Easter Eggs in World of Warcraft

One thing you gotta say about the World of Warcraft community – despite the Wagnerian air of impending Götterdamerung (what with that dreadful Shadow of the Necropolis business and all) – they still manage to avoid taking themselves too seriously, having a few laughs at their own expense. Perhaps this is the secret behind the game’s overwhelming popularity (and a lesson for the rest of us).

Take the “Easter Eggs”. Most film buffs will tell you that Easter Eggs are those funny little undocumented features on DVD movies – out-takes, interviews, or other “fun” little bits. In WoW, however, Easter Eggs refer to the character names that have pop culture references, mainly Hollywood films. Although these WoW Easter Eggs are too numerous to list here, here are a few of my favorites (for the full list, click the ‘Read’ link below):

• Hin Denburg, Zeppelin Master Goblin in Tirisfal Glades: refers to the ill-fated commercial airship, Hindenburg, that exploded during landing at Lakehurst NJ in 1937.
• Tyler and Edward, undead fighters in the Warrior Quarter combatting an Abomination: named for a character and an actor (Edward Norton) in the 1999 film Fight Club.
• Klannoc Macleod the Islander, lives on an island off the coast between Ratchet and Northwatch Keep: named for “Highlander” Connor MacLeod, played by actor Christopher Lambert in the 1986 film of the same title.
• Scooty and Sprok, goblins that teleport players to Gnomregan: thinly disguised versions of Scotty and Spock from the original Star Trek.
• Cannoneers Smythe and Whessan, on a quest named The Guns of Northwatch: The “Smith and Wesson” was a common U.S. Army revolver during the late 19th Century. Gunfighters of the Northwest is a classic Hollywood Western released in 1954.
• Old Man Hemming, who sells a 225 “Fishigh” book in Booty Bay: from Old Man And The Sea, a 1958 novel by Ernest Hemingway, about an old Cuban fisherman who chases a giant fish.
• Return of the Ring, a quest in Gnomeregan: Duh…!
• Olivia, Newton and John, bankers in Stormwind: If you’ve seen the 1978 film Grease, you know all about this one.
• Norman, Innkeeper of Undercity, and Bates, Innkeeper at Sepulcher: a tribute to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic thriller, Psycho. Don’t think I’ll be checkin’ into either of those places, thank you very much…(LEAVE ME ALONE, MOTHER…!)

One thing you gotta say about the World of Warcraft community – despite the Wagnerian air of impending Götterdamerung (what with that dreadful Shadow of the Necropolis business and all) – they still manage to avoid taking themselves too seriously, having a few laughs at their own expense. Perhaps this is the secret behind the game’s overwhelming popularity (and a lesson for the rest of us).

Take the “Easter Eggs”. Most film buffs will tell you that Easter Eggs are those funny little undocumented features on DVD movies – out-takes, interviews, or other “fun” little bits. In WoW, however, Easter Eggs refer to the character names that have pop culture references, mainly Hollywood films. Although these WoW Easter Eggs are too numerous to list here, here are a few of my favorites (for the full list, click the ‘Read’ link below):

• Hin Denburg, Zeppelin Master Goblin in Tirisfal Glades: refers to the ill-fated commercial airship, Hindenburg, that exploded during landing at Lakehurst NJ in 1937.
• Tyler and Edward, undead fighters in the Warrior Quarter combatting an Abomination: named for a character and an actor (Edward Norton) in the 1999 film Fight Club.
• Klannoc Macleod the Islander, lives on an island off the coast between Ratchet and Northwatch Keep: named for “Highlander” Connor MacLeod, played by actor Christopher Lambert in the 1986 film of the same title.
• Scooty and Sprok, goblins that teleport players to Gnomregan: thinly disguised versions of Scotty and Spock from the original Star Trek.
• Cannoneers Smythe and Whessan, on a quest named The Guns of Northwatch: The “Smith and Wesson” was a common U.S. Army revolver during the late 19th Century. Gunfighters of the Northwest is a classic Hollywood Western released in 1954.
• Old Man Hemming, who sells a 225 “Fishigh” book in Booty Bay: from Old Man And The Sea, a 1958 novel by Ernest Hemingway, about an old Cuban fisherman who chases a giant fish.
• Return of the Ring, a quest in Gnomeregan: Duh…!
• Olivia, Newton and John, bankers in Stormwind: If you’ve seen the 1978 film Grease, you know all about this one.
• Norman, Innkeeper of Undercity, and Bates, Innkeeper at Sepulcher: a tribute to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic thriller, Psycho. Don’t think I’ll be checkin’ into either of those places, thank you very much…(LEAVE ME ALONE, MOTHER…!)