About Us
Welcome to GamePlay, the ultimate destination for video game enthusiasts and collectors! Founded in 2024, we're passionate about preserving and sharing the most fascinating stories from gaming history.
Our Mission
At GamePlay, we believe every game has a story worth telling. From legendary glitches to hidden easter eggs, from development secrets to cultural impacts – we're here to celebrate the rich tapestry of video game history.
What We Do
- Curate and verify fascinating anecdotes from game development
- Provide a platform for collectors to track their gaming knowledge
- Preserve the legacy of classic and modern games
- Build a community of passionate gamers and historians
Our Team
We're a small team of dedicated gamers, developers, and digital archaeologists who spend our days digging through old code, interviewing developers, and uncovering the stories that make gaming special.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2024
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All game names, images, and anecdotes are property of their respective owners. We're just here to celebrate gaming history. If you're a rights holder and have concerns, please contact us.
Disclaimer
While we verify our anecdotes with digital archaeologists, some stories may be subject to interpretation. After all, even the master sword had its rumors.
Changes to Terms
We may update these terms as we add new features. Check back occasionally – just like checking for new cards in your collection!
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⭐ SUPER MARIO 64
Nintendo 64 · 1996
CARD #001
The face of hell
Glitch / Easter egg
During development, programmers left a texture of their own face in the castle mirror. You can still see it using specific glitches!
CARD #002
Princess's secret letter
Hidden message
The letter carried by the stork contains binary code. Translated it says: "Thanks for playing, signed: Yoshiaki Koizumi".
CARD #003
Impossible ice wall
Glitch
The famous "Backwards Long Jump" that lets you scale mountains was a collision error, now a speedrun legend.
⚔️ ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
Nintendo 64 · 1998
CARD #004
The Lost Woods lullaby
Hidden melody
Lost Woods music is based on a Japanese lullaby. If played backwards, it reveals a secret heart piece location.
CARD #005
The sleeping sword
Rumor
Rumor said you could get the Master Sword early. Programmers confirmed it's false, but added an Easter egg if you try.
⛏️ MINECRAFT
PC · 2011
CARD #006
The creeper's origin
Accidental design
The creeper was born from a failed pig model: coordinates swapped, creating a tall, slender creature. Notch kept it.
⭐ FINAL FANTASY VII
PS1 · 1997
CARD #007
Detective Joe
Prototype
The original prototype of FFVII was a detective game starring "Detective Joe" chasing terrorists in Midgar, before Sakaguchi redirected it towards a more epic story.
CARD #008
Death according to Hollywood
Narrative
Sakaguchi wanted a "non-heroic" death that truly hurt. He rejected Hollywood-style deaths and sought something more real and painful. Thus Aerith's scene was born.
CARD #009
The emotional engineer
Philosophy
Sakaguchi studied engineering and wanted to analyze life from a logical and mathematical point of view, balanced with scenes of high emotional sensitivity.
CARD #010
The Hollywood team
Cinematics
FFVII hired Paul Ashdown (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) and Ron Sabatino (Terminator) for the cinematics. It was the first time a Japanese game collaborated with Hollywood special effects.
CARD #011
The demo that changed everything
Revolution
The "Final Fantasy SGI" demo presented at Siggraph 1995 showed for the first time the potential of 3D in RPGs and convinced Sony that PlayStation was the future.
CARD #012
120 people
Development
FFVII had the largest development team in the industry up to that time: 120 people between Japan and California.
CARD #013
The jump from cartridge to CD
Technology
FFVII was originally planned for SNES on cartridge, but the PlayStation CD-ROM allowed for cinematics and a much larger world. Square never looked back.
CARD #014
The discarded witch
Script
In early versions of the script, a mysterious witch was key to the plot. The idea was recycled in Final Fantasy VIII (Edea) and Parasite Eve.
CARD #015
The frustrated film director
Inspiration
Yoshinori Kitase studied film direction, but believed that as a Japanese person he would never direct a big-budget movie. He found in video games his medium to tell epic stories.
