A few games-related movies -- Mass Effect, Uncharted, Shadow of the Colossus, etc. -- are on the 2011-12 horizon, but the real gem that gamers can get excited about is much closer.

Here’s why you should watch your local cinema listings come December (and store shelves in spring) for this movie that captures a much broader scope of gaming culture than Scott Pilgrim vs. The World....

A family that plays together, stays together. And also saves the world.

Summer Wars is about the fate of the world balanced precariously on an extremely popular casual social network and game called Oz. The nerdy mathlete protagonist, Kenji Koiso, is framed for hacking attacks within this digital world that cause deadly situations in the real life. Kenji has to clear his name and save the world by stopping the attacks, all while attending his hometown crush's family reunion.

The reunion is no small event -- multiple generations of the Jinnouchi family, whose proud bloodline and history is steeped in ancient wars, crowd under one roof (and make for a dizzyingly long cast list). And from the littlest cousins to the eldest grandmas and grandpas, everyone is connected to Oz with a unique avatar.

The Jinnouchi family's Oz avatars. Seriously, you don't want to mess with somebody who has a winged train for an uncle.

Summer Wars is the first movie in recent memory to portray gaming as a bonding, unifying experience, rather than a hobby that’s typically enjoyed by egotistical basement-dwellers who scare off outsiders with their leet skillz.

I have never seen a movie where gaming is so pervasive, but doesn't seem out of place. The 7- to 10-year-olds are glued to their Nintendo DS Lites. The reclusive high schooler is attached at the wrists to his laptop and Oz. The protagonist and his friend are moderators for Oz. The protagonist's "girlfriend" and her aunts connect to Oz through their cell phones. The working 30-somethings who have played games since the industry's inception and still squeeze in time for gaming are integral to a few world-saving efforts throughout the movie.

The widespread gaming in Summer Wars doesn't feel forced or odd. It feels like a walk down the street (or at least a walk down the street in Japan). The family plays games, whether it's casually or obsessively in-person, or online, to stay in touch and stick together. Instead of games being divisive, disruptive, and weird, they're something that brings a family together to face an evil that's bigger than them.

Your family had better be competent at games if you plan on taking on this thing.

Summer Wars gives hope that gaming stereotypes in movies can be broken. Gaming may no longer be restricted to the strange, loner character. Virtual worlds might expand beyond the lame setting of "OMG, like, if you die in the game you die in real life." The movie features endearing casual gamers and portrays its "hardcore gamers" in a favorable, approachable light. They may be nerdy and unconfident, but they're nice and not completely without social graces.

Love the friendly side of gaming culture that's not shown in mainstream media? Love feel-good nerd events like PAX? Then chances are you will love seeing Summer Wars on the big screen. See it with someone you swap Friend Codes or Gamertags with, your WoW guild, or LAN crew.

UPDATE: Funimation just released an English dub trailer:

For a movie trailer with English subs, see here:

For the mesmerizing first five minutes of the movie (no subtitles, sorry!), see here: