Phone Guy and Phone Dude: Voices of the Past and Present in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, the player is introduced to two distinct voices that guide them through the game: Phone Guy and Phone Dude. These characters serve different roles, representing both the history of the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza franchise and the present-day exploitation of that history in the form of Fazbear’s Fright, a horror attraction. Together, they offer insight into the dark legacy of Fazbear Entertainment and the unsettling atmosphere that pervades the game.
Phone Guy: The Echo from the Past
Phone Guy’s presence in FNaF 3 is delivered through a series of pre-recorded training tapes, originally made for employees of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. These tapes, likely from the late 1980s or early 1990s, provide crucial information about the animatronics and the protocols that were meant to keep employees safe.
- A Veteran Employee: Phone Guy’s tapes demonstrate his extensive knowledge of the animatronics and the various procedures necessary to manage them. He was clearly an experienced employee, likely having worked through some of the most chaotic periods in the company’s history, such as the “missing children” incident and the Bite of ’87.
- Training and Warnings: The tapes cover a wide range of topics, from standard operational procedures to specific instructions on dealing with the animatronics, including the notorious Spring Bonnie suit. Phone Guy explains the dangers of the spring lock mechanisms, which were prone to failures, and advises caution to avoid triggering these mechanisms—a grim foreshadowing of the fate that would later befall William Afton, who becomes trapped in the Springtrap suit.
- A Glimpse into Fazbear’s Decline: As the nights progress, Phone Guy’s recordings become increasingly unsettling. He references the closing of previous locations, the legal issues plaguing Fazbear Entertainment, and the gradual implementation of increasingly desperate safety measures. These tapes reveal the company’s struggle to contain the dark secrets of the animatronics, hinting at a history filled with tragedies and cover-ups.
- The Human Element: Despite the eerie content of the tapes, Phone Guy’s voice provides a humanizing touch to the story. He represents the employees who were caught in the middle of Fazbear Entertainment’s dark legacy, doing their best to follow procedures in a company that was slowly spiraling out of control. His calm, instructional tone contrasts with the horrific implications of what he’s describing, adding to the game’s atmosphere of creeping dread.
Phone Dude: The Enthusiastic Exploiter of Horror
In contrast to the calm and experienced tone of Phone Guy, Phone Dude is a new character introduced in FNaF 3 who represents the present-day exploitation of Fazbear Entertainment’s dark past. He is the co-creator of Fazbear’s Fright, a horror attraction designed to capitalize on the gruesome history of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
- Modern-Day Enthusiast: Phone Dude is enthusiastic, almost to the point of being oblivious, about the haunted nature of Fazbear’s Fright. His excitement is palpable as he talks about the various “authentic” elements they’ve managed to scrounge up for the attraction, including old animatronic parts, vintage posters, and the training tapes from Phone Guy. He sees the dark history of Fazbear Entertainment not as something to be feared, but as a marketing goldmine for the horror attraction.
- Ignorance and Naivety: Unlike Phone Guy, who is fully aware of the dangers posed by the animatronics, Phone Dude appears to have little understanding of the true horror he is dealing with. He dismisses the potential risks and focuses on creating an authentic experience for visitors. This lack of understanding ultimately leads to the reawakening of Springtrap, the decayed animatronic that houses the spirit of William Afton, which puts both the player and the attraction’s employees in grave danger.
- Catalyst for Horror: Phone Dude’s enthusiasm inadvertently sets the stage for the horrors that unfold in FNaF 3. His eagerness to create the ultimate horror attraction leads him to uncover and restore the remnants of the past, including the Springtrap suit. This act of bringing the past into the present has catastrophic consequences, as Springtrap becomes the primary threat that the player must survive throughout the game.
The Intersection of Past and Present
The juxtaposition of Phone Guy and Phone Dude in FNaF 3 highlights the intersection of the franchise’s past horrors with their present-day exploitation. While Phone Guy’s tapes serve as a warning from the past, Phone Dude’s enthusiasm for creating a profitable horror attraction ignores these warnings, leading to the reawakening of the franchise’s darkest secrets.
