Game over
Encyclopedia
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits
after successful completion of a game. In certain uses; particularly during conversation, Game Over is sometimes shortened to the first two letters: GO with each letter pronounced individually G O.
Before the advent of video game consoles and personal computing, arcades
were the predominant platform for playing games which required users to deposit a token or coin (traditionally a quarter
) into an arcade game
machine in order to play. Players would usually be given a finite number of lives (or attempts) to progress through the game which when expended would usually result in the display of the message "Game Over" indicating that the game had ended. The phrase might also be followed by the message "Continue?"
and a prompt asking the player to insert additional tokens to prevent the game from terminating and allowing the player to continue their progress. As these games were ported to home consoles, the "Game Over" screen and "Continue?" prompt remained, but often required only the press of a button to keep the game going. While the video game industry slowly shifted away from being arcade-focused to being home gaming-focused, the need for a "Game Over screen" gradually lessened as there no longer had to be a system in place to get additional money from the player. However, the concept of Game Over still remained a gaming staple for many years to come, not as a way to empty players' wallets but to add an element of risk to gaming: If the player doesn't do well and they eventually run out of lives and their game is over, they have to begin again from the start. Thus, avoiding the Game Over screen was preferable.
In more recent years, there has been a decline in the usage of the Game Over message and players are instead allowed to respawn at a checkpoint after completing a certain segment of the game or save
, preserving the game state without any loss of progress. In many modern games, a game doesn't typically "end" until it has been completed; the only disruptions to a game's forward momentum is the occasional retrying of a failed segment of the game or when the player takes a break from playing it. While some games still use it, the "Game Over" screen today is largely seen as a dated or passe element of gaming's past.
"Game over" is also sometimes used as a phrase to concede defeat, as for example in the movie Aliens
where one of the protagonists, Private William Hudson (Bill Paxton
), shouts, "Game over, man!" after the dropship meant to rescue him and his expedition are destroyed. Paxton's use of the phrase proved so popular that it was included in shortened form in the SNES
game adaptation of Alien 3 , despite the Hudson character not appearing in the film. Rights issues prevented the actual audio from Aliens being used and the sample was a rerecording made by Paxton specifically for the game.
End Credits
"End Credits" is the first single from Drum and Bass duo Chase & Status' second studio album No More Idols. The single was co-written, co-produced and features vocals from Plan B and was released on 29 October 2009, reaching a peak position of No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart...
after successful completion of a game. In certain uses; particularly during conversation, Game Over is sometimes shortened to the first two letters: GO with each letter pronounced individually G O.
History
The phrase was used as early as the 1950s in devices such as electromechanical pinball machines, which would light up the phrase with a lamp (lightbulb).Before the advent of video game consoles and personal computing, arcades
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
were the predominant platform for playing games which required users to deposit a token or coin (traditionally a quarter
Quarter
Quarter is one fourth, ¼, or 25%, and may refer to:*Quarter , a section or area, usually of a town*Quarter , valued at one-fourth of a U.S...
) into an arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
machine in order to play. Players would usually be given a finite number of lives (or attempts) to progress through the game which when expended would usually result in the display of the message "Game Over" indicating that the game had ended. The phrase might also be followed by the message "Continue?"
Continue (video gaming)
Continue is a common term in video games for the option to continue the game after all of the player's lives have been lost, rather than ending the game and restarting from the very beginning.-Arcade games:...
and a prompt asking the player to insert additional tokens to prevent the game from terminating and allowing the player to continue their progress. As these games were ported to home consoles, the "Game Over" screen and "Continue?" prompt remained, but often required only the press of a button to keep the game going. While the video game industry slowly shifted away from being arcade-focused to being home gaming-focused, the need for a "Game Over screen" gradually lessened as there no longer had to be a system in place to get additional money from the player. However, the concept of Game Over still remained a gaming staple for many years to come, not as a way to empty players' wallets but to add an element of risk to gaming: If the player doesn't do well and they eventually run out of lives and their game is over, they have to begin again from the start. Thus, avoiding the Game Over screen was preferable.
In more recent years, there has been a decline in the usage of the Game Over message and players are instead allowed to respawn at a checkpoint after completing a certain segment of the game or save
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
, preserving the game state without any loss of progress. In many modern games, a game doesn't typically "end" until it has been completed; the only disruptions to a game's forward momentum is the occasional retrying of a failed segment of the game or when the player takes a break from playing it. While some games still use it, the "Game Over" screen today is largely seen as a dated or passe element of gaming's past.
Outside video gaming
The phrase is occasionally used to indicate the end of an argument or process in real life. In January 2011, protesters and rioters in several North African and Middle Eastern countries used the slogan "Game Over" on banners to express their anti-government sentiments."Game over" is also sometimes used as a phrase to concede defeat, as for example in the movie Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
where one of the protagonists, Private William Hudson (Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton
William "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
), shouts, "Game over, man!" after the dropship meant to rescue him and his expedition are destroyed. Paxton's use of the phrase proved so popular that it was included in shortened form in the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
game adaptation of Alien 3 , despite the Hudson character not appearing in the film. Rights issues prevented the actual audio from Aliens being used and the sample was a rerecording made by Paxton specifically for the game.
See also
- Continue (video gaming)Continue (video gaming)Continue is a common term in video games for the option to continue the game after all of the player's lives have been lost, rather than ending the game and restarting from the very beginning.-Arcade games:...
- 1-up1-up1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
- Checkpoint (video gaming)
- Video games with multiple endings