CARD #016
Barret and identification
Characters
Tetsuya Nomura designed Barret thinking of including characteristics he always wanted to see in a character: a tough man with a soft heart and a machine gun arm.
CARD #017
Cinematic shots
Direction
Kitase forced close-ups of faces during battles, despite technical limitations, so players could emotionally connect with the characters during combat.
CARD #018
"Childish" art
Style
Kitase considered pixel art "childish" and wanted an adult Final Fantasy. 3D allowed him to move away from that aesthetic and create something more mature.
CARD #019
The death that had never been seen
Legacy
Sakaguchi wanted a death that would stay with the player, something never before seen in video games. Aerith's scene remains the most famous in history.
CARD #020
The detective became a terrorist
Change of direction
To make the game more commercial, they changed the focus from the detective to the terrorists of Avalanche, making the player identify with the "bad guys".
CARD #021
11 million copies
Success
FFVII sold 11 million copies and defined the future of JRPGs and PlayStation as the dominant platform.
⭐ FINAL FANTASY VIII
PS1 · 1999
CARD #022
Love as the central theme
Narrative
Yoshinori Kitase and Hironobu Sakaguchi decided the central theme would be love. The entire story of Squall and Rinoa revolves around this concept, risky after previous ensemble casts.
CARD #023
The idea of Laguna
Script
Initially, the story of Squall and Laguna was meant to be much more intertwined, almost like two parallel timelines that converged. The idea was discarded early.
CARD #024
The Garden academies
Setting
Tetsuya Nomura proposed military academies as the main setting. He wanted something brighter than the somber tone of FFVII, with sunlight and youthful atmosphere.
CARD #025
100 developers
Team
The FFVIII team exceeded 100 people. Kitase confessed that he sometimes felt bad for how much he demanded of them, but the team always responded with energy.
CARD #026
Motion capture for the first time
Technology
FFVIII was the first FF to use motion capture. Kitase discovered that a subtle gesture (a hand, a head tilt) could convey more than words.
CARD #027
The realism problem
Design
Moving from the chibi designs of FFVII to realistic full bodies was a headache. Scenes had to be twice as large to be proportional.
CARD #028
The programmers' nightmare
Development
Making characters follow the protagonist instead of "traveling inside him" (as in FFVII) was a huge technical challenge. They constantly got stuck.
CARD #029
The 70/30 ratio
Style
Yusuke Naora sought a balance of 70% realism and 30% fantasy. They spent hours imagining the daily lives of the inhabitants of each city to give them depth.
CARD #030
The angel ring
Design
The initial designs of the Gardens were too realistic. The floating "angel ring" over Balamb was the key that provided the touch of fantasy they needed.
CARD #031
Squall, the antihero
Character
Nojima knew that Squall's distant personality wouldn't appeal to everyone, but he wanted to show the evolution of a 17-year-old who opens up thanks to his companions.
CARD #032
Camera blur
Direction
They experimented with camera focus and blur (like in Deling City) to help the player navigate visually in very large scenarios.
CARD #033
Laguna, the opposite
Duality
The initial duality between Squall and Laguna was transformed into opposite personalities. Laguna does what Squall cannot: be outgoing and decisive.
⭐ FINAL FANTASY IX
PS1 · 2000
CARD #034
Return to roots
Philosophy
After the sci-fi of VII and VIII, FFIX was conceived as a tribute to classic FFs, with medieval setting, characters with tails, and a more fantastical tone.
CARD #035
Sakaguchi's last
Director
Hironobu Sakaguchi personally directed FFIX before leaving Square to found Mistwalker. It's his last FF as main director.
CARD #036
Vivi and mortality
Character
Vivi, the black mage, is one of the most beloved characters in the saga because his story explores mortality, identity, and purpose, recurring themes in Sakaguchi's work.
CARD #037
Treno theater
Minigames
The card game Tetra Master and the Treno theater were ideas from the designers to add depth to the world and offer something beyond combat.
CARD #038
The 16-bit crisis
Development
FFIX was developed while Square was at its most prolific, with up to a dozen projects at once. There were doubts they could maintain quality.
CARD #039
The most beloved soundtrack
Music
Nobuo Uematsu composed "Melodies of Life" as the main theme. The music of FFIX is frequently voted the best of the entire saga by Japanese fans.
⭐ FINAL FANTASY X
PS2 · 2001
CARD #040
The first FF without Sakaguchi
Development
FFX was the first mainline Final Fantasy without direct supervision from Hironobu Sakaguchi, who was in Hawaii working on the movie The Spirits Within.
CARD #041
The voice acting gamble
Innovation
Kitase's main goal from the beginning was to implement recorded dialogue. It was a huge challenge because Square had no experience with voice acting.
CARD #042
The localization nightmare
Translation
Translators had to rewrite dialogue to match lip movements. A half-second delay could crash the game.
CARD #043
"I love you" vs "Thank you"
Translation
In the Japanese final scene, Yuna says "arigatou" (thank you). In English, it was changed to "I love you". The translator argued that "arigatou" has deeper connotations in that context.
CARD #044
Kitase's first tear
Emotion
Kitase confessed that it was the first time he cried with one of his games during development. The story deeply moved him.
CARD #045
Kamikaze inspiration
Script
Kazushige Nojima was inspired by the diaries of kamikaze pilots from World War II to write the melancholy and resignation of the story.
CARD #046
Tidus the plumber
Design
In early designs, Tidus was a brawling plumber with black hair who was constantly in the water. Kitase turned him into an athlete inspired by the 2002 World Cup.
CARD #047
The invented sport
Minigame
Blitzball was born from Kitase's desire to create a fictional sport, like the pod races in Star Wars. He wanted something that culturally identified Spira.
CARD #048
Okinawa and Southeast Asia
Inspiration
Nojima traveled to Okinawa and decided to draw inspiration from the religions and myths of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia) to create a unique universe, breaking with the European aesthetic of the saga.
CARD #049
The discarded epidemic
Script
In early sketches, Yuna was the solitary protagonist and the plot revolved around an epidemic that killed all young people when they turned 17.
CARD #050
4 billion yen
Budget
Development cost about 30 million euros at the time, significantly less than FFVII, but with a team of 100 people over two years.
CARD #051
8.5 million copies
Success
FFX sold 8.5 million copies worldwide and was the highest-rated game by Famitsu until the arrival of FFXIII-2.
☢️ FALLOUT 2
PC · 1998
CARD #052
The game of 1000 deaths
Animations
Fallout 2 is famous for its special deaths. Depending on how you kill an enemy (critical, specific weapon), there are unique animations. There are hundreds.
CARD #053
Frank Horrigan's sheep
Villain
The main villain, Frank Horrigan, was going to be a mutant sheep in early designs. Luckily, they turned him into a super mutant with power armor.
CARD #054
The car joke
Humor
The car in Fallout 2 is an inside joke from the developers. It's a 50s sedan armored up, and it explodes if you look at it wrong.
CARD #055
The Monty Python reference
Easter egg
The "Killer Cow" mission is a direct reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the "killer rabbit of Caerbannog" changed to a cow).
CARD #056
The fastest development
Crunch
Fallout 2 was developed in just 9 months. Interplay pushed to release it quickly to capitalize on the success of the first, and the team worked under immense pressure.
☢️ FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
PC/PS3/X360 · 2010
CARD #057
The return of the fathers
Development
Obsidian Entertainment, which developed New Vegas, was made up of many of the original creators of Fallout (Black Isle Studios). It was a homecoming.
CARD #058
The Metacritic curse
Controversy
Obsidian had a clause in their contract: if the game reached 85 on Metacritic, they would receive a bonus. It got 84. They didn't get the bonus by one point.
CARD #059
The legionary that wasn't
Content
Caesar's Legion was supposed to have much more development, but due to time and budget, much of its content was cut. They ended up as the "shallow bad guys."