- A Cautionary Tale: The presence of both characters underscores the idea that the past cannot be easily forgotten or commodified without consequences. Phone Guy’s tapes, intended as a guide for safety, are repurposed by Phone Dude as part of the horror experience, without fully understanding the danger they represent. This careless treatment of the past leads to the revival of Springtrap, symbolizing the literal and figurative return of the horrors Fazbear Entertainment tried to bury.
- Legacy of Horror: Through Phone Guy’s and Phone Dude’s voices, FNaF 3 explores the enduring legacy of Fazbear Entertainment’s dark history. The game suggests that the horrors of the past have a way of resurfacing, especially when they are not properly understood or respected. The contrast between Phone Guy’s cautious, experienced tone and Phone Dude’s carefree enthusiasm serves as a reminder that the past should not be taken lightly, particularly when it involves such malevolent forces.
Night 1
(Phone Dude)
He-hey! Glad you came back for another night!
I promise, it’ll be a LOT more interesting this time!
We found som-some great new relics over the weekend, and were out tracking down a new lead RIGHT NOW!
So, uhh- let me just update you real quick, then you can get to work. Like, the attraction opens in like a week, so we have to make sure EVERYTHING works, and nothing catches on fire!
Uhm, when the place opens, people will come in at the opposite end of the building, and works their towards you
, and PASS you, and out the exit. Uh, yeah you’ve officially become part of the attraction. Uh, you’ll be starring as… The Security Guard
! So not only will you be monitoring the people on the camera as they pass through, you know, to make sure no one STEALS anything or, (makes out?) at the corner,
but you’ll also be a part of the show! It’ll make it feel, really authentic I think. Uh, now let me tell you about what’s new. We found another set of drawings, always nice, AND A FOXY HEAD!
Which we think could be authentic! Then again, it might just be another crappy cosplay. And we found a Desk fan, very old school, metal though, so watch the fingers! Uh, heh! Uhm, right now the place is basically just, you know, FLASHING LIGHTS and SPOOKY PROPS.
I honestly thought we’d have more by now, uh so if we don’t have anything really cool by next week, we may have to suit you up in a (Freddy/Furry?)
suit, and make you walk around saying: “BOOO!” Hehe
. Uh, but you know like I said, were trying to track down, a good lead right now. Uh, some guy who helped design one of the buildings, said there was like, an extra room that got boarded up
..? Or something like that. So! Were gonna take a peak,
and see what we can find. Uh, for now just get comfortable with the new setup. You can check the security cameras over on your right, with a click of that blue button. Uh, you can toggle between the Hall cams and the Vent cams. Uh, then over on your far left, you can flip up your maintenance panel. You know, use this to reboot any systems that may go offline.
Uh, in trying to make the place feel more vintage we have overdone it a bit! Heh heh.
Some of this equipment is BARELY functional! Uh, I wasn’t joking about the fire, that- that’s a real risk.
Uhm, but the MOST IMPORTANT THING, you have to watch for, is the Ventilation. Look, this place will give you the spooks man, and if you let that ventilation go offline, then you’ll start seeing some craaazy stuff man, keep that air blowing!
Ok, keep an eye on things, and we’ll try to have something new for ya’ tomorrow night.”
Night 2
(Phone Dude)
“Hey man! Ok, I have some awesome news for you! First of all: We found some vintage audio traning cassettes.
Dude, these are like, prehistoric! I think they were like, training tapes, for like other employees or something like that. So, I thought we could like, have them playing, like over the speakers while people walk through the attraction? Dude, that makes this feel, LEGIT man. But I have an even better suprise for you, and you’re not gonna belive this! We found one. A REAL one. Uh, oh uhm, gotta go man! W-well look I-It’s in there somewhere, I-I’m sure you’ll see it.
