-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
People playing video games the wrong way in movies
- Thread starter Grizzo
- Start date
Man, lots of great examples already. Here's another list compiled by Cracked. This scene from NCIS is especially cringe-inducing.
Well, can you even play Goldeneye with the directional pad? I never tried it. I think you could play Turok that way though. But still, it isn't making much sense.
Hahaha that's really amazing. You'd think the kid would have said something about it before hand like "hold on, we need to put a game in it!", but no.
Oh yeah... that was something else... but the scene looks kinda cool though. Goes to show that even great shows can make mistakes.
In the Kinect scene, they're talking about Jabbar's newfound passion for ballet. That's why I thought it looked cool and natural. But you're right about New Super Mario Bros U, though they could have shown the gamepad for a second. Also, that show has so many Apple products in it. They must get paid a lot for that.
Thanks Max! Another reason to watch Carrie Diaries then
But does he play it the right way? Haha.
Because there is only a handful of games that play that way on the N64. Like I said, maybe it's my bad and they're playing Kirby or Mischief Makers, but I don't know, it'd be weird games to play, especially since Mischief Makers is one player only.
Oh no, don't worry I'm not really bothered by it, haha. I just find that funny and strange when simple things like putting a cart in the system could solve the problem. It's just breaking the immersion a little for me. But I can totally see how it could look like nothing to the casual moviegoer, like you said.
Well, can you even play Goldeneye with the directional pad? I never tried it. I think you could play Turok that way though. But still, it isn't making much sense.
My personal favorite from Rumble in the Bronx:
Hahaha that's really amazing. You'd think the kid would have said something about it before hand like "hold on, we need to put a game in it!", but no.
Oh yeah... that was something else... but the scene looks kinda cool though. Goes to show that even great shows can make mistakes.
In the Kinect scene, they're talking about Jabbar's newfound passion for ballet. That's why I thought it looked cool and natural. But you're right about New Super Mario Bros U, though they could have shown the gamepad for a second. Also, that show has so many Apple products in it. They must get paid a lot for that.
Thanks Max! Another reason to watch Carrie Diaries then
But does he play it the right way? Haha.Because there is only a handful of games that play that way on the N64. Like I said, maybe it's my bad and they're playing Kirby or Mischief Makers, but I don't know, it'd be weird games to play, especially since Mischief Makers is one player only.
Oh no, don't worry I'm not really bothered by it, haha. I just find that funny and strange when simple things like putting a cart in the system could solve the problem. It's just breaking the immersion a little for me. But I can totally see how it could look like nothing to the casual moviegoer, like you said.
VisceralBowl
Member
It was Killzone 3. He uses a lot of Sony products. (Headsets, consoles, etc)
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
as great as breaking bad was there was some really obvious and shitty product placement
especially the dub wubb dodge muscle car ad that lasted forever
especially the dub wubb dodge muscle car ad that lasted forever
Jake Busey's career seemed to go nowhere, but mad props to the guy respecting his craft. He actually learned how to play violin for these parts in Starship Troopers:
Crikey! I knew his face looked strangely familiar...hes gary's son?!
Them crazy look genes run deep.
Haunted
Member
I know what you mean, but looking at these pictures, none of these look like actual, real people. So I wouldn't expect them to do real people things like playing games in that music video.And then there's this song for the Smurfs 2 soundtrack. It's called Vacation, and it's from G.R.L. who are supposed to be the Pussycat Dolls' successors. In the beginning of the video, some guys (all in their twenties) are still holding the N64 controller the wrong way. I don't think they're playing Kirby 64 which is one of the only games that require your hands on the left branch of the controller. You never even see the screen so who knows if they were really playing.
Also I think the system is way too far from the TV to be plugged to it. Bear in mind that this video is from september 2013.
edit: or maybe I'm just getting old? who knows
I understand this feel.
My personal favorite from Rumble in the Bronx:
Holy shit, someone actually beat me to it. The scene in the bus where Jackie hands it to him through the window is the best (worst?), though.
Fuz
Banned
Theres a scene in the 40 year old virgin where two characters (I think Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen's?) are playing one of the Ps2 era Mortal Kombats with n64 controllers and they just mash the buttons. I always took it as a parody of these types of scenes
Also notable because in the scene Paul Rudd wheres a shirt with his face on it for no reason.
EDIT- here it is
Also notable because in the scene Paul Rudd wheres a shirt with his face on it for no reason.
EDIT- here it is
Lord of Castamere
Member
It bugs me just as much when an actor is "playing" an instrument and it looks completely fake with strums that don't even match the sounds.
Jake Busey's career seemed to go nowhere, but mad props to the guy respecting his craft. He actually learned how to play violin for these parts in Starship Troopers:
The moral of this thread is Starship troopers is a great movie that every one needs to see.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Whats up with celebrities playing games and like, making huge exaggerated movements with their controllers and their bodies. I can't remember the last time I was so into a game I started dancing around and shit, or if that ever helped me improve my play.
