Where are the E.T. games buried?

Where are the E.T. games buried?

The legend of the buried E.T. games has been a topic of fascination for many gamers and enthusiasts for decades. The story goes that Atari, the legendary video game company, buried millions of unsold E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial cartridges in a New Mexico landfill in 1983. But is this urban legend true? Let’s dig deeper and find out.

The Origins of the Legend

In 1982, Atari released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a game based on the popular movie of the same name. The game was a commercial failure, and Atari was left with a massive inventory of unsold cartridges. According to legend, the company decided to bury the games in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, to avoid the cost of returning them to the manufacturer.

The Excavation

In 2013, a documentary crew from Xbox Entertainment Studios decided to investigate the legend and excavate the landfill to see if the games were really buried there. The excavation was led by Microsoft’s Larry Hryb, who has been fascinated by the story for years. On April 26, 2014, the team began digging, and after several hours, they finally found some remnants of E.T. and other Atari games.

What was Found?

The excavation team found a total of 728,000 cartridges, including E.T. and other Atari games. While this is a significant number, it’s far from the millions of games that were rumored to be buried. The team also found some broken and damaged games, which suggests that the landfill was indeed used as a dumping ground for Atari’s unsold inventory.

How Many E.T. Games were Produced?

According to Ray Kassar, the CEO of Atari at the time, the company produced around 3.5 million E.T. cartridges. However, not all of these games were sold, and many were returned to the manufacturer or buried in the landfill. This means that the number of E.T. games that were actually buried is likely to be much lower than the original estimate of millions.

What Happened to Atari?

Atari’s failure to sell E.T. and other games led to a significant decline in the company’s fortunes. In 1984, the company was sold to Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore computers, who established the Atari Corporation. The rest of the company was rebranded Atari Games Inc. and eventually shut down in 2003.

Conclusion

The excavation of the Alamogordo landfill has finally put to rest the legend of the buried E.T. games. While the number of games found is significant, it’s clear that the story has been exaggerated over the years. The real story is one of a company struggling to compete in a rapidly changing market, and the consequences of its failure.

Timeline of Events

• 1982: Atari releases E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a game that fails to sell well.
• 1983: Atari buries unsold E.T. cartridges in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
• 2013: A documentary crew from Xbox Entertainment Studios begins excavating the landfill to investigate the legend.
• April 26, 2014: The excavation team finds remnants of E.T. and other Atari games.

Table: Atari’s E.T. Game Sales

Bullets:

• Atari produced around 3.5 million E.T. cartridges.
• Not all of these games were sold, and many were returned to the manufacturer or buried in the landfill.
• The excavation team found a total of 728,000 cartridges, including E.T. and other Atari games.
• The games found were mostly broken and damaged, suggesting that the landfill was used as a dumping ground for Atari’s unsold inventory.
• Atari’s failure to sell E.T. and other games led to a significant decline in the company’s fortunes.