To find the egg, they must open three gates using copper, jade, and crystal keys hidden in the OASIS.įive years later, no keys have been found and the egg hunters- known as 'gunters'- are constantly ridiculed. Immediately after his death, he posthumosly brodcasts a video to the world, explaining that he hid a video game easter egg inside the OASIS and that whoever finds it will inherit his fortune and gain control of the OASIS. However, the state of the real world begins to deteriorate as fossil fuels cause a global energy crisis and economic recession, beginning the decline of human civilization.īy 2040, most of humanity lives in poverty as the OASIS continues to expand, until Halliday dies.

The OASIS soon evolves in to the most popular game of all time, with most of humanity using it on a daily basis. In 2012, video game company Gregarious Simulation Systems, headed by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow, introduces the OASIS, a virtual reality MMO that allows the users to be or do anything. The story follows the adventures of Wade Watts, starting about five years after the announcement, when he discovers one of the three keys pointing to the treasure. It was created by James Halliday who, when he died, had announced in his will to the public that he had left an Easter egg inside OASIS, and the first person to find it would inherit his entire fortune and the corporation. It functions both as an MMORPG and as a virtual society, with its currency being the most stable in the real world. To escape the decline their world is facing, people turn to the OASIS, a virtual reality simulator accessible by players using visors and haptic technology such as gloves.

In the year 2045, the world has been gripped by an energy crisis from the depletion of fossil fuels and the consequences of global warming and overpopulation, causing widespread social problems and economic stagnation.

8.9 Literature references in the simulation.8.7 Anime and tokusatsu referenced in the simulation.8.5 Movies referenced in the simulation.8.3 Computers and video game consoles referenced in the simulation.

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