CARD #060
Fan credits
Community
The developers included special credits for modders from the Fallout community, thanking them for their support. It was an uncommon gesture in the industry.
CARD #061
The Narrator's voice
Curiosity
Ron Perlman, who voices the narrator in all Fallout games, recorded his lines for New Vegas in a single 45-minute session. He was paid with a bottle of whiskey.
CARD #062
The Indiana Jones easter egg
Easter egg
In the scrapyard, you can find a skeleton inside a refrigerator with a fedora. It's a reference to Indiana Jones and the atomic bomb.
☢️ FALLOUT 4
PC/PS4/XB1 · 2015
CARD #063
The dog that changed everything
Companion
Dogmeat was going to be a secondary character without much importance, but the developers fell in love with him during development. They gave him more prominence and his own mechanics.
CARD #064
The protagonist's voice
Change
It's the first Fallout where the protagonist has a voice. There was internal debate, but they decided it was necessary for the more personal narrative.
CARD #065
Piper and journalism
Companion
Companion Piper is inspired by real investigative journalists. The developers wanted a character who represented truth and justice in a devastated world.
CARD #066
The reduced dialogue wheel
Design
The famous four-option dialogue system (Yes, No, Sarcastic, Question) was a deliberate simplification to make the game more accessible, although veteran fans criticized it.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL 0
GameCube · 2002
CARD #067
The chronological zero
Prequel
Resident Evil 0 was originally planned for Nintendo 64, but delays led it to end up on GameCube. It's the direct prequel to the first game.
CARD #068
The lost pink herb
Secret
In the game's code, there's a pink herb that is never used. Dataminers found it, but its purpose was never known. Perhaps it cured a discarded status effect.
CARD #069
The Ecliptic Express
Setting
The entire game takes place on a train at the beginning. It was an artistic decision to create a sense of claustrophobia and mystery.
CARD #070
Billy Coen, the condemned
Companion
Rebecca's partner, Billy Coen, was sentenced to death for murder. The developers wanted a character with a dark past to contrast with Rebecca's innocence.
CARD #071
The item mechanics
Innovation
RE0 introduced the mechanic of leaving items on the ground instead of using item boxes. It was controversial because it forced players to remember where they left things.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL
PS1 · 1996
CARD #072
The origin of the name
Localization
In Japan, it's called Biohazard. In the West, they changed the name to Resident Evil due to copyright issues with a punk-metal band called Biohazard.
CARD #073
English dubbing
Voices
Shinji Mikami decided that, although the game was Japanese, being set in the US, it should have English voices. He discarded the already finished Japanese dubbing.
CARD #074
The inspiration from Alone in the Dark
Survival horror
Mikami wanted to make a first-person shooter, but after seeing Alone in the Dark, he changed the formula to survival horror with fixed camera. He reached an agreement with Infogrames not to admit it until years later.
CARD #075
George Romero's script
Cinema
George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) wrote a script for the Resident Evil movie, but it was rejected. He did direct a commercial for Resident Evil 2 in Japan.
CARD #076
Sweet Home, the precursor
Inspiration
Resident Evil started as a remake of Sweet Home, an NES RPG with horror elements and permanent death. Gradually it became something new.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL 2
PS1 · 1998
CARD #077
1.5 mode
Legend
There was a complete version of RE2 (called "Resident Evil 1.5") that was 80% discarded because Mikami wasn't satisfied. It's one of the most sought-after pieces by collectors.
CARD #078
The physical camera
Secret
In RE2, if you shoot the camera, it gets damaged, implying it's a physical object present in the room. It's one of the most famous secrets.
CARD #079
The 4 scenarios
Design
The system of 4 scenarios (Leon A/Claire B and vice versa) was a headache for the developers, who had to align two overlapping stories.
CARD #080
Tofu
Secret character
The secret character "Tofu" (a block of tofu with eyes) was an inside joke from the programmers. They only left it in because they found it funny.