Charley's Angels: two kids playing FF8 as a MULTIPLAYER GAME!!!! #NeverForget
Came here for this. They could have at least picked FFIX with it's two-player battle mode.
perfectsil
Member
how about Kevin Spacey playing games in House of Cards, it just looks like he's smashing buttons too frequently and randomly to be actually playing a game
That's absolutely awful hahahaha is that supposed to be a joke or something? It looks like a commercial for the game. No wonder this show only lasted 2 seasons.
Oh yeah, that's another thing! Space Invaders sounds on a 2010 game irks me. And you're right that it does reinforce people's opinion that video games are silly little toys that go beep beep and have no value whatsoever.
No you're right, and it's even worse in motion! All these girls look fake, from their voices to their clothes.
EdibleKnife
Member
Ah I also forgot the epitome of this trope: Stay Alive
With its awesome six player co-op
Not horrendously bad but funny particularly the dialogue
With its awesome six player co-op
Not horrendously bad but funny particularly the dialogue
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I always thought this stuff was funny. Never bothered me.
Thanks Max! Another reason to watch Carrie Diaries then
I think so! You'll know it when you see it, you definitely won't be able to miss it. Man, you're really going to like The Carries Diaries...!
Mario Kart Double Dash on Veronica Mars.
Also another episode with gears of war.
I don't remember the Veronica Mars ones at all. Any idea what the episodes were?
(Wait, I think I remember the MK one. With Logan and Dick?)
Begaria
Member
Here's a movie where they're playing a game the right way, and it's a REALLY good movie.
Reign Over Me - Shadow of the Colossus
http://youtu.be/YiftlPIazGg
What makes this even more interesting, is there was an interview about this on Kotaku back in '07:
http://kotaku.com/246286/feature-the-colossus-and-the-comedian
I loved the inclusion of Shadow of the Colossus in this movie. It wasn't there for product placement but actually used as a cornerstone to show the bonding between the two leads as well as character development. I haven't really found another movie yet that has used a video game in such an extremely awesome manner.
Reign Over Me - Shadow of the Colossus
http://youtu.be/YiftlPIazGg
What makes this even more interesting, is there was an interview about this on Kotaku back in '07:
http://kotaku.com/246286/feature-the-colossus-and-the-comedian
I loved the inclusion of Shadow of the Colossus in this movie. It wasn't there for product placement but actually used as a cornerstone to show the bonding between the two leads as well as character development. I haven't really found another movie yet that has used a video game in such an extremely awesome manner.
What the hell did I just watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZzxz0oUXjA&t=15s
The Net 1994. Bullock plays an enhanced version of WOLFENSTEIN 3D but does so with a weird keyboard button combination. (only visible in one shot)
The Net 1994. Bullock plays an enhanced version of WOLFENSTEIN 3D but does so with a weird keyboard button combination. (only visible in one shot)
CamHostage
Member
Fun topic. I imagine these same issues we're going through must drive doctors batty watching medical shows, or when Dane Cook plays a dentist and somebody is screaming in their chair going, "oh man, the instruments, the anesthetic, the procedure... they didn't even get the billing right, who pays in cash for a root canal ?!?"
Clearances are a big reason why these things often go wrong. The game is almost never on the set because they don't know what game they're supposed to be playing. Plus the crew doesn't want a working game machine on set because that is an extra (and difficult to adjust for) light source to work with and it can be noisy and requires power and all that... plus, it can be a distraction. Still, we're well past the days when "old Hollywood " was making this stuff and had no idea about games, filmmakers now are mostly young enough that they should spot this stuff just as quickly as we do.
Oh, that's the worst, when they're playing like an Xbox game and yet the audio guy just went to the generic "videogame sound effect" library and dropped in sounds from like Robotron or Galaga...
Good point. Musicians must hate going to the movies, it's almost always fake (plus, again, clearances mean that sometimes in a scene with a band they might not even know what music will be edited in, and there have been times where one song was picked to "play" but then a sound-alike had to be tracked in for the final film.)
Just another reason to love Starship Troopers...
RPG misuse is pretty common, they had such great graphics back in the day so filmmakers want to use them, but any gamer will spot the fake immediately, so why even put a game in if it's going to repel those fans rather than endear you to the fans because you've included a game?
One of my favorite gaming flubs is on the show Undeclared. Will Ferrell is in the scene mashing buttons and talking about combos and spins and reaching level 24... the game he is playing is Koei's strategy game Kessen. Granted, they did edit in the game footage afterwards, but still, the show is a college series created by people who should know better and got so much else right about youth of the time.
http://grindingdown.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/splash-damage-videogaming-in-undeclared/
Clearances are a big reason why these things often go wrong. The game is almost never on the set because they don't know what game they're supposed to be playing. Plus the crew doesn't want a working game machine on set because that is an extra (and difficult to adjust for) light source to work with and it can be noisy and requires power and all that... plus, it can be a distraction. Still, we're well past the days when "old Hollywood " was making this stuff and had no idea about games, filmmakers now are mostly young enough that they should spot this stuff just as quickly as we do.
