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People playing video games the wrong way in movies

I bet many of these "no game inserted" ones are due to no one being willing to pay for the product placement.

But... you just get the art department to obscure the cartridge art. That's a very common thing done to avoid featuring product logos all the time.
 
House of cards. The main character likes a bit of KZ3 after a hard day. When the camera is on him he's furiously mashing all the face buttons especially triangle. His character should have been changing weapon over and over again.

C'mon Kevin, you're better than that

Hahaha that's really nitpicky. I don't expect the actors to memorize the controls for whatever game they're playing, just at least make it look like you're actually playing something with at least some semblance of holding the controller in a realistic fashion.
 
My biggest pet peeve isn't how they use the controller, it's fucking space invaders/pacman like sounds for modern video games. That drives me insane.
 
Button mashing is just bad all around, but button mashing in a First Person shooter is just plain inexcusable . I especially find it offensive when they get overly dramatic and start twisting the controller around like they're playing some weird Six-Axis driving game or some shit and bobbing their heads around like their dodging bullets. It's like, who the fuck plays like that ? Why are video games so foreign to these people ?
 
It's not exactly the same, but how about the TurboExpress that was used in Enemy of the State to hide the data the Gov't was trying to get back? I always thought it was crazy that some dude could just plug a random PC card into a videogame system. :D
 
When one of the staff members at Supernatural asked if they could use one of our games in an episode, I thought it was just somebody pulling a prank. Nope, they were legit.

CSTW-in-Supernatural.jpg


I find it especially funny that the game is playing itself in the scene.

Here's a link to the video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyS1CThlaJw

Hey Bobby has got his legs back. When did this happen?
 
I really like when they make up fake names that sound like nothing anyone would actually ever play.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the book, not the movie), Harry tells Sirius in a letter that Dudley broke his PlayStation and can't play "Mega Mutilators Part Three" anymore.

Also that scene takes place in July 1994 before the PlayStation came out, so they couldn't have imported a Japanese one or something (which would be pretty damn extreme to justify the loophole anyway).
 
Button mashing is just bad all around, but button mashing in a First Person shooter is just plain inexcusable . I especially find it offensive when they get overly dramatic and start twisting the controller around like they're playing some weird Six-Axis driving game or some shit and bobbing their heads around like their dodging bullets. It's like, who the fuck plays like that ? Why are video games so foreign to these people ?

Button mashing and flailing around while pretending to play video games is basically the same as spinning the steering wheel of a car around like a ship's helm while pretending to drive.
 
EDIT: I got a better one. I remember on one My Wife and Kids episode, the dad was playing the gamecube. I remember watching him flail the controller around in his hands like he was playing it, it was the funniest thing.

This isn't the pic (obviously), but its good enough.
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I never really pay attention to any of this, but I've always noticed how funny it is to more often than not, hear Atari 2600 or Pac Man sound effects just about every time a game is played in a show or movie. By that logic, someone could start up a car and we should hear the sound of a horse braying, and then as they drive off we should hear clomping hooves.
 
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It's fascinating on so many levels.

The lack of cartridge. Did they run out of time to find one? Did they not have the budget to buy one? Did they simply not care?

On top of that though, the kids aren't even trying to look realistic regardless. And they should realize how blatantly obvious this is to their audience.
 
a scene in the lighting thief where a guy is playing MW2 and he's just absolutely horrendous at it. he paused a mp game but doesn't realize you can still get shot lol...
 
I never really pay attention to any of this, but I've always noticed how funny it is to more often than not, hear Atari 2600 or Pac Man sound effects just about every time a game is played in a show or movie. By that logic, someone could start up a car and we should hear the sound of a horse braying, and then as they drive off we should hear clomping hooves.

Are you saying that horses are just old-fashioned cars?
 
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Your controller's not even on silly. And she's holding the joystick like she's tweaking a nipple, which is bizarre.

This is completely off topic, but I never understood Jesse's relationship with that chick. She wasn't hot, she was a 6 at best. She didn't have a personality and she had a kid. It was one of the only issues I had with BB.

I get his relationship with Jane, she was smokin hot, and she had some personality.
 
This is completely off topic, but I never understood Jesse's relationship with that chick. She wasn't hot, she was a 6 at best. She didn't have a personality and she had a kid. It was one of the only issues I had with BB.

I get his relationship with Jane, she was smokin hot, and she had some personality.

Not to sidetrack this conversation too much, but this guy has a good point.
 
This Virgin Media advert featuring Usain Bolt really annoys me every time I see it cos the Dualshock 4 isn't actually turned on and yet he's playing on it...

Virgin-Media-008.jpg
 
You guys do know that there are some games on the N64 where you can use the dpad, right?

Yes, like I said in my first post:

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.

Maybe they're playing Killer Instinct Gold or Pokemon Stadium. Mischief Makers is a solo game so surely they're not playing that. But like roto13 said, most of the time, they're playing Mario Kart 64 or Goldeneye.

It's not limited to controllers though. I'm also talking about cartridge missing or systems unplugged.
 
This is completely off topic, but I never understood Jesse's relationship with that chick. She wasn't hot, she was a 6 at best. She didn't have a personality and she had a kid. It was one of the only issues I had with BB.

I get his relationship with Jane, she was smokin hot, and she had some personality.

