead promote the title as Armed Assault 2, instead of using the "proper" name.

He then justifies the reason for simply tacking a number "2" to the end of the title, indicating that the digit came as simple indicator to denote the title as a sequel. The game isn't only a sequel to the original ArmA however, as it is also a sequel to Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. Due to Codemasters retaining the rights to the name, however, the decision to call it ArmA II was made.

While there's a fair bit of confusion around the place, Španel prefers Arma 2. In any case, a name is a name, and the seemingly endless use of numbers at the end of games not only allows for brand identification to form in the minds of gamers, but also to help companies promote newer titles that may deviate somewhat from their previous iteration, but still hold the same ideals and game play mechanics.

In any case, ArmA II will make its way to shores in June this year, and will be available for PC. Versions of the game for "next-gen" consoles are also expected at some point in the future, but these have not yet been announced formally.