Okay, I’ll leave you with some of this great audio I found. Talk to you later, man!” Click!
(Phone Guy)
“Oh, Hello! Hello, hello! Uh, welcome to your new career as a perfomer/entertainer, for Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Uh, these tapes will provide you, with much needed information on how to handle/climb into/climb out of, mascot costumes. Right now, we have 2 specially designed suits, that double as both animatronic and suit! So please, pay close attention while learning how to operate these suits, as accidents/injury/death/irreparable and grotesque maiming can occour.
First we will discuss how to operate the mascots when they are in Animatronic form. For ease of operation the animatronics are set to turn and walk towards sound, giving an easy and hands free approach, to making sure the animatronics stay where the children are,
for maximum entertainment/crowd pleasing value. To change the animatronics to Suit mode, insert and turn firmly the hand crank, provided by the manufacturer. Turning the crank will recoil and compress the animatronic parts around the sides of the suit, providing room to climb inside. Please make sure the spring lock
is fastened tight, to ensure the animatronic devices remain (fit?). We’ll cover this in more detail, in tomorrow’s session. Remember to smile, you are the face of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
“
Night 3
(Phone Guy)
“Uh, hello hello! Uhm, for today’s lesson we will be continuing our training on proper suit handeling technique. When using an animatronic as a suit, please ensure that the animatronic parts are tightly compressed and fastened, by the spring lock located around inside of the suit. It may take a few moments, position your head and torso between these parts, in a manner where you can move and speak. Try not to nudge or press against ANY of the spring locks inside the suit
. Do not touch the spring lock at any time. Do not breathe on a spring lock, as mouisture may loosen them, and cause them to break loose.
Incase that the spring lock comes loose while wearing the suit, please try to maneuver away from populated areas, before bleeding out, as to not ruin the customer experience.
As always, if there is ever an emergency, please go to the designated safe room. Every location is filled with 1 extra room, that is not included in the digital map layout programmed for the animatronics or (security systems?). This room is hidden to customers, invisible for animatronics, and is always off camera.
As always, remember to smile, as you are the face of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”
Night 4
(Phone Guy)
“Uh, hello? Hello, hello! Uhm, there has been a slight change of company policy, concerning you and the suits. Uhm, so.
After learning of an unfortunate incident at the sister location
involving multiple and simultaneous spring lock failures, the company has deemed the suits temporaily unfit for employees. Safety is top priority
at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, which is why the classic suits are being retired to an appropriate location, while being looked at by our technicians. Until replacements arrives, you’ll be expected to wear the temporary costumes
provided to you. Keep in mind, they were found on very short notice, so questions about appropriateness/relevance should be deflected. I repeat, the classic suits are not to be touched, activated or worn. That being said, we are free of liability, do as you wish. As always, remember to smile. You are the face of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”
Night 5
(Phone Guy)
“Hello, hello! Uhm, this is just a reminder of company policy concerning the safe room
. The safe room is reserved for equipment and or other property not currently being used, and as a backup safety location for employees only.
This is not a break room, and should not be considered a place for employees to hide and/or congregade,
and under no circumstance should a customer EVER be taken into this room, and out of the main show area.
Management has also been made aware, that the Spring Bonnie animatronic, has been noticeably moved.
We would like to remind employees, that this costume is not safe to wear under any circumstances. Thank you, and remember to smile, you are the face of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”
Night 6
(Phone Guy)
“Uh, hello? Hello, hello! Uh, this is just to inform all employees, that due to Budget
restrictions, the previously mentioned safe rooms, are being sealed at most locations. Including this one.
Work crews will be here most of the day today, constructing a false wall over the old door bay. Nothing is being taken out before hand
, so if you left anything inside, then it’s your own fault. Management also requests, that this room not be metioned
to family, friends or insurance representitive. Thanks again, and remember to smile. You are the face of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”