Who believes in the atari landfill?

[27ace27]

 

Just watch.

 

It would be easy to fake, but I'd like to think this is real.

I LOVE that video! this is actually the vid that gave me the inspiration to research the atari landfill!

[27ace27]

And what is it, specifically, that you people who are voting "I do believe" actually believe?

 

I believe in the belief of believing about believing in voting for believing in Atari landfills in general.

:rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:

[27ace27]

What are you even talking about? I never said 27ace27's post was "illogical". Nor did I attack him, like you attacked me. There's nothing in my queries to him on this subject that resembles the way you badgered me with your pointless semantics.

If you can't see the similarity, that's not my problem.

 

 

And where are you getting this who cares, nothing matters, hippie vibe? You're quite obviously grasping at straws because that's clearly never been my attitude. Quite the opposite. Probably to a fault. Whatever fantasy you're attempting to construct here, it's just another desperate and petty attempt to get under my skin, but it's not going to happen.

If you pay no attention to what you post, that's not my problem either. I was supposed to ignore what made no sense and not ask any follow up questions. To do anything else was 'quibbling'. You clearly want us all to act like doped up hippies when it comes to your posts.

 

 

And if you're not still stewing about this, then why flame me with it weeks later in an unrelated thread?

If you consider that flaming, I hope you never really get flamed. You might soil yourself. I told you that I would try to remember your user name so I wouldn't create any followup replies since you'll label everything as petty quibbling instead of just replying like a normal person. Your user name is similar to a few others, so I had to put you on ignore to help me remember that you're the guy who wants doped up hippie replies. I can still read your replies by clicking on View this post and when I do that, it's a reminder of why you're on ignore. You usually have nothing to say that I need to reply to, but this time was just too funny. I know I was a bad boy for replying and not acting like the hippie you want us all to be, but it made me chuckle and I thought I would say something this one time. I promise this is it. No more replies to your posts unless absolutely necessary and then only in the style of a doped up hippie who doesn't care if things make sense.

It would be pointless to respond to any of this. You're acting like a child.

 

PLEASE take this argument back to the thread from which it came! we are talking about The atari landfill myth here people, not hippies or pot!

[Christophero Sly]

I mean the entire ET cart thing, and it's just if you believe in the majority of the story and if you dont believe in some of it, just say so just google it or look it up here on AA

Fair enough. Yes, I believe that Atari dumped some things in the Alamogordo landfill. That now seems to be an established fact. However, what Atari buried is something that I'm not at all clear on. I don't believe the claim that 5 million copies of E.T. are buried down there. There's never been any evidence to support that side of the story.

 

Five million is a staggering sum. If my math is correct, five million E.T. boxes placed end-to-end lengthwise would stretch 592 miles--approximately the distance from Alamogordo, NM to Laramie, WY.

 

Again, if my math is correct, 5 million Atari boxes add up to approximately 119,355 cubic feet of volume. Stacked flat, end to end, those 5 million boxes would form approximately a dozen piles that were each 10 ft wide, 10 ft tall, and 100 ft long. Those dimensions would be substantially larger if one assumes that the games had been divided into cardboard shipping boxes and placed on palettes.

 

When I picture these images in my mind, without having a shred of evidence to support them, they simply defy credulity. I doubt Atari even produced five million copies of E.T., let alone buried that many.

Edited August 2, 2008 by Christophero Sly

[27ace27]

I mean the entire ET cart thing, and it's just if you believe in the majority of the story and if you dont believe in some of it, just say so just google it or look it up here on AA

Fair enough. Yes, I believe that Atari dumped some things in the Alamogordo landfill. That now seems to be an established fact. However, what Atari buried is something that I'm not at all clear on. I don't believe the claim that 5 million copies of E.T. are buried down there. There's never been any evidence to support that side of the story.

 

Five million is a staggering sum. If my math is correct, five million E.T. boxes placed end-to-end lengthwise would stretch 592 miles--approximately the distance from Alamogordo, NM to Laramie, WY.

 

Again, if my math is correct, 5 million Atari boxes add up to approximately 119,355 cubic feet of volume. Stacked flat, end to end, those 5 million boxes would form approximately a dozen piles that were each 10 ft wide, 10 ft tall, and 100 ft long. Those dimensions would be substantially larger if one assumes that the games had been divided into cardboard shipping boxes and placed on palettes.

 

When I picture these images in my mind, without having a shred of evidence to support them, they simply defy credulity. I doubt Atari even produced five million copies of E.T., let alone buried that many.

 

did you miss the part about being crushed possibly? and when you look at the picture of the pit it's pretty big. and all of the people that tried it and hated it had to have taken it out of the box, right? so how big would it be with just the carts, huh? and if they produced 5 million and close to that many came back, wouldn't the game be a lot rarer? so then there had to be less than 5 mil. buried there.

[Christophero Sly]

did you miss the part about being crushed possibly? and when you look at the picture of the pit it's pretty big. and all of the people that tried it and hated it had to have taken it out of the box, right? so how big would it be with just the carts, huh? and if they produced 5 million and close to that many came back, wouldn't the game be a lot rarer? so then there had to be less than 5 mil. buried there.

