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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/McDonald’s Philippines) |
McDonald’s has undoubtedly set the gaming world abuzz – gaining momentum after top gamer Alodia Gosiengfiao posted on her socials a screengrab of a food item from a video game resembling the iconic Big Mac. This simple act has excited many professional and casual gamers who now realize that McDonald’s is ever-present in the video game multiverse. With the “level-up” in developments, everyone is asking: have McDo-like food items – akin to an unbranded menu – been hiding in plain sight in video games all along?
After McDonald’s sent Alodia a BigMac meal to match the double-decker burger she found on Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V, the gaming goddess challenged her eight million followers to search for their own screen grub. Some of the country’s top gaming influencers like Ann B. Mateo and Dexie Diaz followed suit, and before long, the situation had escalated to a screengrab frenzy. Hungry gamers shared, and are still sharing pictures of unbranded virtual food items that – despite being logo-free – bear an uncanny resemblance to the iconic French Fries, Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwiches, Cheeseburgers, Hash Browns, Sundaes and other McDonald’s classics. These items have been found everywhere, from classic video games (The Sims, Resident Evil, Yakuza, Burger Time) to online multiplayer games (Fall Guys, Roblox, PUBG), role-playing games (Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, The Last of Us, Persona), and giant titles (Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Cyberpunk 2077, Guardians of the Galaxy).
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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/McDonald’s Philippines) |
The avalanche of McDonald’s food-alike discoveries have led gaming creators big and small to stream their hunt on Facebook and Twitch. Eagle-eyed fans are catching on and swapping their screen grabs for McDonald’s food IRL. The treasure trove of the current food-alike items that were and are being found in video games has surely made local gamers more excited and hungry. Fan account @tomgutsgaming has even recently surfaced, assembling some of these screengrabs on one page. Perhaps these developments really indicate that the fast-food chain’s world-famous menu inspires video game creators and developers.
Will gamers find more surprising McDo-like items in video games in the future? What’s certain with the presence of these menu food-alikes is how the video game space, including both gamers and the games themselves, have embraced McDonald’s. And clearly, they’re lovin’ it!
