Urban legend confirmed: buried E.T games found

[Pike]

Thirty years ago, Atari buried a bunch of unsellable E.T. games in a New Mexico desert after the video game crash of 1983.

But that was just a legend, right?

Nope.

They just dug 'em up.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QH10KA6X--/j1uoqjumnnvyuaz4brmh.jpg

https://twitter.com/majornelson/status/460136737944399872/photo/1

https://twitter.com/elanlee/status/460131469084459009/photo/1

http://www.theandroidscloset.com/2014/04/urban-legend-confirmed-treasure-trove-of-games-in-new-mexico-desert/

Let's discuss how awesome this is.

[Jessweeee♪]

I want to put one in a case and hang it on my wall.

[Skyblade]

I want to put one in a case and hang it on my wall.

Do we really want to make these games sell well as collector's items? Do the games deserve that? They wound up in that landfill because they were horrible and didn't sell, why would we want to change that? Is holding a piece of gaming's darker history worth it?

[Madame Adequate]

I'm pretty sure Atari learned their lesson 30 years ago and are reasonably unlikely to consider E.T. a successful game now worth emulating. I mean it would certainly be a novel business stratagem, but I feel confident in declaring it a non-starter.

I think it's absolutely awesome that this ridiculous piece of gaming apocrypha turned out to be the God's own truth. About the only things more crazy would be finding something like an actual Polybius cabinet or a copy of Street Fighter II where Sheng Long really exists or something.

[Jinx]

I want to put one in a case and hang it on my wall.

Do we really want to make these games sell well as collector's items? Do the games deserve that? They wound up in that landfill because they were horrible and didn't sell, why would we want to change that? Is holding a piece of gaming's darker history worth it?

Actually, yeah, it is worth it just having it for shits and giggles. If not for it being a 'bad game' but because of the awesome history that surrounds it. Way to be a sour puss.

I think this is awesome. For pretty much what I said above. A love urban legends and unsolved mysteries, and this one is over 30-years-old and it appeals to a more fun side of myself.

[Ayen]

So, the AVGN movie was correct, then.

I just love this. Are any of the people who actually bury it still alive? I want interviews.

[Jiro]

I was under the impression this was always 100% legitimate. I didn't realise there were thoughts it was an urban legend. :confused:

I think it's fantastic that they dug 'em up. Little dubious as to why, but I suppose it is a pseudo time capsule and it's remarkable to think about how far technology and gaming have progressed since ET was made. What a wonderful chance to reflect on the history.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I think it had just always been this sort of unconfirmed rumor before now. I'm pretty sure I remember reading in an issue of EGM or something about how it was actually unlikely to be a true thing, just an exaggerated thing that got spread around because of how bad the game was.

[Jessweeee♪]

I want to put one in a case and hang it on my wall.

Do we really want to make these games sell well as collector's items? Do the games deserve that? They wound up in that landfill because they were horrible and didn't sell, why would we want to change that? Is holding a piece of gaming's darker history worth it?

The game, no. The legend, yes. And don't we want to remember our mistakes so we don't repeat them?

[Mirage]

i dont get it thought this game was pretty all right

[Del Murder]

Did they find thousands of them? Or just a few? Any dump in America would probably have a few copies of that game in it.

[Pike]

I'm hearing at least "hundreds" but I haven't checked up on this since yesterday.

[Del Murder]

Well, it's a big dessert. I'm sure they'll strike the mother load at some point.

[maybee]

I want to put one in a case and hang it on my wall.

Do we really want to make these games sell well as collector's items? Do the games deserve that?

It's still a part of video game history, a dark part of history, but still a part of it.

[black orb]

>>> The curse has been unleashed!!. The world of gaming will fall again..:luca:

[Depression Moon]

I want one for my collection as well too. This is beyond cool!

[Dat Matt]

The best reddit comment on this story was

"They were buried for a reason".

[Botchmun]

I was young and foolish, I didn't know what dark powers I toyed with, but a child holding so foul an artifact. I played this game back when I was a wee lad.

[Ayen]

The best reddit comment on this story was

"They were buried for a reason".

They are like children playing with a nuclear device. They have no idea what they have! No idea of its power!

[NeoCracker]

Yeah, I was in the same boat as Jiro. I didn't know this was just a rumor, and though it was pretty much already accepted as true. :p

[Bubba]

Haha, I read this on Twitter over the weekend. I've seen reviews of it online and it is the most God awful game I have seen. I assumed it was just a story some randomer made up due to how bad it was.

Finding out it is true has literally made my year.

[Jiro]

I wish the mainstream media would make a bigger deal out of this.

[maybee]

I wish the mainstream media would make a bigger deal out of this.

Have you forgotten ? Video games transform people into blood-thirsty murderous people


They would most likely say that those ET games spewed up from hell, to breed more violence.

[Sephex]

I wish the mainstream media would make a bigger deal out of this.

It had a segment on World News today, which is a nationwide half hour news show.

[Tigmafuzz]

Urban legend? I was always pretty sure it was true, I never heard anything about the buried copies being "just a story." It was kind of just accepted as fact by most people I know who care about that kind of stuff. Nevertheless, it is cool to hear about them being dug up, even though I can't think of a reason why. It just makes me a little happy inside.