Made for the Atari 2600, the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial video game, unlike the movie, was a horrendous flop for Atari.
The video game was created in a short time period instead of the normal four months it took to develop a video game. It was rushed out to be ready for the Christmas market and it was a total disaster.
As a matter of fact, the game is considered to be the worst video game ever made and eventually, Atari decided to cut its losses and dumped the huge remaining stock of plastic video game cartridges in the desert in New Mexico.
That action lived on and became a pop culture myth that was only proven true this week when a Canadian studio from Ottawa named Fuel Industries quite literally (and deliberately) unearthed the stash of video games. If you are interested, you will want to stay tuned for a documentary movie on the subject.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering if the cult status of the movie or even the news of its existence in a dump in the middle of the dessert has caused it to be a good seller on eBay.
I looked and I see that there are quite a few listed...the lowest priced one a used copy listed for $3.99 plus shipping. If it is a new copy you are after, you will find a new one with an opening bid of $50 and I can see that this item, when new, has sold for up to $150. Click here to see what is available on eBay today.
The news reports say that people want to buy a video game from the dump. They want to own a piece of the legend of Atari burying E.T. in the desert. I guess we will have to wait and see if those video games make an appearance on eBay.
And now for confession time. When I was a high school-er, I saved my dollars and cents and my first big purchase was for a used Atari console. It was most likely the one associated with this game though I do not actually remember. I do not recall owning the E.T. the Extra Terrestrial video game but I did own Space Invaders and Pac Man.
Do you have any 'vintage' video game memories?
You never know what I might
have in store for you!
Brenda
Quick Links:
See eBay's complete collection of Atari E.T. video games.
I've never been a video game person (just don't have that eye-hand coordination), but I love stories like this one! I hope those unearthed ET games go like very expensive hotcakes!
ReplyDeleteI haven't played a video game for years. I guess I left that to the 'boys' plus I spend enough time online that I don't need to add playing games.
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