Difference between revisions of "Easter Eggs"
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| − | [[Easter Eggs]] are a way of providing [[Surprises]] in games by hiding secrets in [[Game Worlds]]. They are often a form of [[Extra-Game Information]] that breaks [[Thematic Consistency]], but do encourage [[Game World Exploration]] and [[Replayability]]. In [[Single-Player Games]], they add social components through creating [[Meta Games]] of finding the [[Easter Eggs]] before others, something that can lead to both [[Game-Induced Player Social Status]] and [[Bragging]] and through this to [[Social Interaction]] between players. | + | [[Easter Eggs]] are a way of providing [[Surprises]] in games by hiding secrets in [[Game Worlds]]. They are often a form of [[Extra-Game Information]] that breaks [[Thematic Consistency]], but do encourage [[Game World Exploration]] and [[Replayability]]. In [[Single-Player Games]], they add social components through creating [[Meta Games]] of finding the [[Easter Eggs]] before others, something that can lead to both [[Game-Induced Player Social Status]] and [[Bragging]] and through this to [[Social Interaction]] between players. The actual description of [[Easter Eggs]] and their locations are a form of [[Trans-Game Information]] between players. |
While they most often are hidden within [[Secret Areas]] these are typically harder to find than other [[Secret Areas]] in the same game are thereby support [[Challenging Gameplay]] to complete the [[Optional Goals]] of finding these. This of course assumes that players have reasons to believe they exist (which be either be due to [[Clues]] or [[Trans-Game Information]] between players). | While they most often are hidden within [[Secret Areas]] these are typically harder to find than other [[Secret Areas]] in the same game are thereby support [[Challenging Gameplay]] to complete the [[Optional Goals]] of finding these. This of course assumes that players have reasons to believe they exist (which be either be due to [[Clues]] or [[Trans-Game Information]] between players). | ||
| − | Knowledge about their existence provides Optional Goals of Exploration and may stimulate Social Interaction between game sessions to pass Trans-Game Information | + | Knowledge about their existence provides Optional Goals of Exploration and may stimulate Social Interaction between game sessions to pass Trans-Game Information. |
== Relations == | == Relations == | ||
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[[Extra-Game Information]], | [[Extra-Game Information]], | ||
[[Game World Exploration]], | [[Game World Exploration]], | ||
| + | [[Optional Goals]], | ||
[[Replayability]], | [[Replayability]], | ||
[[Surprises]], | [[Surprises]], | ||
Revision as of 06:54, 8 October 2011
Surprises in the game that are not related to the game diegesis.
Easter Eggs are surprises put in games that do not directly affect gameplay nor does necessarily advance any story. Often they do not even fit within the reality of the Game World. The design of Easter Eggs started as programmers' and game designers' ways of protesting against management but soon turned into a gameplay value, encouraging exploration and people to replay the games.
Contents
Examples
The first documented Easter Egg was the text "Created by Robinett." in the game Adventure. It was put there by its programmer and designer, Warren Robinett. To find it, players had find an object a single pixel large that had the same color as the background of the game and was located in a room that was inaccessible unless you used a special bridge. This object then had to be carried to a specific wall to let the players enter a secret room which contained the message.
Easter Eggs can vary considerably in sizes. The Super Mario series included entire levels as Easter Eggs, including an underwater world that is seemingly endless. Topping this, the whole game Maniac Mansion is included as an Easter Egg in its sequel Day of the Tentacle. Star Trek: The Next Generation is worth mentioning since it is a Pinball Game with a Breakout-like game as an Easter Egg.
Game series that repeatedly make use of Easter Eggs include the Dragon Age, Grand Theft Auto, Halo, and Super Smash Bros. series.
For more examples, see the site GiantBomb which has a listing of games with Easter Eggs[1].
Using the pattern
Designing Easter Eggs includes choosing where in the Game World they exist, what they contain, creating possible Clues to ease finding them, and making sure they are Optional Goals. Typical contents of Easter Eggs include Games within Games or Resources to modulate the Right Level of Difficulty. The use of Games within Games and other Easter Eggs that effectively change the mode of play may be more suitable in Single-Player Games, since there is no need to try and synchronize and explain changes of play mode in these types of games.
Can Be Instantiated By
Minigames together with Game World Exploration
Can Be Modulated By
Diegetic Aspects
Easter Eggs typically break Thematic Consistency since they often take the form of Extra-Game Information.
Interface Aspects
Since Easter Eggs is mainly about surprising players and reward them for exploring, it is an.
Consequences
Easter Eggs are a way of providing Surprises in games by hiding secrets in Game Worlds. They are often a form of Extra-Game Information that breaks Thematic Consistency, but do encourage Game World Exploration and Replayability. In Single-Player Games, they add social components through creating Meta Games of finding the Easter Eggs before others, something that can lead to both Game-Induced Player Social Status and Bragging and through this to Social Interaction between players. The actual description of Easter Eggs and their locations are a form of Trans-Game Information between players.
While they most often are hidden within Secret Areas these are typically harder to find than other Secret Areas in the same game are thereby support Challenging Gameplay to complete the Optional Goals of finding these. This of course assumes that players have reasons to believe they exist (which be either be due to Clues or Trans-Game Information between players).
Knowledge about their existence provides Optional Goals of Exploration and may stimulate Social Interaction between game sessions to pass Trans-Game Information.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Extra-Game Information, Game World Exploration, Optional Goals, Replayability, Surprises, Trans-Game Information
with Single-Player Games
Bragging, Game-Induced Player Social Status, Meta Games, Social Interaction
Can Modulate
Challenging Gameplay, Game Worlds
Can Be Instantiated By
Minigames together with Game World Exploration
Can Be Modulated By
Possible Closure Effects
-
Potentially Conflicting With
History
An updated version of the pattern Easter Eggs that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[2].
References
- ↑ Page on the GiantBomb web site for Easter Eggs.
- ↑ Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.
Acknowledgements
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