History AluminumChristmasTrees / VideoGames

* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', the protagonists are hunted by the [[LawEnforcementInc Pinkerton National Detective Agency]], which was and still is a real organization.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'', Kisara's [[CustomUniformOfSexy armour is backless]], with the justification given that she wanted to increase mobility and reduce its weight. This was actually a real (although rare) practice, where some knights believed that if an enemy managed to get behind them, they were screwed anyways, so they might as well make their armour easier to wear.

*** "Blood moon" is an actual colloquial name for a lunar eclipse (generally a total lunar eclipse). Some fans consider the name of the phenomenon in ''[=BotW=]'' to be overly dramatic, unaware of this fact.

* A surprisingly large number of people think the [[http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/m3irsnip.htm M3 Carbine]] in ''VideoGame/ReturnToCastleWolfenstein'' is some crazy fictional gun. Nope, it just wasn't silenced, or used during the war. Same for the [=FG42=] Paratrooper rifle, another [[RareGuns rare real-life gun]].

* ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter 2'' has the caseless round-firing H11 assault rifle. Looks and sounds like science fiction, but it's actually a [[AKA47 renamed version]] of the [[RareGuns G11]], a real caseless weapon that came very close to being mass-produced before things happened to the Soviet Union's fate that cut into its funding. Also, the BIZ-2 is a renamed PP-19 Bizon, which used a unique helical magazine. Even HarsherInHindsight, there have been real-life cases of people being set on fire by tasers.

** In ''The/Sims4'', Siobhan and Morgan Fyres are siblings with very different skin color. Sounds like an attempt at diversity or they were meant to be step-siblings, right? Actually, it is not unheard of for full siblings to have different color skin including the contrast between Siobhan and Morgan.

* For many non-US players, ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' was their introduction to [[TrademarkFavoriteFood grilled cheese sandwiches]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon 2}}'' has a couple of off-handed mentions of a place called "Mount Nantai" in various character dialogue from the single-player campaigns. Made up for the game? Nope--as you might be able to tell from the lack of fish puns in its name, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nantai it's a real volcano in Nikko National Park on Honshu]], not far from Tokyo (which Inkopolis is implied to be a far-future version of). It's well-known inside of Japan, but foreign audiences probably only know it from this game.

** The setting mirrors quite a number of ideas from the '50s and back, and believe it or not, the idea of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radithor selling beverages containing a healthy dose of radioactive elements]] is not just the game's invention. In fact, it's OlderThanTelevision -- the first such products appeared back in [[TheGayNineties the 1890s]]! Although they had also ''disappeared'' by the mid 20th century, people having caught on to the dangers of radiation by then. The radioactive energy drink "Bonk!" in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is a similar, though [[ILoveNuclearPower exaggerated]], reference to this.

* Baslam in ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim'' is a merchant who built a town, gathering the stone by dismantling ruins of priceless historical value. It sounds like a comically over-the-top bit of CorruptCorporateExecutive behavior, medieval fantasy-style... unless you know this has actually been done in real life. Multiple times. Medieval Cairo was built by raiding limestone from the pyramids, the Renaissance Italians would tear marble off of Roman buildings and melt down statues in order to get the materials needed for their own works, and numerous houses built in the immediate aftermath of the English Civil War contain identifiable pieces salvaged from castles destroyed by artillery. Even in modern times, this still happens, such as pyramids in Belize getting carved out as road material by corrupt politicians.

** Far Harbor from the ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' expansion of the same name is based on a real town, Bar Harbor, on Maine's Mt. Desert Island, and Acadia, the synth settlement, is the real-life name of the national park there.

** A radio broadcast mentions that [[TheDragon Legate Lanius]] has instituted a form of punishment for [[YouHaveFailedMe "underperforming" units]] where after executing the officers, he orders that nine-tenths of the unit beat the remaining tenth to death. This may sound like a typical example of post-apocalyptic brutality, but [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army) this was a real practice in the Roman army]], from which modern English speakers get the word "decimation", with the unfortunate tenth determined by drawing lots.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' features the main character, Squall, wielding what's called a "Gunblade", a MixAndMatchWeapon of a pistol and a sword. Most assumed there was no way on earth something like that could have existed. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistol_sword It did]], actually. Of course, it wasn't exactly a practical weapon.

** The same can also be said about ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'''s Gunlance, which is essentially a giant version of a Pistol Sword.
* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', some people thought that [[http://static3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130502171447/fireemblem/images/f/f4/Lissa_%28FE13_Artwork%29.png Lissa's dress]] was unrealistic and too over the top. Actually, it was inspired by wire-cage dresses which actually ''do'' exist.
** Ditto [[http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080531172217/soulcalibur/images/5/5e/Sc4-ashlotte.jpg Ashlotte]], one of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur IV]]'''s bonus characters.

* A surprisingly large number of people think the [[http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/m3irsnip.htm M3 Carbine]] in ''VideoGame/ReturnToCastleWolfenstein'' is some crazy fictional gun. Nope, it just wasn't silenced, or used during the war.
** Same for the [=FG42=] Paratrooper rifle, another [[RareGuns rare real-life gun]].

* The ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' has Cervantes, who {{Dual Wield|ing}}s Soul Edge and a pistol sword--that is, a sword fused with a gun. This may sound like just another over-the-top detail about [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Ghost Zombie Pirate Lich]], but it isn't. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistol_sword Pistol swords did exist and were in use since the XVI century]]. They were, however, considered AwesomeButImpractical, and were thus quite rare. They were quickly eclipsed by the much more practical bayonet.

* In ''VideoGame/StardewValley'', elders Lewis and George will sometimes ask for Hot Peppers for their bad knees. Weird in-game folk remedy? Nope. Capsaicin, the burning chemical in hot peppers, is a well-documented pain reliever frequently used for arthritis medicine.
** In addition, there are real-life sashimi varieties that use shellfish, and even snails. However, [[DontTryThisAtHome only certain species should be prepared this way, by an expert]], due to pollutants and parasites.

* When ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorWarfighter'' came out, many people made fun of the subtitle, not realizing that Warfighter is a [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/warfighter real life military term]]. Although that real term also has a level of derision as many feel it is overly motto {{Narm}} or another invention of the military industrial complex designed to part the Government from it's money.

*** The ridiculous-looking Durian fruit may seem made-up to anyone who doesn't live in southeast Asia, but [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian it's one of the most realistic items in the game.]] Despite its enormous size, it grows on trees, and its strong smell and "king of fruits" nickname from the ingame description come directly from the real version.

* Some of the more memorable enemies of ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' are its animated enemy trees which explode when defeated. Not quite as far-fetched as one would think: UsefulNotes/{{Australia|nWildlife}} ([[EverythingTryingToKillYou no surprises there]]) is home to the eucalyptus tree genus, which are prone to exploding when exposed to fire. Admittedly, they don't look much like ''[=EarthBound=]'''s exploding trees (which the English translation refers to as oaks, anyway), and they certainly aren't animated or otherwise trying to kill you (at least, not ''intentionally'' trying to kill you). However, according to Wikipedia's "exploding trees" article, other kinds of trees can explode if the sap expands due to being frozen.

*** Speaking of Sanctuary Hills, one might think that the houses in this neighborhood are merely a result of the developer's imagination. However, they're actually a very accurate reproduction of Lustron Homes -- a style of house that was assembled, rather than built, from 1948 to 1950. The largest remaining collection of such homes exist on the U.S. Marine base in Quantico, Virginia, and thanks to their porcelain-coated steel plating, look very much like they did when they were first built.

** Speaking of the lottery in Nipton, a radio broadcast mentions that [[TheDragon Legate Lanius]] has instituted a form of punishment for [[YouHaveFailedMe "underperforming" units]] where after executing the officers, he orders that nine-tenths of the unit beat the remaining tenth to death. This may sound like a typical example of post-apocalyptic brutality, but [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army) this was a real practice in the Roman army]], from which modern English speakers get the word "decimation", with the unfortunate tenth determined by drawing lots.

** Though the milk bars found in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'', and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' may sound like they're just child friendly versions of a real bar, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_bar milk bars do exist in real life]]. Unlike the milk bars found in games, the real milk bars served other drinks besides milk based ones and they don't serve alcoholic milk (which is what the Chateau Romani implies). Speaking of alcoholic milk, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis that actually exists, too]].

