The term ‘Easter egg’ is used to reference messages hidden within any particular form of media. Oftentimes, these messages aren’t necessary to understand the media, which is why they’re overlooked by many people and implemented by the creators in a way that most wouldn’t find them. And the reason for this is because it doesn’t matter if everyone finds them.
Many a time, their irrelevance to the overall creation is what makes their existence all the more exciting. It makes the person consuming that piece of content ask questions like: Why did the creator make it? What was his motive for doing so? And what does it tell us?
Well, let’s try to answer those very questions.
Easter Eggs: The Origin Story
The oldest recorded Easter egg was part of a game that came out over 50 years ago in 1973, back when they weren’t even known as Easter eggs. That game was Moonlander.
In it, if a player flew far enough horizontally, they would find a McDonald’s restaurant. The player could either crash land and destroy the restaurant, or land near it and get themselves two cheeseburgers and a Big Mac.
What defined Easter eggs for years to come, however, was the game Adventure, which came out in 1980 and was available for the Atari 2600 console.
Back then, Atari didn’t include the names of programmers in the credits. Warren Robinett, who designed and programmed Adventure, was very annoyed by this and so when he submitted it, he left a little secret inside.
Executing a predetermined set of commands within the game would allow players to access a previously restricted area where they would find the message, "Created by Warren Robinett".
Since then, Easter eggs have come a long way and now, they’re implemented for reasons more light-hearted than Warren’s.
Easter Eggs In Modern Games
Today, Easter eggs are a huge part of pop culture, existing not only in games but also in other forms of media like literature, music, art, television and more.
Modern Easter eggs are usually easier to find because unlike what happened with Adventure, the goal is to send a message to the player, and not to conceal something that might be found accidentally. But of course, many developers still choose to hide their Easter eggs very well.
An example of an easy Easter egg can be found in Doom Eternal. After meeting certain conditions within the game, you can play the original Doom (1993) and Doom II (1994) on a PC in the Doom Slayer’s room.
A harder Easter egg to find is in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. In the map ‘Fortress’, there’s a furnace which looks perfectly normal from the outside. However, using a drone to get a peek from the inside reveals a sword which isn’t noticeable from outside the furnace. Players believe that this sword amidst the fire in the furnace is a homage to the bonfires in the Dark Souls franchise.
Not every Easter egg is overly conspicuous. Some are extremely subtle and hidden in plain sight, meaning that only a few observant players can pick up on them. In Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), players can come across the Sanctum Sanctorum, home of the Marvel hero Doctor Strange.
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Why Easter Eggs Matter
Many often feel connected to each other through the web of pop culture. Each strand of this web appeals to someone different and connects them to other people who feel the same. A love for pop culture exists within them all but odd enough, they usually find it hard to be able to relate to the creators of the works they admire.
Frequently, we aren’t able to relate much to the creator of a game, simply because we think that they are simply on a different wavelength than us.
So, oddly, an Easter egg becomes a way for the creator to send a message to players that essentially encapsulates the sentiment, “I’m just like you”. Through Easter eggs, a game creator can showcase the things they care about. And players who understand the Easter egg feel excitement and familiarity with the creator.
In a sense, the implementation and understanding of the Easter egg form a bond of mutual respect between the creator and the player.
Easter eggs weren’t initially used for the intent they’re known for today. Warren Robinett, who we previously discussed, didn’t even call it an Easter egg when he actually put it in Adventure. He called it his signature.
Now, Easter eggs are far more than that. They tease the audience, reveal secrets and just make the player who found them happier.
Of course, most players will never know of their existence but that’s ok. If everyone knew about them, they wouldn’t be as special. There’s just a certain thrill in being aware of something that is considered ‘secret’.
Intentionally or unintentionally, Easter eggs have essentially become a tribute to the players who truly care.
(The author is a student of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi)