How many ET games were buried?

The Infamous ET Game Burial: A Look Back at the Numbers

In the early 1980s, Atari, a leading video game developer, released a game based on the popular movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The game was a commercial failure, and as a result, Atari buried a large quantity of unsold games in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. But just how many games were buried, and what led to this unusual outcome?

The Numbers: How Many ET Games Were Buried?

According to various sources, including an excavation project in 2014, it is estimated that between 2.5 and 3.5 million E.T. games were produced, but only around 1.5 million were sold. This means that approximately 1-2 million games were left unsold and ultimately buried in the landfill.

The Reasons Behind the Burial

So, why did Atari decide to bury these games instead of trying to sell them or destroy them in a more conventional manner? There are a few reasons:

• Overproduction: Atari had overestimated the demand for the game and produced too many copies.
• Poor quality: The game received negative reviews and was considered one of the worst games of all time, which likely contributed to its poor sales.
• Financial struggles: Atari was facing financial difficulties at the time, and burying the games may have been a cost-effective way to get rid of them.

The Excavation Project

In 2014, a team of excavators and archaeologists from the University of New Mexico, led by Dr. Paul Stone, excavated the landfill in search of the buried games. The team used ground-penetrating radar and other equipment to locate the games, which were buried about 10 feet underground.

What Was Found

During the excavation, the team found 739 games, including E.T. and other Atari games. While this number is significantly lower than the estimated 1-2 million games buried, it is still a remarkable find.

The Significance of the Burial

The burial of the E.T. games has become a symbol of the failure of the North American video game market in the early 1980s. It also highlights the risks and challenges faced by game developers and publishers, who often have to deal with uncertainty and unpredictability in the market.

Conclusion

The burial of the E.T. games is a fascinating and unusual story that has captured the imagination of gamers and non-gamers alike. While the exact number of games buried is still unknown, it is clear that a significant quantity of games were left unsold and ultimately buried in the landfill. The excavation project has provided a unique glimpse into the past and has helped to shed light on the challenges faced by the video game industry in the early 1980s.

Additional Facts

• The E.T. game was released in 1982 and was one of the first games to be based on a movie.
• The game was developed by Howard Scott Warshaw, who has spoken publicly about the game’s poor quality and the challenges he faced during its development.
• The game has become a cult classic and is still played and collected by some gamers today.
• The excavation project was funded by a group of investors, including film director and gamer, Todd Robbins.

Table: E.T. Game Sales and Production

Bullets: Key Points

• The E.T. game was a commercial failure, leading to the burial of a large quantity of unsold games.
• The exact number of games buried is still unknown, but estimates range from 1-2 million.
• The excavation project found 739 games, including E.T. and other Atari games.
• The burial of the E.T. games has become a symbol of the failure of the North American video game market in the early 1980s.
• The game has become a cult classic and is still played and collected by some gamers today.