This article is about the gaming term. For the Game Over theme see: Game Over (Musical Theme)
Game Over (ゲームオーバー Gēmu Ōbā) 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 the game is successfully completed, followed by the Name Entry screen, although some games puts the Name Entry before the Game Over screen.
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 of the word[]
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 were the predominant platform for playing games which required users to deposit a token or coin 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 sceen" 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.
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 where one of the protagonists, Private William Hudson (Bill Paxton), shouts, "Game Over, man, Game Over!" after the dropship meant to rescue him and his expedition is destroyed. Paxton's use of the phrase proved so popular that it was included in shortened form in the SNES game adaptation of Alien³, despite Hudson's 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.
Game Over and Victory Conditions in Triggerheart Exelica[]
The Game Over screen of Triggerheart Exelica is reached by different failure and victory conditions.
Failure conditions[]
- If the player loses all his/her lives and the continue countdown drops to zero. (Arcade / Story Mode / XBLA / PS2 Enhanced)
- If the player loses his/her lives in Arrange Mode, the game will send the player to the Game Over screen.
- If the player reaches the "Normal Ending" at the end of the game. (XBLA / PS2 Enhanced)
Reaching any of the failure conditions will be confirmed as the Game Over theme plays in the background.
Victory conditions[]
- If the player completes the game without losing all his/her lives, or by continuing the game after losing all of them. (Arcade)
- If the player survives the Arrange Mode. (Dreamcast)
- If the player reaches the "True Ending" at the end of the game. (Story Mode / XBLA / PS2 Enhanced)
Reaching any of the victory conditions will be confirmed as the Game Over screen appears without playing its theme. However, in the original arcade, the Arrange Mode, and the XBLA port, the Game Over theme will play although the player completed the game and reached the True Ending.
Curiosities[]
- The Game Over sign in Triggerheart Exelica is shaped like a heart.
- Pressing left or right will make the Game Over symbol spin.
- In most of the games (except for the XBLA version), the Game Over screen is followed by the Name Entry.