weird hand gestures

[Alisha]

this is something i first observed in skies of arcadia but its popped up in various rpg's since then. since ive only seen it in jrpg's i wonder if people actually talk like that in japan because those hand gestures are kinda weird :O
off the top of my head i recall seeing the weird hand gesture while talking in skies of arcadia,phantasy star universe and xenosaga 3 but im sure its happend in other rpgs too.

[Sagacious-T]

I've got some hand gestures for you..

Just kidding, but do you mean the sort of thing Tidus does in FFX all the time where hes making a fist and pulling it downwards in an "All-right/Yosh!" type of way?

[Alisha]

no anyone thats played skies of arcadia probally knows what im talking about since this one shop guy wearing a turban does it. in psu karen does it when you talk to her.

[Eusis]

Personally, I think they're just trying to make the characters overly animated when it's really not necessary.

[Sagacious-T]

Probably what they do in anime. I really doubt people in Japan go around doing dramatic hand gestures.

And I need to play skies of arcadia.

[Dincrest]

Could someone post some pics of these gestures, so we can get a visual on what's being inquired here?  Or at least a better description of the action?  Because "weird hand gestures" is a bit vague as there are tons of hand gestures in the world.  

I have a little bit of familiarity with some hand gestures from all over the world, so perhaps I could weigh in with possible insight if I had a visual.

Many hand gestures have a history behind them and a meaning.  For example, in many parts of England, holding up both the pointer and middle finger is the "fuck you!" gesture.  This came about because during a historical French-English war, the English archers were kicking Frenchie ass so the French would capture the archers and cut off their two fingers so they couldn't draw a bowstring.  So when England completely annihilated Frenchie ass at the end of the war, they waved their two fingers up triumphantly in that whole "Yeah Frenchies!  We still have our fingers!  In your face!  How ya like me now!?!?"

[Crown Clown]

Well, I'm playing through Skies of Arcadia again at the moment so I can try to find out what these "hand gestures" are all about.

[Eusis]

I think it's moving the hand up and down in front of them, palm upwards.

[D-Rider]

The hand motion that annoys me the most is the backwards wave you see now and then.  You know it:  dude walks away while speaking, raises his hand up, and waves in front of him...except the people he waved to are behind him.  I see that far too often in anything that smacks of Japan, so I can only assume it's some sort of cultural thing.  Doesn't mean I can't fucking hate it, though. :P  It annoyed me the most in Resident Evil 4, when Luis does it in the castle area.

I don't know why I have such an instinctual hatred of that gesture, but it's there. :P

[Hathen]

Could someone post some pics of these gestures, so we can get a visual on what's being inquired here?  Or at least a better description of the action?  Because "weird hand gestures" is a bit vague as there are tons of hand gestures in the world.

Request granted. It's actually a selectable emote while playing PSU.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Symbios/Psu2007-02-2010-08-05-96.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Symbios/Psu2007-02-2010-08-08-82.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Symbios/Psu2007-02-2010-08-12-40.jpg

Like Eusis said, I'm pretty sure this is just overly animating the characters and nothing else. While I do know some people who have their hand out, face up while speaking, I don't think I've ever seen someone swing it around as wildly as that while trying to carry on a decent conversation.

[Sagacious-T]

Actually thats how they flip people off in Japan

[Bernhardt]

I like Squall's salute in Final Fantasy VIII.

Also, they seem to have a thing for "thumbs up!" in Grandia III.

[Dice]

lol, I always went nuts when anyone would start talking in Tales of Symphonia.  They all have their own unique "hand gesture"

[Merkava]

The hand motion that annoys me the most is the backwards wave you see now and then.  You know it:  dude walks away while speaking, raises his hand up, and waves in front of him...except the people he waved to are behind him.  I see that far too often in anything that smacks of Japan, so I can only assume it's some sort of cultural thing.  Doesn't mean I can't fucking hate it, though. :P  It annoyed me the most in Resident Evil 4, when Luis does it in the castle area.

I don't know why I have such an instinctual hatred of that gesture, but it's there. :P

Damn. I occasionally do that in my daily life. I find it the most efficient and classy way to say goodbye. Oh well. :P

[Spoony Mage]

I don't find that gesture very weird.  A lot of people do that when they're talking from what I've seen.  Even I do it a lot.  It's kind of a nervous habit, because it just feels really weird standing stock still while talking.  At least to me, it is.

I doubt a nervous habit is the case in games, though.  Like a few people on the thread already said, it's just to give the characters a bit more life to them when talking.  It's like how, in 2D games, you have characters nodding or blinking a lot in order to bring some expression during a conversation.  Maybe I'm just too used to that not, but it'd just feel odd with characters constantly standing stiffly while chatting.

Although, some of the gestures and movements the characters in Tales of Legendia made were fucking weird.