He was always shown to have an affinity for children throughout the entire series. His relationship (when they were a couple, but more so after they broke up) with her was entirely because of Brock.
 
I think in maybe Enemy of the State? His kids are playing that PS1 hoverbike racing game, Jet Moto and they added tire skid sounds when the HOVER bikes turn. I havent seen it since the movie released, but pretty sure this is an accurate memory. May be a different movie though.

edit: yeah it was Enemy of the State, cant find a clip though
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This is completely off topic, but I never understood Jesse's relationship with that chick. She wasn't hot, she was a 6 at best. She didn't have a personality and she had a kid. It was one of the only issues I had with BB.

I get his relationship with Jane, she was smokin hot, and she had some personality.

images
 
Big Bang Theory gets its right. They're usually actually playing the game. I remember a scene where Sheldon was playing SM64 on a N64 emulator and you could hear the actual sounds from the game.


Came here for this.

They're usually shown playing games with laptops on their laps without mice. First, how are they playing without mice, and second, how are they not burning their cocks off playing games with a laptop on their laps.
 
He was always shown to have an affinity for children throughout the entire series. His relationship (when they were a couple, but more so after they broke up) with her was entirely because of Brock.

I picked up on the kid angle, but the relationship with Andrea as a whole just seemed so forced. There was no chemistry whatsoever. They could've picked a better actress, or gave her character more personality. The weird part was Jesse's relationship with the kid didn't even seem real. I never got the feeling that they were close.


Sorry Jackie, I'm done hijacking. I just had to get that off my chest.
 
The people saying "gamers don't flail their controllers around" obviously never died laughing while playing a game, like Smash Bros, though the movement is usually more subtle.

The most important thing is to match any movements to the game and to use authentic sound effects. Space Invader beeps for a Metroid title using an Xbox controller is inexcusable. How hard is it to spend 10 minutes before a take learning how to "act as a gamer"?

Agreeing with an earlier post, the scene from G.I. Joe was believable and they look like they actually play the games.
 
Maybe they're playing Killer Instinct Gold or Pokemon Stadium. Mischief Makers is a solo game so surely they're not playing that. But like roto13 said, most of the time, they're playing Mario Kart 64 or Goldeneye.

It's not limited to controllers though. I'm also talking about cartridge missing or systems unplugged.

AKI Wrestling games dude. Most of them were million sellers too, and would be played by the 20-something males in the pic.
 
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.

Aaaaand now you've sold me on this film. Gonna track it down.
 
Wait. How is Jesse Pinkman playing Rage with the lightgun bad? It wasn't "RAGE" it was designed by the developers to be a "lightgun" game called RAGE. They did a pretty good job with it... I never took it like, "He's playing Rage with a lightgun!?" more like, "It is a lightgun version of Rage" -- which it "was" (although scripted).
 
About the N64 controller...

Isn't it made so you can also hold it with the d-pad in mind? I wouldn't necessarily consider it "wrong" to hold it that way.

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And she's holding the joystick like she's tweaking a nipple, which is bizarre.

My sister plays like that..always has.
 
Wait. How is Jesse Pinkman playing Rage with the lightgun bad? It wasn't "RAGE" it was designed by the developers to be a "lightgun" game called RAGE. They did a pretty good job with it... I never took it like, "He's playing Rage with a lightgun!?" more like, "It is a lightgun version of Rage" -- which it "was" (although scripted).

I didn't even know it was RAGE at the time. I thought it was just some light gun game.

... With a very realistic looking gun controller.
 
House of Cards. Kevin Spacey plays a FPS(One of the CoDs, i think) in Season 1 convincingly, including a headset to communicate across XBL/PSN.

Season 2, he's got a PS3 and tries to play God of War online, but is foiled by his internet connection.

He doesn't play convincingly at all. He pulls the right trigger once or twice, but is mostly mashing the face buttons iirc. I remember being bothered by it.
 
You really gotta wonder why some actors, directors and set designers take so much pride in getting all sorts of details right, but when it comes to pretending to play a video game they invariably get it wrong.

Are there actually legit and believable examples to be found? I don't think I ever saw one. Whether it's inconsistent sound effects, controllers not plugged in/turned on, no game in the system, button mashing or flailing around, etc. There's always something.

That said, it's not just video games, it's almost always like that for any kind of computer work (and don't get me started on "hacking", ugh). They button mash the keyboard in the least believable ways.

Also, legit WTF at the Prince of Persia thing. Like... what the actual fuck did I just watch? Hahahahaha

Hahaha that's cute. Where is that from?

This is completely off topic, but I never understood Jesse's relationship with that chick. She wasn't hot, she was a 6 at best. She didn't have a personality and she had a kid. It was one of the only issues I had with BB.

I get his relationship with Jane, she was smokin hot, and she had some personality.
What the fuck....
 
I think my first experience with this phenomenon was an episode of Roseanne.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gssuuwu1Ld4

I suppose actually having SMW music/sound effects is a lot better than how most films/TV shows just have everything sounding like pacman. I don't remember mario being stabbed in the heart by skeletons though.
 
If they are enjoying, why bother you ?

Saw lots of times people give an unplugged controller to a little brother/sister and they have the fun of their lifes =P
I used to do that with my nephew when he was still too young to play. We played Ratchet and Clank "co-op", haha!
 
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