Christmas - Festive Easter Eggs in Games

It’s probably the wrong time of year to be talking about Easter Eggs, mince-pies are the treat of choice during the winter months..But in the gaming industry, easter eggs aren’t those chocolatey treats we receive to celebrate the world’s first ever zombie, they are little hidden (or sometimes not) gems in our favourite games, that shows us the developers really are human!

Runescape - The Santa Hat

Christmas 2002 - X-Factor hasn’t started ruining the number one slot, Geldof is still feeding the world and Runescape is being played by almost every child in the UK. Runescape offered a reward to those who neglected their family and spent Christmas killing goblins and completing quests. The Santa Hat started spawning all over the world, available for anyone to pick up, a nice festive change to the myriad of helmets players were used to, and what’s more, they became so rare as the years went on that they started being sold for silly money. You can’t go into battle without a white trimmed red hat of course.

Various Sims - Visit from Santa

It turns out that the Sims is such an accurate representation of real-life that you can make your Sims have a visit from St. Nic himself. According to various wikis and forums you’ll need the following: A fireplace, a Christmas tree, a plate of cookies (on a table close to fireplace and tree), and make sure all your Sims are in bed by 8:00 pm. So pretty much like having kids then!

Sim City - Snow

Another Sim based Christmas easter egg, albeit less interesting than the previous sees snow come to your city during Christmas day… how original!

FIFA 09 Onwards - A Merry Christmas

When you’re full of turkey and stuffing why not run around and have a kick about… on FIFA of course! The secret behind many of these Christmas easter eggs is the date set to your console or PC and this is no different. Once you load up your game the commentators will wish you a Merry Christmas.. but no doubt by this time you’ll already be sick of all the festivities.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run - Santa on the Sofa

Yet again based on your console’s calendar, this one alters what Homer, who is sitting on the sofa on the main screen, is wearing. 31st October sees him wearing a pumpkin costume, thanksgiving Homer will have a Pilgirm outfit on, and of course on Christmas day, he’ll be dressed as Santa and fast asleep with a can of Duff in his hand.

 

Halo 3 - Just a weird one

7 Years after its launch, a festive easter egg was finally unearthed. While it isn’t the typical snow, jingle bells theme of Master Chief wearing a Santa hat it is a nice touch for those of the romantic persuasion. According to the Guardian if you load up the game on Christmas day, and press down both thumbsticks, the loading screen shows a nw view of the space ring with a message reading ‘Happy Birthday Lauren’. Bungie later that this year revealed that this gem was put in by Developer Adrian Perez who directed it to his wife, they never expected it to be found! Who said Halo wasn’t romantic!