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E.T. found!

halkunhalkun Registered User regular
Well, this was something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime...

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Back in 1983 14 trucks of the game "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" for the Atari 2600 were buried in a New Mexico landfill and was christened "The Worst Video Game Ever"

They found them for an upcoming documentary exclusively on Xbox One.

For those wondering Jame Rolfe, who is currently making his own theatrical movie based on the urban legend, has released a statement about the find.

Let's all rejoice!

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Posts

  • I needed anime to post.I needed anime to post. boom Registered User regular
    send it back

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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    I owned this game and I mean it was bad but that wasn't unusual for the Atari

    But the last time I played it was when I was maybe 7 or 8? I was just happy the dots on the screen were moving where I told them to

  • Grunt's GhostsGrunt's Ghosts Registered User regular
    I wonder if any of them work still? It be a testament to how durable the tech was back in the day.

    But this begs the question. Why?

  • ArchsorcererArchsorcerer Registered User regular
    Is that a documentary for Xbox Live?

    XBL - ArchSilversmith

    "We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    Some of them are actually still function.

  • RoyceSraphimRoyceSraphim Registered User regular
    Didn't someone make a remix of the game that didn't suck?

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Not quite Nazi gold but still cool. I always thought this was a bullshit story. But now that we know it's real it's like... now we can have a glimpse at the state of video games as a business back then. Fourtreen trucks. What the fuck was Atari thinking?

  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    some experts have said that unreleased Atari products, such as a prototype for its "Mindlink" device, might also be in the desert landfill.

    Honestly the prospect of this is way more interesting to me, since I already knew the ET landfill story was true

  • DrakeDrake Edgelord Trash Below the ecliptic plane.Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Not quite Nazi gold but still cool. I always thought this was a bullshit story. But now that we know it's real it's like... now we can have a glimpse at the state of video games as a business back then. Fourtreen trucks. What the fuck was Atari thinking?

    They were thinking they were printing money since ET was so super freaking unbelievably popular.

  • ErlkönigErlkönig Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    I wonder if any of them work still? It be a testament to how durable the tech was back in the day.

    But this begs the question. Why?

    So they could bury them deeper?

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  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    Drake wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    Not quite Nazi gold but still cool. I always thought this was a bullshit story. But now that we know it's real it's like... now we can have a glimpse at the state of video games as a business back then. Fourtreen trucks. What the fuck was Atari thinking?

    They were thinking they were printing money since ET was so super freaking unbelievably popular.

    The problem was making more cartridges then consoles...

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  • Grunt's GhostsGrunt's Ghosts Registered User regular
    It might be a nice lesson for the industry today. It was really hyped up if I remember the story then became the worst game made at that time (I'm sure we could find worst now.) That is happening a lot today, with games and their endless squeals.

  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Also, the guy had an incredibly short time to develop the game by himself. Like, one month. So it's not bad if you take that into account. Of course, they probably should've had a longer development cycle, but Spielberg is the one who wanted it commissioned for September 1 on July 27.

  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    I think it says a lot about the problem with landfills with how amazingly in tact the paper boxes are after 30 years in the landfill.

  • Psychotic OnePsychotic One The Lord of No Pants Parts UnknownRegistered User regular
    halkun wrote: »
    Some of them are actually still function.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXtehH_abRQ

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Buttcleft wrote: »
    I think it says a lot about the problem with landfills with how amazingly in tact the paper boxes are after 30 years in the landfill.

    There's a pretty good chance they just dumped whole wrapped pallets of the games in a hole using a forklift. So the ones near the bottom middle should be in pretty much the same condition they would be if they were just left in a shipping container.

  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    Buttcleft wrote: »
    I think it says a lot about the problem with landfills with how amazingly in tact the paper boxes are after 30 years in the landfill.

    There's a pretty good chance they just dumped whole wrapped pallets of the games in a hole using a forklift. So the ones near the bottom middle should be in pretty much the same condition they would be if they were just left in a shipping container.

    Its not just exclusive to ET, there have been other landfill excavations that dug up 50+ year old newspapers that were almost like new.

    But that's starting to get into a "make its own damn thread" territory.

  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    I would like to see the reaction of the programmer who made "E.T.". He probably just wants to forget about it.

  • JusticeforPlutoJusticeforPluto Registered User regular
    Some things are meant to stay buried, undiscovered.

    We let our curiosity get the best of us and know we have unleashed this horror.

    What have we done?

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    Some things are meant to stay buried, undiscovered.

    We let our curiosity get the best of us and know we have unleashed this horror.

    What have we done?
    News tomorrow:

    Hundreds dead as Balrog rampages through New Mexico.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    I was going to say something similar. An E.T. cartridge golem, perhaps? Too many awful games in one place. P.A. should do a comic to that effect.

