May 30, 2024 08:00:00

It is pointed out that the 'Easter eggs' hidden in the work are attractive not only to the reader but also to the author.

Easter eggs in games and novels, such as small tidbits that are not directly related to the work or references to other works, have the effect of entertaining users who notice them and making fans more engrossed. J. Nicole Jones, a writer who earned a PhD in creative nonfiction from Columbia University, talks about how Easter eggs in works are different from 'foreshadowing' or 'mysteries in the work' and what effect Easter eggs have on readers and authors.

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The term Easter egg originally comes from the game of finding decorated eggs that children play on Christian Easter . By extension, the term Easter egg has come to refer to bonus elements hidden in games and software. The origin of Easter eggs dates back to 1980, in a game called ' Adventure .' It is said that the world's first Easter egg was created by a game designer who, unlike writers and artists, was rarely allowed to sign his work and was treated poorly at the time, and who displayed 'Created by Warren Ribinett' in a secret room that was quite difficult to reach.

When did 'Easter eggs' start, which secretly embed tricks and hidden characters in games and software? - GIGAZINE

Easter eggs are often found in games, software, search engines, etc., but similar elements can also be woven into novels. For example, in ' The Baron of the Tree ' by Italian national writer Italo Calvino , known as the 'magician of literature,' Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who is thought to be a character in Leo Tolstoy's famous novel ' War and Peace, ' appears. The appearance of Prince Bolkonsky is not intended to have any impact on the story or setting, but Jones states his appeal as an Easter egg, saying, 'There is a sense of comfort in being part of a connected world, similar to when you accidentally meet a friend.'

Jones points out that this 'comfort' is the defining feature of Easter eggs. For example, even if Prince Bolkonsky is featured in a work in the same way, it could be written with literary intent, such as showing that it is the same time as 'War and Peace' or implying that he is in the same situation as the suffering Prince Bolkonsky felt in 'War and Peace'. Although it is similar in the sense that it leads people with the same knowledge and ideas to a certain destination, according to Jones, in the case of Easter eggs, it is meaningful to 'make people feel connected' in itself.

'Writing can feel like a solitary activity that lasts for a long time,' Jones said. So Easter eggs are both a secret puzzle for the reader and something that allows the author to 'feel connected to what they're creating,' which is what drives them to write. The author feels less alone in their work, and when the reader realizes the information, they feel the joy of discovering a hidden secret. There are benefits for both parties.

Easter eggs often remain hidden and undiscovered. Sometimes the author directly mentions them, and other times users and readers notice and think about them. In either case, Jones says that Easter eggs can have the effect of connecting the author to the world, and the reader to the author, and freeing them from a sense of loneliness, just as Robinett, who created the world's first Easter egg, put his name in the game out of dissatisfaction with the fact that 'Robinett's name is not written as a credit on the game box' and 'even if the game sells, he is not recognized within the company.'