How many is it then? This is why I was asking you for specifics.

 

The carts wouldn't have been crushed until they actually arrived at the landfill. And, yes, I know it was supposedly a big pit. Regardless, it's not the task of burying 5 million carts that I find difficult to believe, it's that Atari would have that many to bury in the first place.

 

As far as the games being out of their boxes, I doubt that many retail outlets would have been willing to accept cart-only returns. And, even if they were, and a substantial portion of the buried games were loose, 5 million is still 5 million. Five million copies of E.T. sold and nearly all returned? That's another image that defies credulity.

 

Indeed, I agree with you, if close to as many E.T. carts came back as were produced, then E.T. would be much rarer. Of course, E.T. isn't rare. It's one of the most common 2600 games out there, so the number of E.T. carts that were allegedly dumped must have been far, far fewer than 5 million. That only supports the point I'm trying to make.

 

Five million is the number that's out there. And if you're asking me whether I believe that, the answer is no I don't. No matter how you mix and match it, 5 million is a figure that doesn't add up.

Edited August 3, 2008 by Christophero Sly

[Inky]

LOL. How can you expect someone to respond to such a nebulous question?

BUt he wasnt talking about Tower Toppler. He was talking about E.T.

 

 

 

 

(allowing a moment for the joke to set in)

[+remowilliams]

I voted that I don't believe in this poll.

 

[27ace27]

did you miss the part about being crushed possibly? and when you look at the picture of the pit it's pretty big. and all of the people that tried it and hated it had to have taken it out of the box, right? so how big would it be with just the carts, huh? and if they produced 5 million and close to that many came back, wouldn't the game be a lot rarer? so then there had to be less than 5 mil. buried there.

How many is it then? This is why I was asking you for specifics.

 

The carts wouldn't have been crushed until they actually arrived at the landfill. And, yes, I know it was supposedly a big pit. Regardless, it's not the task of burying 5 million carts that I find difficult to believe, it's that Atari would have that many to bury in the first place.

 

As far as the games being out of their boxes, I doubt that many retail outlets would have been willing to accept cart-only returns. And, even if they were, and a substantial portion of the buried games were loose, 5 million is still 5 million. Five million copies of E.T. sold and nearly all returned? That's another image that defies credulity.

 

Indeed, I agree with you, if close to as many E.T. carts came back as were produced, then E.T. would be much rarer. Of course, E.T. isn't rare. It's one of the most common 2600 games out there, so the number of E.T. carts that were allegedly dumped must have been far, far fewer than 5 million. That only supports the point I'm trying to make.

 

Five million is the number that's out there. And if you're asking me whether I believe that, the answer is no I don't. No matter how you mix and match it, 5 million is a figure that doesn't add up.

I question the 5 mil. too

[tremoloman2006]

I don't know what's discussed more... where Jimmy Hoffa is buried or if this landfill exists. Until one proves it exists by rediscovering and exposing it, I will side with the skeptics even though I believe it is true. I feel like this story is similar to the X-Files "I Want to Believe" theme.

[super_dos_man]

If there is a Landfill, the carts are probably melted or squished.

 

 

I'm back!,

 

Tim

 

EDIT: I suck at typing....

Edited August 3, 2008 by super_dos_man

[Rik]

I don't know what's discussed more... where Jimmy Hoffa is buried or if this landfill exists. Until one proves it exists by rediscovering and exposing it, I will side with the skeptics even though I believe it is true. I feel like this story is similar to the X-Files "I Want to Believe" theme.

To be quite honest, no one gives a S##t about buried cartridges,just gaming buffs,which is just a tiny majority compared to the rest of the world.The rest of the world are obviously more interested where Hoffa is buried.For example,thats why Mythbusters did a segment on Hoffa,they'll never do this landfill thing,no one cares,plus its just not something they would do period.

Edited August 4, 2008 by Rik

[JamesD]

After seeing an Apple Lisa landfill I wouldn't be surprised at all. However, they drove a D9 cat over the computers so I wouldn't be surprised if that happened to the Atari landfill. That and years of corrosion would render anything there useless.

[djmips]

I don't know what's discussed more... where Jimmy Hoffa is buried or if this landfill exists. Until one proves it exists by rediscovering and exposing it, I will side with the skeptics even though I believe it is true. I feel like this story is similar to the X-Files "I Want to Believe" theme.

To be quite honest, no one gives a S##t about buried cartridges,just gaming buffs,which is just a tiny majority compared to the rest of the world.The rest of the world are obviously more interested where Hoffa is buried.For example,thats why Mythbusters did a segment on Hoffa,they'll never do this landfill thing,no one cares,plus its just not something they would do period.

 

re Mythbusters. Just give them time, they're going to run out of stuff to mythbust if they keep getting renewed.

[A.J. Franzman]

After seeing an Apple Lisa landfill I wouldn't be surprised at all. However, they drove a D9 cat over the computers so I wouldn't be surprised if that happened to the Atari landfill. That and years of corrosion would render anything there useless.

The Atari stuff was supposedly crushed before being covered too, but cartridges are fairly small and robust so I would be surprised if a fair number didn't survive relatively unscathed. Also, I don't think any of us really care if the cartridges are still useable. We just want to have some hard(er) evidence that the dumping really took place.

 

@ Christophero Sly: I don't remember reading anywhere that the ~ 5 million cartridges were in retail packages. They just might have fit into the alleged 16+ big rigs if they were loose, either palletized or binned somehow. Still, it is a rather mind-boggling number. Perhaps someone inadvertently added a zero.

Edited August 7, 2008 by A.J. Franzman

[Chris++]

I'm afraid this poll's a bit moot; there was an article in the Alamogordo, NM newspaper, complete with a photograph of the site. It was reprinted in a recent issue of RetroGamer. (Yes, it's a poorly written magazine, but they often have cool old-game items like that.) I borrowed the magazine from my pal Adam; I can ask him which issue it was, if anyone cares to check it out.

[+Random Terrain]

I'm afraid this poll's a bit moot; there was an article in the Alamogordo, NM newspaper, complete with a photograph of the site. It was reprinted in a recent issue of RetroGamer. (Yes, it's a poorly written magazine, but they often have cool old-game items like that.) I borrowed the magazine from my pal Adam; I can ask him which issue it was, if anyone cares to check it out.

Anybody can make a fake newspaper or go back in time and make a guy write an article at gunpoint. Facts are meaningless these days with our level of technology. Unlike what Ronald Reagan would have us believe, you can't trust or verify. We are floating in a limbo of our own making where facts are like different colors of paint and all of the paint has been poured into the same bucket and stirred thoroughly. We are lost. Nothing is has meaning. Nothing is real.

[Godzilla]

As I've said in the neverending topic, I believe this has been reasonably proved and it's up to the doubters to do more than say 'i just can't believe it.'

[Chris++]

Damn, RT, I think that's the single coolest post I've ever read on any message board in my life.

[Inky]

The only article that is legit is one I paid $2.95 for from the New YOrk TImes website.

 

 

Here it is:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=43467

 

ABout 3/4 the way down

[ninermaniac]

The landfill. Jimmy Hoffa. It's there!!!!!!!!!

[Christophero Sly]

Again, the fact that Atari dumped something in the Alamogordo landfill isn't in doubt. What, exactly, Atari dumped there, how much of it and why are the material elements of this story, and those "facts" are completely unsubstantiated.

 

The story reads like a nearly perfect myth--in it's colossal hubris, Atari overpays for the rights to the most beloved movie of a generation. Atari subsequently rushes a game out the door in time to profit from the Christmas season, but the game is universally reviled as "The Worst Video Game in History", and 5 million copies are returned by an unhappy and outraged public. Atari is dealt a fatal blow, triggering not only its own collapse, but the collapse of the ENTIRE video game industry. As the walls come down around them, Atari secretly buries their everlasting shame in a concrete tomb in a remote corner of the New Mexican desert. *Puuulease!*

 

If there was any real evidence to support that story, I'd happily accept it. But there is no evidence. It's a myth, and like all great myths, this one exaggerates and/or alters the basic facts of some event to suit a broader narrative. In this case, the myth has taken the routine occurrence of throwing out excess inventory, defective items, returns, garbage, etc. and made it the very embodiment of the Great Video Game Crash, which is itself a myth.

 

What's that quote, something like, when confronted with the choice between the mundane truth or a fantastical myth, you should always print the myth? BINGO!

 

@A.J.: Do you remember reading anywhere that the 5 million cartridges were loose?

Edited August 8, 2008 by Christophero Sly

[Chris++]

Colossal Hubris would be a great name for a rock band.

[JimmydelaKopin]

"Hey, Diskette, whatcha lstening to?"

"Some band named Colossal Hubris."

"Sounds like 'Chase'."

"Well, that's not right, because that's prohibited at the spoony ex--"

"Psst, we're at atariage."

"In that case...yes, I'm listening to 'Chase'.--

"--Wait. Why are we at atariage?"

"I sometimes come by here, and someone's started up a new thread about The Landfill."

"And what's buried in it, Happy, my sweet fiance?"

"You got it, Diskette. What do you think is in it?"

"Personally?...I'd guess Swordquest Four cartridges. 'If we don't release the game, then no one can win MY fancy jewel-encrusted, golden sword!'"

"I could imagine Tramiel saying that. But I guess the timing is all wrong for it. How about you?"

"I think they buried Atari's future as a videogame company."

"Brutal, Happy, brutal. Hey, wanna share an earphone jack? I loooooove 'Chase'!"

[kroogur]

To borrow a phrase used elsewhere in the web:

 

"Screenshot or it didn't happen"

 

 

But really how would we ever really know? Anytime someone produces a news article it's dismissed as fabricated so unless we were able to secure a permit to dig and rent all the needed equipment to do so (provided a strip mall or housing plan is not currently on the spot) we will never actually know and really it would probably cost thousands to accomplish this and to what end? to find a bunch of rotting crushed games and equipment that would be as worthless as the countless E.T. carts already gathering dust on bargain store shelves?

 

This is turning into a version of Oak Island ( http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/OakIsland/ ) for the Atari crowd.

Edited August 9, 2008 by kroogur