The primary purpose of television is to entertain; from comedy to romance, and action to horror, television shows and films are the world’s main source of entertainment.
Following closely behind television is gaming, and, while traditional games like board games and sports have been around much longer than television, digital games entered the equation around a similar time. Often, these two forms of entertainment come together, with gaming scenes featured in an array of programs and films.
While watching a game is somewhat different from playing one, the entertainment value is priceless, and we’ll take a look at some of the best gaming scenes below.
Tag
One of the most traditional games around: tag. Played in schools across the world, tag, or tig in the UK, is something that is close to everyone’s hearts and causes adults to reminisce about their childhood. Though, that’s not the case for the characters in this film. Following a group of five 30-year-old men who have been playing tag throughout their life, they decide to play one last game before one friend gets married. Perhaps the most serious games of tag ever, the film sees the friends compete against each other to claim the winning title, all while developing a stronger bond and causing arguments. This film shows the power of games, and perhaps that sometimes, you can take it a step too far.
Friends
Feasibly one of the biggest US sitcoms ever, Friends follows the life of 6 (you guessed it) friends as they tackle their relationships and careers head-on. One scene sees the group of friends in a casino in Las Vegas and one character, Phoebe, spends her time being entertained by the slot machines, one of the most popular traditional retro games still available to this day.
The scene can be described as nostalgic, since many viewers can relate to the leisure value of the slot machine, as it was a form of entertainment present in popular arcades, which were in their prime in the 20th century. Though, the slot machine has since seen a rapid change, with online slots available in different forms, like Slingo Starburst and Juicy Fruits. It’s perhaps what makes this scene so entertaining, as it allows viewers to be transported to the retro-fun times they had at their local arcade or classic casino. Though, a lot of the entertainment value also comes from Phoebe’s rivalry with an elderly woman in an attempt to gain the most wins, which ultimately leads to her getting kicked out.
Big Momma’s House 2
Released in 2006, this sequel follows the journey of an FBI agent who goes undercover as a nanny in a suspect’s house. Taking a trip to a traditional bingo hall in one scene, Big Momma faces confrontation with another bingo player after they accused her of ‘stealing my man’. Becoming at risk of blowing the undercover operation, the confrontation turns physical. What makes this scene so entertaining is how unusual it is, after all, seeing two elderly women fistfight in a bingo hall isn’t exactly something you’d see every day! The scene was filmed at a time where bingo halls were on the decline and online bingo sites were making their debut into society, so its entertainment value was quite ironic, since the traditional bingo experience didn’t end too well for Big Momma.
Each of these three scenes prove that traditional games still have a lot of entertainment value and, despite the rapid change of the gaming sphere thanks to digital devices, the games can still be enjoyed, whether you play them, or watch them on TV.