Oh, that's the worst, when they're playing like an Xbox game and yet the audio guy just went to the generic "videogame sound effect" library and dropped in sounds from like Robotron or Galaga...
Good point. Musicians must hate going to the movies, it's almost always fake (plus, again, clearances mean that sometimes in a scene with a band they might not even know what music will be edited in, and there have been times where one song was picked to "play" but then a sound-alike had to be tracked in for the final film.)
Just another reason to love Starship Troopers...
RPG misuse is pretty common, they had such great graphics back in the day so filmmakers want to use them, but any gamer will spot the fake immediately, so why even put a game in if it's going to repel those fans rather than endear you to the fans because you've included a game?
One of my favorite gaming flubs is on the show Undeclared. Will Ferrell is in the scene mashing buttons and talking about combos and spins and reaching level 24... the game he is playing is Koei's strategy game Kessen. Granted, they did edit in the game footage afterwards, but still, the show is a college series created by people who should know better and got so much else right about youth of the time.
http://grindingdown.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/splash-damage-videogaming-in-undeclared/
prag16
Banned
For all the attention to detail House of Cards puts in videogames (dat product placement), I was watching the episode where he's playing Killzone and said to my girlfriend "can you tell me how you know he's not really playing? He's playing a first person shooter and he never, ever presses L1 and R1."
But the absolute worst is the Atari/NES sounds coming out of modern games. It's so stupid.
And someone mentioned musicians having the same issue, and yes, it's exactly the same. I remember watching Freaky Friday, and at the end of the movie Lindsay Lohan (in Jamie Lee Curtis' body) tells her mother to just pretend she's playing guitar while she plays from behind the stage. God, that was painful to watch. There's no way, anyone, ever, would be fooled by her "playing."
But the absolute worst is the Atari/NES sounds coming out of modern games. It's so stupid.
And someone mentioned musicians having the same issue, and yes, it's exactly the same. I remember watching Freaky Friday, and at the end of the movie Lindsay Lohan (in Jamie Lee Curtis' body) tells her mother to just pretend she's playing guitar while she plays from behind the stage. God, that was painful to watch. There's no way, anyone, ever, would be fooled by her "playing."
Mr. Frank Underwood
I think he was playing COD at some point on HoC and mashing triangle a lot at one point but thought he did a decent job overall (heard Kevin Spacey is actually a bit of a gamer).
He also tried playing God of War ( but couldn't but the inet connection wasn't secure :/ )
edit: sorry i didn't catch your post first go around
I think he was playing COD at some point on HoC and mashing triangle a lot at one point but thought he did a decent job overall (heard Kevin Spacey is actually a bit of a gamer).
He also tried playing God of War ( but couldn't but the inet connection wasn't secure :/ )
with his Sony Wireless headset, couldn't find a grab of him playing PS3.
edit: sorry i didn't catch your post first go around
but yes, didn't seem too bard at first but then it seemed like "mash triangle.... mash R1.... mash L1"
But how did you manage to press the Z button? With you middle finger. That looks do-able but not that comfortable. But to each his own!
That's an awesome way to shoot a scene revolving around a game. Their dialogue rings just so true! Thank you for sharing that.
Hahaha, now that's a terrible mistake. What could that game even be? Is that a Lynx game?
I can see what you mean about the light issue and stuff like that. But still, just putting a Tetris cart in the example right above in my post would have helped a lot. I also agree with you that nowadays it's less common (though that Prince of Persia example above in this thread is from 2009).
Scooter155
Member
I always held it like it was a big SNES controller, but I guess most people held the outside with their right hand and the center prong (with the analog stick on it) with their left hand. That always felt weird to me, didn't find out I was doing it "wrong" until years later.
hard to tell but looks like he is maybe pressing it here, or maybe using his non trigger finger to press r2, perhaps he swapped some buttons around too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ElJYLZagjxk#t=17
at least he is not flailing aound, shaking the controller, and making faces.
deltatheta
Member
I remember watching the Veronica Mars episode at the time. I think it's in the last season. The goal of the storyline was to humanize Logan by having him bond with a girl he was babysitting through Mario Kart. I remember at the end of the episode he told the girl that they could play MK
D online, which sounds ridiculously wrong but I believe people were actually doing that at the time by setting up a VPN to make it appear that both GameCubes were on a LAN. Of course, there's no way that Logan was that technically savvy.
Zoe
Member
Do you use it in OoT? I only ever played that, Mario Kart, and Puzzle League.
Messofanego
Banned
I want to say Scott Pilgrim but that's kind of cheating. Awesome example.
