A strange game...
- When David first plays Global Thermonuclear War, he thinks that it's just a game. What he didn't know was that he had caused a Mass "Oh, Crap!" moment at NORAD, who thought that the missiles that David launched (he was "playing" as the Soviet Union) were real missiles coming from a Soviet first strike. In other words, David had almost started World War III by accident, because what he was actually doing was messing around with an early warning system.
- The airman at the beginning. As soon as his partner hesitates to turn his missile launch key he drops all emotion, points a sidearm at the man's head and robotically orders him to turn the key. The worst part? He's not a machine; just an ordinary human following orders. No matter how horrifying those orders are.
- Even more of an Oh, Crap! is when WOPR starts attempting to Nuke 'em by gaining access to the launch codes for the missiles.
- That scene where WOPR begins cycling through all of the different World War III scenarios. They all end in exactly the same as what's pictured above:
- WINNER: NONE
- The fact that we've thought up several dozen variations on how to play out WWIII in the first place and saved them in a computer to practice.
- The only time "Joshua's" voice changes from its flat, mechanical tone is when David asks it "What is the primary goal?" It sounds almost gleeful in its simple, horrifying response:Joshua: TO WIN THE GAME.
- WarGames became this in real life for President Reagan, who was deeply bothered after watching and had General Vessey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, investigate the more plausible vulnerabilities presented by the film. The spine-chilling verdict that would launch the White House's first serious cybersecurity initiative?"Mr. President, the problem is much worse than you think."
