Several competing theories have emerged about the true significance of the Google doodle featuring a UFO stealing an ‘O’, which was on the site on September 5.
One of the theories was put forward by the Telegraph’s own Shane Richmond, who concluded that it was put up in honour of Zero Wing, a 1980s Japanese video game.
Google put up a tweet with the following message after the UFO appeared: “1.12.12 25.15.21.18 15 1.18.5 2.5.12.15.14.7 20.15 21.19″
Mr Richmond’s theory held that the alpha-numeric transcription – “All Your O Are Belong To Us” – is a joke based on a popular mistranslation in the Zero Wing game which said: “All your base are belong to us.”
He noted information added to Wikipedia on September 6, which gave the release date of Zero Wing as September 5, 1989.
Therefore, he said, the appearance of the Google UFO must be to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the game.
However, other bloggers claim the editing of the Wikipedia entry a day after the UFO arrived is proof that it must be a reaction rather than the true explanation.
Telegraph (thanks, Fosca)
I like that theory. I personally like how it linked to the Google search of “Unexplained Phenomenon” — so, as the doodle was an ‘unexplained phenomenon’, it all worked out in a weird paradoxical kind of way.
(hi, phillis)
Hence why, when you try to ape Zero Wing in your banner text, it should read: “All Your *Mind* Are Belong To Us”, the lack of plural is what is the joke, in the English translation.
- Well it was also the poor construction of the entire sentence – we felt “minds” just sounded better, but point taken – Phillis
It was just a lead-up to H.G. Wells’ Birthday http://www.googleunexplainedphenomenon.com/
‘All your minds are belong to us.’
I thought I heard on the news ages ago that the ufo’s were to commemorate the guy who wrote war of the worlds and the latitude and longitude references led to his home town x
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/mysterious-series-for-hg-wells.html
Is there a person we can ask for confirmation on the matter. Mind you it will be a debate that will rage on regarldless of the answers.
“All Your Base” was one of the first photo-shop internet memes. People would put the quote anywhere. The first segment here shows the Zero Wing into text, putting it in butchered, English context.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItugh-fFgg
great theories, thanks for posting
It’s just googling something out of your hat ofcourse .. in a way, you may see it as magic .. as little tricks …
we google … we perform magic …
Oh……..
LC x
It means nothing to me. oh Vienna!
“All your base are belong to us” is the single greatest quote in video game history. If you see the entire opening sequence, you’ll see there are so many stupid mistranslations along with that one. It’s hilarious to nerds like me.
“All your base are belong to us” is the single greatest quote in video game history. If you see the entire opening sequence, you’ll see there are so many stupid mistranslations along with that one. It’s hilarious to nerds like me.
BTW I love your blog!