CARD #081
Romero's commercial
Curiosity
The RE2 commercial directed by George Romero is considered a gem. It shows a child playing while a horde of zombies ravages the city.
CARD #082
The "fake" soundtrack
Controversy
Composer Mamoru Samuragochi was accused of fraud: he wasn't deaf and hadn't composed the music for RE2. A certain Takashi Niigaki was the real author.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL 3: NEMESIS
PS1 · 1999
CARD #083
The real RE3
Development
The real Resident Evil 3 was Code: Veronica, but Capcom had an agreement with Sony to release a numbered entry on PlayStation, so Nemesis got the number 3.
CARD #084
The stalker
Villain
Nemesis was designed to be an enemy that could appear at any moment and break the sense of security. It was revolutionary for its time.
CARD #085
The dilemmas
Choices
The choice system (escape or fight?) was added to provide replayability and make each playthrough slightly different.
CARD #086
Jill Sandwich, returns
Easter egg
The famous "Jill Sandwich" phrase from the first game has a nod in RE3, where Barry Burton contacts Jill by radio.
CARD #087
The express development
Production
RE3 was developed in parallel with Code: Veronica in less than a year, reusing many assets from RE2. That's why it's shorter.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL 4
GameCube · 2005
CARD #088
The definitive change
Revolution
RE4 revolutionized the genre by switching to over-the-shoulder camera and action. Mikami said: "If this game doesn't sell, I'll cut off my head." Luckily, it sold.
CARD #089
The multiple versions
Development
RE4 went through several discarded versions, including one with supernatural elements and another with a more stylized Leon. The final version is the one we know.
CARD #090
Los Ganados, not zombies
Enemies
The enemies are called "Ganados" (Spanish for "cattle") because they're infected by parasites, not a virus. They retain some intelligence.
CARD #091
Leon's suplex
Mechanic
Leon's famous suplex move was a programming error that they left in because it looked cool. It became a hallmark of the series.
CARD #092
The merchant
Character
The merchant who appears out of nowhere was the idea of a designer who wanted a mysterious and recurring character. His phrase "What're ya buyin'?" is iconic.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL 5
PS3/X360 · 2009
CARD #093
The controversial co-op
Cooperative
RE5 introduced mandatory co-op. Some fans criticized it for moving away from horror, but it was a massive commercial success.
CARD #094
Sheva, the partner
Character
Sheva Alomar was designed to bring diversity and a backstory connecting to Wesker's past in Africa.
CARD #095
The African sun
Lighting
The game's lighting was a technical challenge. The developers wanted to convey the heat and blinding light of the African sun as part of the atmosphere.
CARD #096
Wesker's return
Villain
Wesker is the main villain and his story concludes here. The developers wanted to give a definitive end to the saga's most charismatic character.
🧟 RESIDENT EVIL (GENERAL)
Saga curiosities
CARD #097
S.T.A.R.S.
Team
The S.T.A.R.S. team (Special Tactics And Rescue Service) was inspired by real SWAT teams and 80s movies. Each member has a detailed backstory.
CARD #098
The eternal doors
Loading
The famous doors that take time to open were a loading screen. The developers turned them into an element of narrative tension.
CARD #099
The origin of Umbrella
Corporation
Umbrella Corporation was founded by Ozwell E. Spencer, Edward Ashford, and James Marcus. Its logo is an umbrella, symbolizing "protection" from the sun (and from the truth).
CARD #100
The colors of herbs
Items
Green (health), red (power), blue (antidote). The color combination was a deliberately simple system so players would understand it instantly.
CARD #101
The first zombie
Horror
The first zombie you see in RE1 (the one that turns its head) was animated to appear as if it was looking directly at the player, breaking the fourth wall and increasing the terror.
🌿 ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD
Switch/Wii U · 2017
CARD #102
The timeline debate
Lore
Nintendo confirmed BotW takes place at the end of all timelines, so far in the future that the stories merged into legend.
