Gamers on film and telly

iFanboy has this (whiney) article up about comics readers being portrayed as hopeless, unsociable, badly-dressed outcasts. It points at the likes of The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy, Dave Lizewski (Kick-Ass), Brodie from Mallrats and the guys from Big Bang Theory (who, admittedly, have several kinds of nerd under their belt). It made me realise that I'm having a complete brain-fart when it comes to thinking of examples of 'gamers' being portrayed in film or on TV.

I mean, obviously the papers 100% accurately portray us as being one wrong look away from a killing spree, but I can't come up with anything in fiction. I guess you see people playing games on TV, but it's rarely used as a character hook in the same way being a comics reader or a tech geek is. Or, at least as far as I can think. Anyone got any examples to show me that my memory's broken, or are gamers just not portrayed much in film or telly?

The only think I can think of at the moment is in 'How I met your mother', Ted, Barney & Marshall are seen playing games at different times. Although it's not really integral to the story line, I'll keep thinking if anything else bubbles up to the surface of my subconscious.

Halo night on Big Bang Theory... that's all I'm saying...

Oh, and Matthew Broderick in... I'm not even going to insult your intelligence by saying War Games.

Lots of love

Tim

All attempts to access Broderick movie information in my brain is masked by a internal shouty voice that says !BEULLER! Fortunately that prevents my mind from wondering to Go!BUELLER!lla. See?

Isn't there a bit of a gamer reference in Weird Science, prior to th earrival to Kelly Le Brock. Both leads are lamer geeks.

Anyone for 31 Flavors? Gimme da keys! I Drive!

The IT Crowd has some gamers playing in it. Moss plays some flight sim game in the park with a full set up and Jen plays Guitar Hero. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Yeah, Guitar Hero gets plentiful mention in Californication

Kevin Smith in Die Hard 4.0 Playing Gears, so basically the same concept as comic book guy!, Vince Vaughan in The Break Up Plays a Lot Of Madden Positive Portrayal?, 40 Year Old Virgin Seth Rogen and Steve Carrel featuring Mortal Kombat, Couples Retreat Vince Vaughan again has a massive Guitar Hero Advertising Shame!!

so a few titles there not too bad and not too geeky, but lets not forget how TV based gaming shows make gamers look like dicks, Games Master, Sky One`s GamesVille and the Great/ Ridiculous Bad Influence!

Like Andy Crane even Touched a Gaming Pad and Cartridge Prior to this Show. only saved by Violet Berlin although her hair made all gamers look like dicks!

Edit [also remember] Monster House Pizza Delivery Guy (greatest Video game player/Geek), Terminator 2 Arcade Scenes, and of Course the Fantastic WOnderful South Park Paraody of WOW, Tiger Woods, Carter Freezes himself for a Wii, Heron Hero, Gamesphere etc etc,

also Drake and Josh on Nickleoden (daughter watches honest) had a a few scenes with a made up console!

and also noticed Emerdale and Coronation Street have PS3/360 pads with 8 bit sounds coming for the TV???? must be playing root beer tapper lol.

Matthew Broderick in whatsit-called... you know, I don't think I ever actually saw that. It came out two months before I was born. I guess that was when games were still relatively novel? I feel a little embarrassed that I forgot it nonetheless.

Kevin Smith in Die Hard 4 I should have remembered, but I think I may have been distracted by the neon sign over his head saying 'comics nerd' in my mental image of the guy.

Ummm? Tron? Early on Flynn is a typical arcade-lout.

Tim in Spaced, playing Tekken, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider. Quality stuff.

Of course Spaced!! in fact im pretty sure using Spaced you can reference anything Movie, TV Show, Comic, Superhero, Videogame related.

Man that show was awesome.

The Last Star Fighter!

"Death is a primitive concept. I prefer to think of them as battling evil, in another dimension."

Awwww, must watch that on a double feature with The Last Unicorn.

Tim

Wasn't Resident Evil 2 in Spaced? By Jove, it was!

Cheers

Tim

I think Scott Pilgrim probably counts, actually. Although he doesn't give the impression that videogames are that important in his life, the whole story is pretty much the world as seen from inside his head, and it's mostly dominated by 8-bit videogame imagery. He thinks in videogames.

Yes, I mentioned Scott Pilgrim again.

Roy plays on the Wii a fair bit too. In over the top comic manner though.