    Krathoon on
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    I remember reading articles about gaming urban legends like Polybius. They always listed this one as true, but man I never thought someone would actually go find them. So.... now what?

  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    I wonder if any of them work still? It be a testament to how durable the tech was back in the day.

    But this begs the question. Why?

    This is actually an easy one:

    A warehouse full of unsold copies & returns. I mean, what else are you going to do with them? There were no large recycling efforts for electronics at that time, and no reason to keep them in storage somewhere (which would be pretty expensive given the volume of space the damn things took up).


    Atari just made a colossal error manufacturing that many carts, and this was on top of a series of errors made in close proximity (trying to fight Activision on shaky legal grounds about third party development, making a terrible Pac Man port that damaged consumer confidence in the Atari brand name, over estimating company growth / performance and losing some of their best talent over the decision to block game developers from putting their names on the games they created). Taking the physical precipitate of those mistakes and carting it off to the landfill was probably as much a symbolic gesture as it was a pragmatic necessity.

    With Love and Courage
  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    Do not run one of the E.T. landfill cartridges. It will make you mediocre, incomprehensible, and give you stretchy neck. IT IS THE CURSE. Warehouse 13.

    Krathoon on
  • MrVyngaardMrVyngaard Live From New Etoile Straight Outta SosariaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2014
    I remember reading articles about gaming urban legends like Polybius. They always listed this one as true, but man I never thought someone would actually go find them. So.... now what?

    We use the technology of the future to destroy them properly!

    And by that I mean a phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.

    This new unwholesome discovery should spawn a fresh new SCP entry...

    MrVyngaard on
    "now I've got this mental image of caucuses as cafeteria tables in prison, and new congressmen having to beat someone up on inauguration day." - Raiden333
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  • KelorKelor Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    "The documenters delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of New Mexico....."

    Kelor on
  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    I would pray there's a plan to dispose or recycle them that's better than if they had just remained in the ground. Because otherwise it's going to look mighty pathetic in 2 weeks when they turn around and dump them back in the landfill.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    I would pray there's a plan to dispose or recycle them that's better than if they had just remained in the ground. Because otherwise it's going to look mighty pathetic in 2 weeks when they turn around and dump them back in the landfill.

    I believe their plan is to have the last guy to leave stand around awkwardly whistling before kicking some dirt on top of them and driving away.

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  • ZythonZython Registered User regular
    It might be a nice lesson for the industry today. It was really hyped up if I remember the story then became the worst game made at that time (I'm sure we could find worst now.) That is happening a lot today, with games and their endless squeals.

    I think you're grossly overestimating people's capabilities of learning from the past. There's no sobering lesson that can't be counteracted by a solid dose of good ole hubris.

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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    Though the nice thing is that the game industry is now robust and diverse enough that all the big publishers could tank tomorrow and we'd still have assloads of dev groups putting out great games.

    Also, they should totally auction off those carts for whatever their adjusted retail price is and see if they can make more money off them as garbage than they did as an actual product. :P

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • SagrothSagroth Registered User regular
    Microsoft dug too greedily and too deep.

    3DS Code: 5155-3087-0800
  • RizziRizzi Sydney, Australia.Registered User regular
    I want to know what they plan on doing with all of the copies. You know, because they just dug up trash in a landfill.

  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    It doesn't really seem real. That there really is this big landfill in the desert full of old ET cartridges. That someone dug it up. That someone dug it up for an Xbox One documentary.

    It's all a bit weird.

  • agoajagoaj Top Tier One FearRegistered User regular
    Krathoon wrote: »
    I would like to see the reaction of the programmer who made "E.T.". He probably just wants to forget about it.

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  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    edited April 2014
    I wonder if Atari tried to stick it to him when the game bombed. They only gave him five weeks to do it. I bet he totally hated that project.

    Krathoon on
  • PoketpixiePoketpixie Siege Registered User regular
    Didn't the ET game have a pit you could fall into? And now they're digging a big pit....

    It's a trap!

  • HerothHeroth Registered User regular
    agoaj wrote: »
    Krathoon wrote: »
    I would like to see the reaction of the programmer who made "E.T.". He probably just wants to forget about it.


    "Hmm, yes... this certainly is a cartridge!'

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  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    The whole thing is pretty dumb. It really don't see the point in it except for recycling and history.

  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    It doesn't really seem real. That there really is this big landfill in the desert full of old ET cartridges. That someone dug it up. That someone dug it up for an Xbox One documentary.

    It's not a landfill full of ET carts; it's a landfill where they happened to ship off a bunch of ET carts. The landfill is otherwise just another landfill filled with other assorted garbage (and probably a bunch of other Atari junk from when they cleared-out the warehouse where they were storing the carts).



    With Love and Courage
  • LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    They are garbage picking.

    And getting paid to do it.

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