CARD #103
Shield surfing
Mechanic
The shield surfing mechanic was a last-minute addition. A programmer implemented it secretly and showed it to the team, who loved it so much they kept it.
CARD #104
First voice acting
Innovation
Breath of the Wild was the first Zelda game with full voice acting. Zelda's voice actress had to re-record many lines because fans found her "too British".
CARD #105
The rain frustration
Design
Rain making climbing impossible was a deliberate design choice. The developers wanted players to feel the same frustration Link would feel.
CARD #106
Horse physics
Easter egg
If you ride a horse through deep sand, it will automatically use its "swimming" animation because the physics engine treats sand as a liquid.
🤠 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
PS4/XB1/PC · 2018
CARD #107
Attention to detail
Realism
Rockstar modeled horse testicles that shrink in cold weather. This became one of the most famous examples of RDR2's obsessive detail.
CARD #108
The 8-year journey
Development
RDR2 took 8 years to develop, with over 3,000 people involved. It had a budget of over $500 million, making it one of the most expensive games ever.
CARD #109
Arthur's actor
Performance
Roger Clark, Arthur Morgan's actor, had no major acting credits before RDR2. His performance earned him multiple Game of the Year awards for Best Performance.
CARD #110
The hidden first-person
Perspective
First-person mode was added late in development. Players can see Arthur's body, holsters, and even his beard growing in first-person.
CARD #111
The Mexican cut
Content
Mexico was fully explorable in early versions but was cut. Data miners found complete dialogue, missions, and assets that were never used.
🐺 THE WITCHER 3
PC/PS4/XB1 · 2015
CARD #112
The 36 endings
Narrative
The Witcher 3 has 36 different endings, ranging from major world changes to small details about which characters survive.
CARD #113
Developer cameo
Easter egg
You can find the game's lead quest designer, Pawel Sasko, as an NPC in Novigrad. If you talk to him, he references his own work.
CARD #114
The Gwent phenomenon
Minigame
Gwent was so popular it became a standalone game. Originally it was created in two weeks by one designer as a simple minigame.
CARD #115
The best villain
DLC
Gaunter O'Dimm from Hearts of Stone is considered one of gaming's best villains. He was originally just a random merchant in the base game.
CARD #116
The massive world
Scale
The Witcher 3's map is over 100 square kilometers. It would take 30-40 minutes to cross on horseback without fast travel.
🪓 GOD OF WAR (2018)
PS4 · 2018
CARD #117
The one-shot take
Direction
God of War is presented as a single continuous shot with no camera cuts. This was a directive from Cory Barlog to immerse players in Kratos' journey.
CARD #118
The Leviathan Axe
Design
The axe's recall mechanic was inspired by Thor's hammer Mjolnir. The sound it makes when recalled is a mix of a tuning fork and a jet engine.
CARD #119
Boy
Performance
Sunny Suljic, who played Atreus, was 11 during mocap. He had to learn archery and Norse mythology for the role. His voice cracked during recording, which they kept for realism.
CARD #120
The original script
Writing
The original script was 900 pages. Cory Barlog wrote much of it himself, rewriting Kratos' dialogue to make him more restrained and paternal.
CARD #121
The World Serpent
Lore
Jörmungandr being there when Kratos and Atreus arrive is a time paradox. The serpent was sent back in time during Thor's fight with it in Ragnarök.
⚔️ ELDEN RING
PC/PS5/XSX · 2022
CARD #122
The Martin collaboration
Development
George R.R. Martin wrote the mythology and history of the Lands Between before Miyazaki and his team built the game around it.
CARD #123
Torrent's double jump
Mechanic
Torrent's double jump was a late addition. Miyazaki wanted the horse to feel magical and less realistic than typical mounts.
CARD #124
First open world
Design
Elden Ring was FromSoftware's first true open world. The team had to create new tools and pipelines to handle the scale.
CARD #125
The hardest boss
Difficulty
Malenia was designed to be the hardest boss FromSoftware ever made. Her waterfowl dance took players months to learn how to dodge consistently.
