Why Did Atari Decide to Skip Testing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
One of the most infamous tales in the history of the gaming industry is the rushed production and poor quality of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, developed and published by Atari for the Atari 2600. In an effort to cash in on the phenomenal success of the film franchise, the company decided to expedite the development of the game, skipping quality testing and ultimately leading to disastrous results. In this article, we’ll dive into the circumstances surrounding Atari’s decision to skip testing and examine the consequences that ensued.
Time-Limited Decision
At the beginning of 1982, Warner Communications (the parent company of Atari) acquired the licensing rights to E.T., considering the potential of a tie-in game. With an unparalleled buzz surrounding the upcoming holiday season, Atari attempted to create a game worthy of the film’s astronomical popularity. However, there wasn’t sufficient time for in-depth testing or feedback sessions, leading Atari to skip these crucial stages to ensure a timely release. As a result, E.T. was thrust into production with limited insight from quality assurance testers or experienced game developers.
Short-Lived Development and Troublesome Design
Designers, including the novice developer Howard Scott Warshaw, were placed in an unprecedented position of delivering a high-quality product with unprecedented pressure and constraints. The rushed development led to various bugs, quirks, and gameplay problems. Additionally, there were inconsistencies between the 18th century-inspired world (unlike the desert-themed scenes from the movie) and the meager visuals, making E.T.’s character often harder to locate on-screen.
No Clear Instruction, Overemphasis on Features, Underemphasis on Mechanics
Despite its shortcomings, Warshaw focused on inking more features onto the limited space of a standard 2600 cart (256 bytes for memory and 128-byte game state), neglecting vital elements of gameplay balance. Players encountered numerous inconclusive tutorials, poor signposting, and a scarcity of help within the gameplay.
Frustration Galore
E.T.’s reception was bleak: The game received generally poor reviews and ended with devastating consequences (read further to understand more on how Atari suffered massive financial loss due to their inability to adapt and maintain games after this disaster), cementing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in infamy. If developers pored through games they released during their late period (1987–1988) the end game became poison pills, killing them fastly, or leaving little breathing space for creative adjustments before launch
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became more associated with poor quality of entertainment instead of being revered in history books for revolution in art form.
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