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Experience the most infamous legend in gaming history! E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 isn’t just a game; it’s the ultimate “so bad, it’s good” collector’s piece that famously nearly buried the entire industry. While notorious for its endless pits and frantic scientist chases, this pixelated relic is a fascinating snapshot of 1982 pop culture. It’s a high-stakes survival challenge and a must-play piece of history for anyone who wants to say they’ve conquered the “worst game ever made.”
In 1982, Atari spent a staggering $20–$25 million just for the film rights, betting everything on E.T. being the ultimate Christmas gift. They manufactured 4 million cartridges, expecting a total sell-out. However, because the developer was given only five weeks to finish the entire project, the “adventure” became a confusing, buggy mess of falling into pits and being chased by a relentless FBI agent. The result? Millions of returns and over $100 million in losses that triggered the Great Video Game Crash of 1983.
The failure was so massive it birthed one of gaming’s greatest urban legends. Stories circulated for decades that Atari dumped truckloads of unsold copies in the New Mexico desert. In 2014, the myth was proven true when researchers excavated the Alamogordo landfill, unearthing thousands of crushed cartridges. This game didn’t just fail; it became a literal part of the Earth’s crust.
If you want to see the disaster in action or learn how they actually dug up those lost cartridges, check out these essential videos:
Atari: Game Over – This feature-length documentary explores the legendary landfill excavation and the rise and fall of Atari.
The Untold Story Of The Atari 2600’s DISASTROUS E.T. Game – TripleJump takes a deep dive into the corporate greed and impossible five-week timeline that doomed the project.
E.T. Atari 2600 Review – The No Swear Gamer – See exactly why those pits were so frustrating in this classic retrospective review.
While E.T. is the poster child for the Video Game Crash of 1983, it wasn’t the only culprit. The market was flooded with “shovelware” (bad games from companies like Quaker Oats and Purina Dog Food). However, E.T. was the most expensive failure. Atari manufactured 4 million copies but only sold 1.5 million. The resulting mountain of returns—worth millions—was the final nail in the coffin that led to the company being sold off in 1984.
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