CARD #126
Instant success
Sales
Elden Ring sold 12 million copies in its first month, making it FromSoftware's fastest-selling game and a cultural phenomenon.
👨💻 LEGENDARY DEVELOPERS
The minds behind the magic
CARD #127
Shigeru Miyamoto
Nintendo
Miyamoto created Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. He drew inspiration from his childhood explorations of caves and forests near Kyoto.
CARD #128
Hideo Kojima
Konami / Kojima Productions
Kojima wanted to be a film director but couldn't afford film school. He found video games a more accessible medium for his cinematic vision.
CARD #129
John Carmack
id Software
Carmack pioneered 3D graphics. He wrote most of Doom's engine in assembly language for maximum performance. He later worked on VR and rockets.
CARD #130
Gabe Newell
Valve
Newell worked at Microsoft for 13 years before founding Valve. He funded the company with his own money and created Half-Life, Steam, and more.
CARD #131
Yoko Taro
Square Enix
Yoko Taro always wears a mask in public because he's shy. He wrote Nier's story after being told "you can't do that" and did it anyway.
CARD #132
Hironobu Sakaguchi
Square / Mistwalker
Sakaguchi created Final Fantasy as a last gamble to save Square from bankruptcy. The name came from his feeling that it would be his final game.
CARD #133
Shinji Mikami
Capcom / Tango
Mikami created Resident Evil and later said he'd cut off his head if RE4 wasn't a success. Luckily, it sold millions. He's still alive.
CARD #134
Tim Sweeney
Epic Games
Sweeney founded Epic in his parents' garage. He created the Unreal Engine and is now a billionaire fighting for open platforms.
CARD #135
Todd Howard
Bethesda
Todd Howard started at Bethesda answering phones. He became the face of the studio, known for "It just works" and "See that mountain? You can climb it."
CARD #136
Amy Hennig
Naughty Dog
Hennig wrote and directed the Uncharted series. She started in Atari and is one of the most influential women in game development.
📜 HISTORICAL MOMENTS
Gaming history milestones
CARD #137
The Video Game Crash of 1983
Industry
The market crashed from $3.2B to $100M in two years. Blamed on oversaturation and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which sold poorly and was buried in a landfill.
CARD #138
The Console Wars Begin
16-bit era
Sega's "Genesis does what Nintendon't" campaign started the first real console war. Sonic was created to beat Mario, and it worked.
CARD #139
The Birth of ESRB
Regulation
Mortal Kombat's blood and fatalities led to US Senate hearings. The ESRB rating system was created in 1994 to avoid government censorship.
CARD #140
The FFVII Effect
JRPGs in the West
FFVII's massive success in the West introduced millions to JRPGs. It was the first RPG to get a massive marketing campaign in the US.
CARD #141
The PlayStation Revolution
1994
Sony entered the console market after a failed partnership with Nintendo. The PlayStation became the first console to sell 100 million units.
CARD #142
The CD-ROM Betrayal
Technology
Nintendo worked with Sony on a CD-ROM for the SNES, then secretly partnered with Philips. This betrayal led Sony to create the PlayStation.
CARD #143
The Rise of FPS
Genre
Doom didn't invent FPS, but it defined it. Shareware distribution meant millions played the first episode for free, creating a new genre.
CARD #144
The WoW Phenomenon
MMOs
World of Warcraft peaked at 12 million subscribers in 2010. It made MMOs mainstream and generated over $9 billion in revenue.
CARD #145
The Indie Revolution
Democratization
Digital distribution (Steam, Xbox Live Arcade) allowed indie devs to thrive. Games like Braid, Super Meat Boy, and Minecraft changed the industry.
CARD #146
The COVID Boom
2020
Gaming sales surged 20% in 2020 as people stayed home. Animal Crossing: New Horizons became a cultural phenomenon, selling 13 million in 6 weeks.
🎮 GENERAL CURIOSITIES
A bit of everything
CARD #147
The FFVII translation error
Translation
The famous phrase "This guy are sick" is one of the most famous translation errors in history. Square learned the lesson and improved their localization teams.
