Mom's Minute

Metal Gears Solid has interactive digital easter eggs

You may be familiar with easter egg hunts in the real world; however, did you know easter eggs also exist digitally in the virtual world?

Digital easter eggs are hidden links, codes, messages, features,  secrets, etc. embedded in some video games and other media.  

Even though it is rumored that programmers prior to 1978 put digital easter eggs in video games, the person credited with coining the term is  game developer, Steve Wright from Atari.  He is said to have used the term in 1981 when he was interviewed in the first issue of Electronic Games magazine in the winter of 1981.

Embeded codes on Atari video game reveal easter egg, "Created by Warren Robinett."

One of the first appearances of a digital easter egg planted was when game developer Warren Robinett planted his name in the Atari video game, Adventure.  He said he was inspired by artists who put their names on paintings.

Digital easter eggs are not limited to video games.  The 1995 version of Microsoft Excel is said to have had a hidden game that resembled "Doom."

Psycho Mantis from Metal Gears Solid

So what is the interactive digital easter egg in Metal Gears Solid? During gameplay, there is a character, Pycho Mantis, who is able to tell you the most recent video games you played by title, even if you played the video games many weeks prior. The way it works is while Psycho Mantis is speaking to you, the system performs a scan and is able to discern the games you have played.  With technology advances, this technique and capability may not be surprising to many.

Regarding occurrences of easter eggs showing credits --  Since the video game industry gives credits to those involved in the making and development of video games, it's unlikely to find hidden names/credits in video games nowadays.  But then again -- who knows?