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What happens when you find ET?

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Atari ET

Ah, the 80s. Games were in their infancy, hair was about to get big and plenty of countries were still striving for freedom and independence. Atari’s 2600 video game console was the wood-paneled precursor to the Nintendo Entertainment System, and also sort of the cause of the 1983 collapse of the North American video game industry. They tried to bury those skeletons, but they’ve just been dug up.

New Mexico is normally the site of “real” archeology; there are native American treasures to be found. However, the really interesting thing for us is that it was the site of a legend: the story goes that in 1983, faced with financial ruin, Atari decided to dump hundreds of thousands of unsold cartridges for their movie tie-in game, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. People weren’t quite sure if this was a metaphor, or an actual event, leading one of the first original films for Xbox to be called “Atari: Game Over”. Filmmakers and excavators descended on the Alamogordo landfill in New Mexico, discovering that there was truth behind the legend.

Apparently, there is more than just ET down there:

How many more, we don’t know just yet — but at this point, we can safely report that those long-buried cartridges are actually, 100 percent there. Crazy, isn’t it!? And it sounds like some other games are down there, too: Centipede, Space Invaders, Asteroids, and possibly more. “Lots of boxes” is what we’re hearing.

It’s amazing to think that 30 years ago the best option to get rid of a game that wasn’t selling was simply to bury it in a landfill. Now, the game would simply be pulled from the Steam store. Truly, the over manufacturing of ET is pointed at as a cause of the gaming industry’s collapse as Atari simply wasn’t able to bounce back from that failure.

Many of us like to think that the early gaming days were a simpler, better time. However, it had its own set of problems. Games were released that were beyond atrocious, and entire companies would go under as a result. Now, EA might take a hit on their share price because Battlefield 4 was buggy at release, but they certainly won’t go bankrupt from it. Also, while games might rush to market, they certainly aren’t as rushed as ET – developers were given just 5 weeks to make the game in time for release during the holiday season. No wonder it was so horribly bad. Our games may be rushed, but at least they are several years in the making.

Finally, I just had to share this tweet. For those who don’t know, Joe Hill is the fantastic author of Locke and Key, Horns and NOS4A2 who also happens to be Stephen King’s son:

They’re here!

Last Updated: April 29, 2014

25 Comments

  1. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 29, 2014 at 09:24

    WRONG. When you find ET you get an insatiable urge to ride a horse drunk, invade Bophuthatswana & be racist.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Space

      April 29, 2014 at 09:29

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

      Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      April 29, 2014 at 09:35

      If ever I find that ET, I suppose I can safely assume Polterwhite? Sorry Poltergeist?

      Reply

    • Norm the Horrible

      April 29, 2014 at 11:53

      Comment of the week, on a Tuesday.
      Bliksem.

      Reply

  2. Pieter Kruger

    April 29, 2014 at 09:25

    “Atari: Game Over” going to be interesting! Love gaming films!

    Reply

    • DrKiller

      April 29, 2014 at 14:13

      Also don’t forget about the Angry Video Game Nerd movie… He is also covering this story

      Reply

  3. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 29, 2014 at 09:26

    Pulled from the Steam store & digitally dumped on Dropbox?

    Reply

  4. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    April 29, 2014 at 09:26

    What’s the bet some of those cartridges would actually still work.

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      April 29, 2014 at 09:46

      I once broke into my friend’s house and submerged his 8 bit copy of Bomberman in water because he was an asshole. Turns out I risked arrest for breaking and entering for nothing, as he merely waited for it to dry out and played it again.

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        April 29, 2014 at 09:52

        hahahahahaha

        Reply

      • TiMsTeR1033

        April 29, 2014 at 09:52

        If only you could do that now!

        Reply

        • Dutch Matrix

          April 29, 2014 at 10:00

          What? Get arrested for breaking and entering?

          Reply

  5. TiMsTeR1033

    April 29, 2014 at 09:51

    This is what happens when you find Et! nuff said..

    Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

      April 29, 2014 at 09:53

      0_0 childhood destroyed. Thanx a bunch

      Reply

      • TiMsTeR1033

        April 29, 2014 at 09:53

        🙂 my work here is done!

        Reply

        • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

          April 29, 2014 at 11:24

          I will get you for this. Mark my words.

          Reply

    • Unavengedavo

      April 29, 2014 at 10:42

      I would have added something like:
      ET: “Smell my finger”
      Elliott: “What’s that”
      ET: “Your mom”

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        April 29, 2014 at 11:24

        Guyz… STAHP!

        Reply

  6. JaniceWGooden

    April 29, 2014 at 10:18

    Now, the game would simply be pulled from the Steam store. Truly, the over manufacturing of ET is pointed at as a cause of the gaming industry’s collapse as Atari simply wasn’t able to bounce back from that failure. http://sn.im/28ux95m

    Reply

  7. CaptainNemo42

    April 29, 2014 at 10:22

    Best news of the weekend. I enjoyed following some of the developments.

    Reply

  8. GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness

    April 29, 2014 at 10:31

    ET never went home, ET just went to live in Boksburg

    Reply

    • Her Highness the Hipster

      April 29, 2014 at 11:36

      hahahahahaha! this it making me far too giggly

      Reply

  9. Matewis Jubilai

    April 29, 2014 at 10:40

    I suppose I have to make a point to actually watch the movie some day…

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Space

      April 29, 2014 at 10:43

      OR, you could rather be scrubbing the ceiling?

      Reply

      • Matewis Jubilai

        April 29, 2014 at 15:22

        Ceiling’s still good, but my mint shrub needs watering…

        Reply

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