When did the "Easter egg" that secretly tricks or hidden characters into games and software start?

After the children seeking hidden colorful eggs at the Christian Easter festival, messages that are unrelated to the original functions of software and games are hidden "easter egg"What is the beginning of the Easter egg," What is it? "The Rebellious Origin of the Video Game Easter EggIt is explained in.

The Rebellious Origin of the Video Game Easter Egg - YouTube


It is a tradition that has continued since ancient times for writers to write their names on their work. For example, the writer writes his name on a book ......


The artist leaves a signature in the corner of the painting.


However, the name of the game designer did not appear on the front stage for a long time. Designer'sWarren RobinettMr. started working at Atari of a video game company since 1977, and home game machineAtari 2600The world's first action adventure game for "AdventureI was involved in the development of.


"Adventure" is a game that manipulates a square avatar, finds the Holy Grail hidden in the map, takes it back to the golden castle.


During game development, it seems that handling of game designers such as Robinett was very bad inside Atari's company. For example, Mr. Robinett got no royalties even when the game was sold, Robinett's name was not written as a credit in the box of the game, even if the game was sold, it was not evaluated within the company, and "The creators are lots Because it is easy to make fungus because it is so "," It was very rude to creators, "Robinett says.


So Robinett said he decides to hide his name in "Adventure" game. Mr. Robinett makes a secret room in the map which is quite difficult to get to ... ...


When entering a secret room, a gleaming letter called "Created by Warren Ribinett" was displayed, and a work was done to make it clear that Robinett developed the game. It is said that this secret room is the world's first "Easter egg".


Atari sold a cumulative total of 2 million "Adventure", but until a 15-year-old boy living in Salt Lake City sent letters to Atari to explain in detail how to enter a secret room, no one It seems he did not notice that a secret room was hidden in the game. The secret room was what Mr. Robinett added to the game without permission, but since Robinett had already left Atari, the management could not punish Robinett for firing and others about.


Steve Wright, who later served as Atari's game designer after Robinett, liked the existence of a secret room, and Mr. Robinett was quite surprised. Mr. Wright says, "It's cool to hide the secret specifications in the game! It seems like I'm looking for colorful easter eggs hidden in the shadows of bushes and flowers in the morning of Easter," he said.


However, Atari suffered excessive inventory and declined sharply after one year Robinett left his company.


Robinett said, "A giant company Atari neglected the treatment of a 26-year-old young game programmer,Poetic justiceI am personally thinking that something else has worked. "