CARD #148
Cloud's dress
Humor
Cloud's famous dress in Don Corneo's mansion was a deliberate decision by Nomura to add humor and show that Cloud would do anything for the mission.
CARD #149
The origin of Sephiroth
Villain
Sephiroth was originally going to be androgynous and more human. Nomura elongated him and gave him silver hair to make him look like a fallen angel.
CARD #150
Squall's sword
Weapon
The design of Squall's weapon (revolver + sword) was Nomura's idea, wanting something that combined technology and fantasy.
CARD #151
Aerith's death in other languages
Translation
In the Japanese version, Aerith says nothing when she dies. In English, she says "I'm coming, Cloud." The translation changed the tone of the scene.
CARD #152
The Blitzball Vacation trick
Secret
If you hold a button during the FFX title screen, you enter "Vacation" mode with the Blitzball team playing in the background.
CARD #153
The coffee cup easter egg
Humor
In Fallout 2, if you leave the mouse idle on the Pip-Boy screen for a long time, the character takes a coffee and patiently waits.
CARD #154
Fallout's mascot
Design
Vault Boy was designed in a 50s style to look like a vintage advertisement. His thumbs-up is his trademark.
CARD #155
The radio guy in FO4
Curiosity
Travis, the radio announcer, was voiced by an actor who also voiced several raiders. He recorded all the voices in a single afternoon.
CARD #156
The cat in RE: Code Veronica
Jumpscare
At the start of Code: Veronica, Claire sees a cat. If you wait without moving, the cat scratches the screen. It's one of the first fake jumpscares in the saga.
CARD #157
RE files
Rewards
In almost every RE, reading all files unlocks special costumes or weapons. The developers wanted to encourage exploration.
CARD #158
The Spencer Mansion
Setting
The mansion in the first RE is inspired by Victorian houses and European castles. The designers visited museums and studied architecture for the floor plans.
CARD #159
The nod to George Romero in RE2
Easter egg
In RE2, there's a theater called "Raccoon Palace" showing zombie movies. It's a nod to Romero.
CARD #160
The happy ending of FFX-2
Fans
The "true" ending of FFX-2 shows Tidus alive and reuniting with Yuna. It was added due to fan pressure after the sad ending of FFX.
CARD #161
The beta OoT
Development
The beta version of Ocarina of Time had a different map, including a massive field with a giant windmill and a more complex Temple of Time.
CARD #162
The invisible wall
Glitch
In Mario 64, there's an invisible wall on the staircase to the final bowser. It was added to prevent players from skipping floors.
CARD #163
The Far Lands
Bug
The Far Lands were a terrain generation bug at X/Z positions ±12,550,821. They were removed in Beta 1.8 but are legendary among players.
CARD #164
Tranquility Lane
Quest
Tranquility Lane in Fallout 3 was inspired by The Stepford Wives. The creepy suburban simulation is a fan favorite quest.
CARD #165
The chainsaw guy
Enemy
Dr. Salvador, the chainsaw-wielding maniac, was designed to create instant dread. His sack hood hides his face, making him more mysterious.
CARD #166
The opera scene
Innovation
Final Fantasy VI's opera scene was revolutionary for its time. The synthesized vocals were created by Nobuo Uematsu humming into a microphone.
CARD #167
The inventor of New Game+
Mechanic
Chrono Trigger invented New Game+. The developers wanted players to experience all 13 endings without starting over completely.
CARD #168
Psycho Mantis
Fourth wall
Psycho Mantis reading your memory card and making you switch controller ports was Hideo Kojima's genius fourth wall break.
CARD #169
The cake is a lie
Meme
"The cake is a lie" from Portal became one of gaming's most famous memes. The companion cube also has no heart, it's just a cube.
CARD #170
Half-Life 3
Meme
Half-Life 3 became a running joke in the industry. Even Valve references it occasionally, but it remains one of gaming's greatest mysteries.