Talk:WarGames

Firewall origin claim

The article currently states "The movie was notable for coining the term firewall in reference to computer network security." with the [citation needed] remark. In the movie the dialogue is at about 1 hour and 39 minutes in: "Can we invade the deep logic?" - McKittrick, "We keep hitting a damn firewall" - Richter. An [http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/wargames-script.html online transcript] can be found, but it is not wholly accurate.

I tried to do a quick search for other claims to the term firewall in relation to computers in general, and most claim "90's" or "late 80's" (in reference to the 20th century). While Wikipedia itself cannot be considered a source, the article on [Firewall (Computing)] states "The first paper published on firewall technology was in 1988", the paper referenced claims "Firewalls have existed since about 1987, and several surveys and histories have already been written.".

While I doubt the writers coined the term, the movie (1983) certainly predates those claims by a healthy margin, and an earlier claim is proving elusive. Perhaps the paper referred to as the first written on firewalls, by Dodong Sean James and Elohra (no title mentioned), could shed some light on it, but I can't find this paper. Kmqz (talk) 00:31, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

I can say quite confidently that the claim is wrong. Referenced is an article by Harry C Forsdick, originally published in 1974, that uses the term "firewall" in the context of computer security. However, the use of the word is in an older sense, by analogy to a structural wall that contains the spread of fires in a building, being applied to the context of preventing the exploitation of a security vulnerability, while the contemporary word refers a separate software program or hardware appliance that filters network traffic. From the script of wargames, it is unclear what the meaning the word has at all. 21:50, 11 October 2021 (UTC)

• Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL --Jpswade (talk) 16:17, 11 September 2013 (UTC)

References

Setting? Seattle? Sunnyvale? Colorado? Oregon?

I was very confused by Sheedy's character saying Colorado was a 3hr drive from where she lives, which seems to be Seattle? I thought at least IMDB would have trivia about the confused setting of this movie. There's a lot off screen travel that happens in the course of what seems to be 1 day or so. Any theories or thoughts or clarity? I can see NORAD is in Colorado state. Did she come after he touched down in Oregon? --72.173.4.14 (talk) 14:48, 1 March 2021 (UTC)

Both Jennifer Mack and David Lightman live in Seattle. After Lightman hacks into NORAD's line in Sunnyvale, thinking he's got ProtoVision, he's picked up and possibly flown to NORAD. He escapes, hacks a payphone, is picked up by a truck, and meets Jennifer (in Colorado somewhere?), whom he called to get some plane ticket money. They both fly (near) to Goose Bay Oregon, where they meet Stephen Falken (Robert Hume). They then all go by helicopter back to NORAD. Is that correct? Does it help? Should any of it be in the article? Dhtwiki (talk) 21:38, 1 March 2021 (UTC) (edited 21:43, 1 March 2021 (UTC))

Well I thought the film was very hand wavy about this and I might misremembering, but it's the "and meets Jennifer (in Colorado somewhere?)" part that really takes the cake. She says it's a 3hr drive, so I assume the only way to make sense of that is she drove (does she have a driver's license?) from Seattle to the town in Oregon, since there's no 3hr drive from Seattle to Colorado happening, but it seems like the way it's cut that the impression may be she drove to Colorado. I thought while watching the film there must be a city called Colorado in Washington state. I actually live on the outskirts of a small city called Colorado in Arkansas that's called Lorado instead. But I couldn't come up with a better explanation upon rewinding at the time and just moved on with my viewing --72.173.4.14 (talk) 20:52, 2 March 2021 (UTC)

I haven't looked at the film recently. If the film is vague, there's not much for us to add here, unless there's a director's cut or other commentary that makes things clear. Dhtwiki (talk) 06:04, 3 March 2021 (UTC)

I did watch the commentary track a couple years ago and recall only the following regarding locations:

• The only footage shot in Seattle was of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound with the ferries. Most of everything else was shot in Vancouver or on sound stages (forget where).
• When the truck drops him off in "Colorado" and pulls away - you see a large mountain in the (near) background, just before he goes to play with the payphone. That mountain is Mount Rainier - which is much closer to Seattle than it is to Colorado. This was shot from a small town close to the mountain, and on the Seattle side of it. Even from the Colorado state line you cannot see Rainier.

Picard's Facepalm (talk) 14:38, 30 September 2021 (UTC)

It’s an exactly three-hour drive from Seattle to Goose Island. Pazvilre (talk) 17:05, 19 March 2022 (UTC)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/locations/ could be a start... Xo4v (talk) 02:22, 13 September 2026 (UTC)

Not really, per WP:IMDb. DonIago (talk) 02:25, 13 September 2026 (UTC)

Science fiction?

