WERE THEY OUT OF THEIR BLEEPIN' MIND?!?!?!?

[2600lover]

I was reading on the AA trivia page and came accross this, brace yourself!! Atari buried 5 million unsold copies of E.T in the New Mexico desert. Honastly, it brought a tear to my eyes!! Wonder how deep they are? GRAB YOUR SHOVLES BOYS, LETS GO DIGGIN'!!!!

[+remowilliams]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66637

 

22 pages for your reading pleasure!

[2600lover]

SICKINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[godzillajoe]

There are still millions of them out there. Just pick up an extra Pac-Man cartridge, close your eyes, throw it as far as you can and chances are it will hit an E.T or Pac-Man cart when it lands.

[NE146]

Oh and previously... http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7337 (once the most popular topic here at AA!)

[Vic George 2K3]

Rather insane that Atari had made up so many copies of such a questionable movie-to-game translation, thinking they were going to own Christmas 1982.

[pocketmego]

Rather insane that Atari had made up so many copies of such a questionable movie-to-game translation, thinking they were going to own Christmas 1982.

 

My problem is not so much the burial or even the game, which isn't really even that bad. My problem is that with both ET and PAC-Man they made more copies of each then were existing 2600 units. WTF???

 

How stupid do you have to be to make more games than there are systems to play them on?

 

-Ray

Edited August 17, 2006 by pocketmego

[godzillajoe]

Well they probably figured the carts would move a few of the systems. Every kid who didn't already HAVE an Atari 2600 would need one to play the cart.

[pocketmego]

Well they probably figured the carts would move a few of the systems. Every kid who didn't already HAVE an Atari 2600 would need one to play the cart.

 

Which makes sense from one point of view, BUT...

 

If we are talking late 1982, it would be the equivalemt of trying to do the same thing with an NES game in 1990. By that time what kid still didn't have an Atari? Certainly only the youngest ones getting ready to be old enough to play games.

 

I mean don't get me wrong, I think you're right and that is exactly what they were thinking, especially since Pac-Man became a Pack in game not shortly after its release.

 

But, economically I can't believe enough people still didn't own Ataris to justify over producing a game.

 

-Ray

[+Psionic]

If we are talking late 1982, it would be the equivalemt of trying to do the same thing with an NES game in 1990. By that time what kid still didn't have an Atari? Certainly only the youngest ones getting ready to be old enough to play games...I can't believe enough people still didn't own Ataris to justify over producing a game.

 

By 1982, Atari thought they could do anything...and it was that arrogance that destroyed them.

[Dusk2600]

didnt someone say that some protos and other unreleased stuff was buried there too, obv it doesnt matter since it is all in concrete.

[+Psionic]

Everything one needs to know is in the old thread (which is still going), so let's not start another:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66637

[pocketmego]

If we are talking late 1982, it would be the equivalemt of trying to do the same thing with an NES game in 1990. By that time what kid still didn't have an Atari? Certainly only the youngest ones getting ready to be old enough to play games...I can't believe enough people still didn't own Ataris to justify over producing a game.

 

By 1982, Atari thought they could do anything...and it was that arrogance that destroyed them.

 

If I ever get around to making my History of Atari Dramatic film, that line is so going in the trailer.

 

-Ray

[ComputerCollector]

This is SHOCKING News!

 

 

 

 

for newbies

[Dusk2600]

ive known this forever i was jw.

[ewing92]

I think there is an episode of x-play on G4 about this...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1PxHppp08Q

[2600lover]

Well I didnt know about it and I didnt know there was another post about it. So................. I guess I wont be using this anymore, it just struck me as kind of crazy. But yes , they did make more copies then systems, which was stupid in the first place, so I guess they had no other choice but to dispose of them somehow. Maybe they should have encased then in concrete and pushed them off the western coast.

[Lord Helmet]

This is SHOCKING News!

 

 

 

 

for newbies

 

LOL

 

Seems like every couple of years a new crop comes in and discusses many of the same topics It's always nice to get some fresh opinions and ideas!

[super_dos_man]

it would be ridiulous to start diggig because atari flattened all of the carts

[Godzilla]

if you didn't know it, it's new to you!

[Lauren Tyler]

I thought they were just buried in a landfill at first, but when people started swiping them, Atari crushed the cartridges and then buried them under concrete.

[2600lover]

No, not that I know of. I think they just did the whole concrete thing from the start. Eathier way its a very odd turn of events.

[+Psionic]

didnt someone say that some protos and other unreleased stuff was buried there too, obv it doesnt matter since it is all in concrete.

I thought they were just buried in a landfill at first, but when people started swiping them, Atari crushed the cartridges and then buried them under concrete.

Honestly guys, read the old thread, there's no need to repeat the same old nonsense ad infinitum. In light of all the evidence that has been uncovered due to the dilligent research of various AtariAgers, it seems obvious that Atari did in fact bury something in that landfill in Alamagordo, NM. Whether it was E.T. and Pac-Man cartridges, unreleased prototypes, or something altogether else is not known. Whether or not they were crushed and buried before or after people began to pillage the site is not known. So far, no one who was at Atari has confirmed any facts related to this. No one from Alamagordo has yet come forward and shown an E.T. cartridge (or anything else) that they pulled from the landfill or has even claimed to have done so. All that has been said is hearsay, and true answers don't appear to be forthcoming any time soon. All we have are the newspaper articles from when the dumping occurred in 1983 and the author of said articles is now deceased.

 

You can read the old thread (still going) or this page to answer any questions you have.

 

Atari buried 5 million unsold copies of E.T in the New Mexico desert. Honastly, it brought a tear to my eyes!!

2600lover, forget about E.T. If you want to shed some tears over Atari games, the fate of Chase the Chuck Wagon is far more tragic.

[Deteacher]

I remember when I had my first collection (about 8 years ago) CTCW was THE game to have in your collection. I guess I'm kind of glad I didn't break down and get one off of Ebay back then. I remember seeing them sell for well over $100! Now you can get one for less than half that. In fact, one just sold on Ebay for $38. Crazy.

Edited August 19, 2006 by Deteacher