James Halliday
What motivated James Halliday to start the contest?
He loves video games, and he doesn’t have any heirs.
Explain the difficulties in Wade’s life and why he is an orphan.
His father was killed while looting a grocery store during a black out and his mother died due to her drug addiction.
He is a poor orphan living with an aunt and her abusive boyfriends who treat him badly and only agreed to take him for additional food vouchers.
Who is the protagonist?
Wade Watts
What is an Easter Egg?
It is a hidden key within a game that unlocks a hidden room.
Who is Art3mis?
A beautiful gunter who is also a blogger. Wade has a virtual crush on her.
Describe some of Halliday’s obsessions.
He was obsessed with old video games and anything from the 80s – dress, hair, sitcoms, games, etc.
Describe Wade’s hideout.
It is in an abandoned stacked van. He managed to hook up wifi and other amenities.
What is the setting of the novel and explain the “stacking” system?
The year is 2044 and it takes place in an inner city of Oklahoma.
Due to the need for housing and a lack of space, mobile homes were stacked in towers, one over another, up to 22 high.
What is a “gunter”?
A person who hunts for the Easter Eggs in the contest.
Who is Aech and what do Wade and Aech talk about in the basement?
Aech is Wade's best friend, fellow gunter, and rival in the quest to find the egg. They talk about the contest and 80s culture.
What is James Halliday's virtual universe system called?
OASIS
Describe Wade’s school.
It is a virtual school that he accesses online. Because it is virtual, it's made of the best materials. He goes to classes with other avatars.
Is the genre adventure or science fiction? Explain your answer.
It can actually be considered both because it is an adventure that takes place in the future.
What are “Sixers”?
Sixers are the professional hunters employed by Innovative Online Industries. If they find the Easter Eggs, they have to hand them over to the company.
Why does I-r0k dislike Wade?
He thinks Wade is below him in class because he doesn’t have any money.
What was James Halliday's childhood like?
He came from a poor, unhappy household, so he lost himself in movies and video games.
Why can’t Wade travel to other planets?
It costs money to travel and he doesn’t have any.
What is the conflict of the protagonist?
He wants to find the three keys and open the three gates to win the contest.
Describe the contest.
When James Halliday died in 2039, he had an invitation sent to the millions of people who use his virtual universe system, OASIS, to search for his own Easter Egg. Halliday hid the Easter Egg within the OASIS program. The hunter first is to find three keys and pass the tests behind three gates that these keys open. The first to find the egg will inherit Halliday's vast estate, worth several billion dollars, as well as control of his company, Gregarious Simulation Systems or GSS, and OASIS.
Why does Wade think of I-r0k?
Wade considered him to be a poseur due to his lack of Halliday knowledge.
Summarize how James Halliday acquired his wealth?
After meeting Ogden Morrow, he eventually made his own game, and they formed their own gaming company, Gregarious Games. This company became one of the most successful of their generation with Morrow as the public face of the company and Halliday as the game designer. In 2012, Gregarious released OASIS, a free virtual universe game that changed the whole face of gaming and changed the name of their company to Gregarious Simulation Systems. The company made money not from the use of OASIS, but from selling virtual real estate within the program and charging for clothing the avatars can wear and transportation. Now millions of people around the world work and socialize within the OASIS.
How did Wade Watts get his name?
He is told his father named him Wade Watts because it was alliterative and sounded like the secret identity of a superhero.
What text evidence do we have that suggests this is a Dystopian Novel?
war, poverty, famine, plagues, etc.
answers will vary. Teachers discretion.
Why would it be a disaster if Innovative Online Industries (IOI) wins?
If IOI gets the egg, they will have control of the OASIS and they will make it a pay service, rather than leaving it free as it has been since its creation. This would make it impossible for people like Wade to access it.
Who is Ogden Morrow and describe what we know about him?
The co-creator of the OASIS and best friend of James Halliday, but they ultimately had a falling out and he left Gregarious Games. He is rich, but humble and respects the hunt for the egg that Halliday created.