Easter eggs have always struck me as weird. On one hand, the bunny keeps hiding them, so I guess he doesn't want you to find them. But then he makes them brilliantly colored, which blends in with nature not at all. So which is it, Easter bunny? Do you want us to find your eggs or not?
In a similar fashion, some MMO Easter eggs are cleverly hidden, undiscovered by most who run on by. Those eggs tend to reward the observant, the meticulous and the just plain lucky. Then there are the eggs that the developers all but shove in your face as if to say, "Hey! Look at this! It is wacky and out of place and breaks the fourth wall!" Those eggs are available to all, usually whether you want them or not.
So what are your favorite Easter eggs in MMOs? Are they oblique references to pop culture hidden in item description text? A remote area that's almost inaccessible unless you know the exact trick to getting there? A secret buried inside a quest that unveils itself if you know just where to look? What makes you gurgle with delight when discovered?
Reader Comments (40)
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 8:44AM Beekay said
One that I personally found, before any of my friends, was in Dungeons and Dragons Online: Four NPC are sitting around a table in The Hammersmith’s Inn in House Deneith, left of entrance from Marketplace. Their first names are: Giggs, Neville, Scholes and Keane, which (at the time) were the last names of four Manchester United football stars.
Of course, being British I would get that, and as I live in the USA and the friends I played DDO with were American, it wasn't surprising I got it and they didn't. Still.. kudos to me.. yay! :)
(As an Aston Villa fan, I'd have preferred that they were mobs, but oh well....)
Of course, being British I would get that, and as I live in the USA and the friends I played DDO with were American, it wasn't surprising I got it and they didn't. Still.. kudos to me.. yay! :)
(As an Aston Villa fan, I'd have preferred that they were mobs, but oh well....)
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:10AM (Unverified) said
definatly the secret developers base in the revamped faultline zone of coh, you have to jump over some crates and hug the wall of some scaffolding. Inside theres the full set of developers and a special badge just for you
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 8:50AM Wisdomandlore said
In LOTRO, there's a little corner in the new region Enedwaith with a cave, a slew of dead bodies, and a small bunny.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 10:17AM (Unverified) said
Never played LOTRO but that is an awesome Monty Python and the Holy Grail refrence. ^ ^
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Posted: Aug 6th 2010 11:22AM (Unverified) said
Predated by Pookie in Asheron's Call. At one time, Pookie was the most dangerous critter you could encounter in the game.
http://asheron.wikia.com/wiki/Pooky
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http://asheron.wikia.com/wiki/Pooky
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:26AM (Unverified) said
I remember in the Allods newbie island, there were numerous references to Lost. I can't remember all the details, but there was definitely a Polar bear who hung out in the jungle and on the beach, and there were "others" from when the boat had shipwrecked there and split into two (like the plane crash landing). Not many people seemed to get it when I was explaining :p
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 8:58AM (Unverified) said
I love subtle references to pop culture but I dont think we can consider them as actual easter eggs since anybody can see them and understanding them kinda depends on your age most of the time :P
That said I'm in the Cataclysm beta and there are pop culture references everywere :) always makes me smile oh and a very cool 3D repruduction of a very old video game title as a quest hint* hint*
That said I'm in the Cataclysm beta and there are pop culture references everywere :) always makes me smile oh and a very cool 3D repruduction of a very old video game title as a quest hint* hint*
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:07AM (Unverified) said
I would have to say the "Linkin" questline in Ungoro Crater in WoW was my favorite Easter Egg. It was a super fun quest chain and had awesome rewards, the boomerang was sweet and I'm pretty sure you get something like the Master Sword at the end.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:10AM (Unverified) said
HaHa yeah I remember that one loved it sicen I was always a big Zelda fan :)
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Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:11AM (Unverified) said
I did enjoy the "inanimate carbon rod" in CoH is a fun little reference. The description of "inanimate carbon rod" is "in rod we trust." I didn't get it at first but then saw a rerun of the particular reference source and it continues to bring a smile to my face. Or at least a pleased smirk.
A great many of the Contacts in CoH are spoofs or allusions to pop culture charaters. The detectives in particular reference everything from Miami Vice to Robocop. The more I think about it the more I remember. I think the "Dragoon Ball" (no typo) scanner mission is something that a great deal of the CoH populace understands, for better or worse? I can't say.
A great many of the Contacts in CoH are spoofs or allusions to pop culture charaters. The detectives in particular reference everything from Miami Vice to Robocop. The more I think about it the more I remember. I think the "Dragoon Ball" (no typo) scanner mission is something that a great deal of the CoH populace understands, for better or worse? I can't say.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 11:26AM saintnicster said
Lots of ingame references http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Ingame_References
and a few easter eggs http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Easter_Egg in City of Heroes :D
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and a few easter eggs http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Easter_Egg in City of Heroes :D
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:13AM exLupo said
Six Demon Bag from vanilla WoW. No question.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:18AM (Unverified) said
Big truble in little china I remember that one too :P
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Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:20AM (Unverified) said
My favorite is the "hatch" from LOST being in wow. If you hover over the light you get a string of numbers. I actually took a screenshot it was so funny :)
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:38AM Jhaer said
I'm still a fan of EverQuest's Coldain bankers in Velious, Mort and Gage.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 9:57AM (Unverified) said
The first one I ran across was in EQ. My guild was fighting in the Dragon Necropolis, and we went down into the tunnels below it where two warring rat-men factions lived. One was led by a ratman named Neb and the other by a ratman named Dralliw. I stuck me suddenly that those names are "Willard" and "Ben" spelled backwards.
Posted: Aug 6th 2010 10:23AM (Unverified) said
The first MMO 'easter egg' I encountered is still my favorite.
Qeynos - The name of one of the human starting towns is 'Sony EQ' backwards.
Qeynos - The name of one of the human starting towns is 'Sony EQ' backwards.
Posted: Aug 9th 2010 8:34AM Rendiff said
There is a mission in EVE where you come across a sign sitting in space. The sign simply says "WARNING: This sign has sharp edges."









