Misrepresentation of Gaming in the Media!

[Kinguendo]

This isnt another "Why do they hate gamers so much? TELL MEEE!" thread, this is about the actual games being played and their platforms in various television shows, films and adverts and how I have never seen it done right.

This was spurned by an episode of Scrubs where both Turk and JD (Later Turk and the Janitor) are holding and apparently using their 360 controllers yet there is only 1 player on the screen and they are randomly bashing buttons... mostly vigorously bashing both analog sticks forward or simultaneously squeezing each trigger.

Whats the worst abuser of this that you can remember? And why do you think they just cant get even the most basic concepts (Like 2 players = 2 PLAYERS! D:<) right?

(The liberal media strikes again! Hahaha, just jokingly getting that out of the way so no one needs to say it whether joking or serious.)

EDIT: Oh also, if you do know of a TV show or film that has actually done it right... TELL MEEE! It would be like the holy grail... because at the moment there isnt anything taking the place of the holy grail and there is just that rabbit ripping peoples heads off.

 

[Adam Galli]

This really fucking pisses me off. It kinda feels like a slap in the face to gamers. I was watching the Big Bang Theory the other night (love the show) but there's an episode when Penny becomes addicted to Age of Conan. In one scene as she's leaving Sheldon's apartment her screen is black when the game should be on and in another scene she's just randomly hitting buttons on the keyboard. I think this bothers me more than it should...

 

[Fappy]

I seem to remember several inaccuracies in the Wizard... which is strange considering the movie is ABOUT video games.

 

[zfactor]

EDIT: Oh also, if you do know of a TV show or film that has actually done it right... TELL MEEE! It would be like the holy grail... because at the moment there isnt anything taking the place of the holy grail and there is just that rabbit ripping peoples heads off.

Well, there was this one episode of NCIS: Los Angeles that had the computer specialist character playing Mass Effect 2 for about 10 seconds at the end. It was actually on the day ME2 came out... I cannot remember if he was hitting the right buttons, though...

 

[BENZOOKA]

I don't mind about those things. The point is that they're playing. Usually when filming, you'll have to make plenty of compromises, and depicting gaming is no exception.

 

[Veteran]

I think the random button mashing problem stems from the fact that when playing games like FPS's you don't really do much - it illustrates better that the characters are playing something. At least, that's what i'm going to run with.
It's also that some TV writers can't be bothered to do the research and just have the characters mashing stuff.

 

[jaywalker118]

This really fucking pisses me off. It kinda feels like a slap in the face to gamers. I was watching the Big Bang Theory the other night (love the show) but there's an episode when Penny becomes addicted to Age of Conan. In one scene as she's leaving Sheldon's apartment her screen is black when the game should be on and in another scene she's just randomly hitting buttons on the keyboard. I think this bothers me more than it should...

It's a show about nerdy guys, that's probably why it bothers you. They should know better.

 

[migo]

Before Kinect was released, even back when it was called Project Natal, they had Chloe sitting on the couch while some kid who had been changed into a superhero was playing Dodgeball. I think it was pretty accurate.

 

[PlasmaFrog]

There was a particular episode in the CSI series that portrayed a couple as overaged and irresponsible gamers when they were arresting them for neglecting something.

I can't remember the exact episode or scene, but it did cause a lot of nerd rage.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Apparently on Spaced the people actually play the game when they are playing the game, or so I've heard.

 

[starwarsgeek]

Whats the worst abuser of this that you can remember?

Season 5 of Angel.

Spoiler

Spike

is playing the Donkey Kong arcade game on an Xbox.....

 

[GiantRaven]

I think the random button mashing problem stems from the fact that when playing games like FPS's you don't really do much - it illustrates better that the characters are playing something. At least, that's what i'm going to run with.

This, and also consider the time constraints that TV shows are under. Do they really need to focus on a ridiculously tiny aspect of (most likely) a single scene, when there are probably more important things to get done?

Hell, we might as well complain about the fact that, when driving a car, characters always wiggle the wheel around, despite being on a straight road.

Media doesn't have to adhere to reality 100%. It's called 'suspension of disbelief' for a reason...

 

[WorldCritic]

Whats the worst abuser of this that you can remember?

Season 5 of Angel.

Spoiler

Spike

is playing the Donkey Kong arcade game on an Xbox.....

Pretty much this. When I noticed that I got annoyed. Even though they don't actually show the game, you can hear it enough to tell that it's Donkey Kong.

 

[Super Toast]

I think the random button mashing problem stems from the fact that when playing games like FPS's you don't really do much - it illustrates better that the characters are playing something. At least, that's what i'm going to run with.

This, and also consider the time constraints that TV shows are under. Do they really need to focus on a ridiculously tiny aspect of (most likely) a single scene, when there are probably more important things to get done?

Hell, we might as well complain about the fact that, when driving a car, characters always wiggle the wheel around, despite being on a straight road.

Media doesn't have to adhere to reality 100%. It's called 'suspension of disbelief' for a reason...

But when CSI: Miami does an episode about 'Murder Simulators', that's where I draw the line.

 

[Cheesus333]

Apparently on Spaced the people actually play the game when they are playing the game, or so I've heard.

I watched Spaced (great show, I'd recommend it if you're a fan of Pegg's style) and I don't recall them actually playing on-screen that often. But when they did, I'm pretty sure it was genuine. One scene actually revolves around the action in a game representing the discussion taking place between the characters, it's quite cleverly done.

 

[GotMalkAvian]

It definitely seems that actors never bother to put any effort into acting like they're actually playing vide games. Actually, wait, there is one notable exception:

In the live-action intro to the show Captain N, the main character is seen playing Punch Out with an NES arcade stick, and the motions seem very realistic to the way the game is actually played. Now, whether the actor put actual effort into selling the scene or whether Punch Out involved that much random button mashing and stick waving, I can't be sure, but I prefer to think it's the former. Just this once, I'd like it to be the former.

 

[GiantRaven]

But when CSI: Miami does an episode about 'Murder Simulators', that's where I draw the line.

I think the CSI writers are just a bunch of colossal trolls, out to intentionally misrepresent something in order to get a rise out of people. I prefer to sit back and enjoy the mind-numbingly stupid ride.