*** Speaking of tanks and the Shagohod. Those tanks that Snake briefly saw at Groznyj Grad, which Volgin later destroys while rampaging across Groznyj Grad? [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_279 Those were actually real]], and Sigint's description when calling them is also their real history (although there were more factors to their cancellation besides simply a lack of funds).

*** Speaking of Baltic Hornets, while ''they'' certainly don't exist, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_hornet Japanese Giant Hornet]] certainly does. Their name in Japanese is ''ōsuzumebachi'' which translates to "giant sparrow bee", and they are a major threat to honey bee hives. The hornets will sniff out honey bees, and pillage their nests, literally butchering entire colonies of bees before hauling all the honey and delicious bee-torso steaks they can stuff into their home nest. It seems the bee/hornet confusion may be more a result of LostInTranslation than ArtisticLicenseBiology.

* The [[RankInflation S rank]], present in many Japanese games that use ranking systems, is commonly assumed to be a way to inflate your rank past an A; however, it actually stems from the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_Japan Japanese government's grading system]], where S ''is'' the highest grade. A Japanese S is equivalent to an American A, a Japanese A is equivalent to an American B, and so on. Conversely, many Japanese games lack an F rank because E is the lowest grade in Japanese schools.
* In ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'', the characters sometimes trigger a hidden event called the "[[UnusualEuphemism secret garden]]" where one of the kids need to, um, unload on a duck-shaped potty. Some people think the potty was something crafted specifically for the game. Nope, it's real, and apparently duck-shaped potties are very common across Japan.

* In ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'', the characters sometimes trigger a hidden event called the "[[UnusualEuphemism secret garden]]" where the kids need to take a load off on a duck-shaped potty. Some people think the potty was something crafted specifically for the game. Nope, it's real, and apparently duck-shaped potties are very common across Japan.

* In ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'', the character sometimes trigger a hidden event called the "[[UnusualEuphemism secret garden]]" where the kids need to take a load off on a duck-shaped potty. Some people think the potty was something crafted specifically for the game. Nope, it's real, and apparently duck-shaped potties are very common across Japan.

*** They use those in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' to take out [[spoiler:Hitler's guards]].

* At the start of [[VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest The 11th Hour]], Carl Denning is shipped a small, laptop-like handheld device called the [=GameBook=], which he has no idea how to use. The prop he uses in the live action cutscenes is actually a Palmtop PC, similar to the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Portfolio Atari Portfolio]], which were somewhat common in the 90's when the game was released, and were the predecessors to cell phones and [=PDAs=]. Doesn't quite explain how Henry Stauf and [[MissionControl Samantha Ford]] can remotely communicate with Carl through it, though.

* When Creator/SquareEnix announced ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'''s sequel to be named ''Videogame/NierAutomata'', some people apparently didn't realize that "automata" is an existing word, not another WordPureeTitle. It's a lesser used plural of "automaton".

** Eggman's deceased cousin Maria Robotnik was born with a rare illness called "Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome" that weakens both the nervous system and the immune system. NIDS itself is fictional, but it's based on real disorders. In Japan, NIDS is referred to in [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]] as a "primary immunodeficiency" disorder and a "hereditary immune deficiency syndrome", which are both real diagnosis.

* VideoGame/AnimalCrossing: The Juicy-Apple TV (or Apple TV prior to New Horizons), which a literal TV shaped like an apple, may seem like a joke on the more well-known Apple TV. However, not only was this TV available in the games long before Apple produced theirs, but one Chinese company called Hannspree has been making apple-shaped TVs since the early 2000s. These novelty TVs were still being made as late as 2018.

* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'': The fact that people turn into zombies after inhaling the spores of a fungus is just the developers' way of spicing up the zombie formula, right? Well, no, there's actually a family of fungi called [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordycipitaceae Cordycipitaceae]] that takes over the ants' nervous system and makes it climb into a spot with optimal humidity and temperature for the cordyceps to grow.

** Ditto [[http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080531172217/soulcalibur/images/5/5e/Sc4-ashlotte.jpg Ashlotte]], one of [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur IV]]'s bonus characters.