It looks like this movie was recently classified as science fiction and then reverted. What basis is there for including or excluding it from the genre of science fiction? —C.Fred (talk) 23:49, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

WOPR is an unrealistic AI? Jclemens (talk) 06:30, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Today? No. In 1984 - maybe. But that does not qualify it as sci-fi. Picard's Facepalm (talk) 14:45, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

It might, even today. Science fiction [...] is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, [...]. See also Science fiction#Definition. --Zac67 (talk) 15:22, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

OK, but today AI is not at all fiction... even going well past the level of WOPR. Remember - even ST:TNG had tablets to manage things on the ship, and an all-encompassing computer which responded to voice commands to control basic things like lights within the environment. Back then - it was sci fi. Today - it is sci fact. Picard's Facepalm (talk) 16:41, 25 October 2021 (UTC)

@Picard's Facepalm: The fiction bit doesn't necessarily need to combine with the imaginative and futuristic concepts bit – it's more like science and fiction than fictional science. Also, science fiction is categorized from its contemporary perspective, hence speculative – Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas is science fiction even if its fictional technology has long since been realized. --Zac67 (talk) 18:22, 25 October 2021 (UTC)

All the more reason to cat this into military fiction, computer fiction, technology fiction or cold war fiction. Other than that - I don't see how this at all meets the traditional sense of sci-fi. Picard's Facepalm (talk) 18:39, 25 October 2021 (UTC)

I didn't add the tag, just trying to justify it. I wouldn't call that necessarily a defining aspect of the movie, and if it is SciFi... it's relatively 'hard' and not terribly speculative. All that to say, I don't care if it's removed from that category. Jclemens (talk) 15:35, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

We should be going by how sources have classified the film, not applying our own feelings about it. AllMovie gives it primary genre of Thriller and subgenres of Paranoid Thriller, Teen Movie, Psychological Thriller. Nothing about sci-fi. DonIago (talk) 02:06, 26 October 2021 (UTC)

I had this problem years ago on the Miami Vice movie article.... AFAIC the only true source to determine genre is the studio who is releasing it - not some 3rd party site who classifies it how they feel. I cited the Universal Studio's official release webpage which indicated it was a crime drama for genre. Unfortunately - the consensus there I was overruled on, and for several years the movie was mis-catted. A while back the discussion came up again and this time the consensus swung the other way. I was not involved in any of that - I gave up caring after all the hubbub it caused the first time around.

With the comment above - referring to allmovie & classifying it as a thriller and paranoid thriller - I am honestly left aghast, because even in 1984 this movie was by no means either one of those - nevermind today. That is a gross mis-catting of a movie if I have ever seen one, and to be quite honest it is closer to sci-fi than it is to either of those.

And with that - I am bowing out of the discussion - and no longer giving a damn about the genre classification of this movie anymore, either. It is clear that the more on the rails I am trying to get it - the further off the rails it is going to go. Picard's Facepalm (talk) 06:05, 26 October 2021 (UTC)

Psychological thriller? Have they ever watched one? Seriously, those are some messed up classifications. Jclemens (talk) 23:08, 26 October 2021 (UTC)

Well, they weren't my idea, and there are other options. DonIago (talk) 03:18, 27 October 2021 (UTC)

"Wargames" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Wargames has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 February 16 § Wargames until a consensus is reached. Dingolover6969 (talk) 11:03, 16 February 2026 (UTC)

WOPR

Worldwide Military Command and Control System ... Xo4v (talk) 01:56, 13 September 2026 (UTC)

photos

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/matthew-broderick-ally-sheedy-dabney-coleman-watch-as-he-news-photo/502879833

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/view-of-an-out-of-control-norad-defense-computers-in-a-news-photo/502879829

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/dabney-coleman-duncan-wilmore-and-juanin-clay-watch-the-news-photo/502877315

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/dabney-coleman-talks-with-john-wood-about-the-norad-defense-news-photo/502877313

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/michael-ensign-barry-corbin-watch-the-norad-defense-news-photo/502879827

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/michael-ensign-discusses-nuclear-problems-with-barry-corbin-news-photo/502875229

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/michael-ensign-discusses-nuclear-problems-with-barry-corbin-news-photo/502875229

Xo4v (talk) 02:16, 13 September 2026 (UTC)