RF Generation Message Board

I never knew this happened, and apparently this story is up for debate, but Atari buried truckloads of E.T carts in a New Mexico desert.

A marketing company from Alberta, Canada intends to uncover these games and film the process for a documentary.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/05/31/atari_2700_s-long-buried-et-stash-could-be-uncovered.aspx

What do you Atari collectors think of this? Do you believe the story or is it an urban legend? What would happen if the carts were found?

Leave it buried!  For the love of God, leave it buried!

One of the oldest gaming industry legends.

I can't imagine they're in too great a shape if they do exist...Maybe they could recycle the metals or something but otherwise what's the point?

I'll be glad if we can finally put this myth to bed, one way or the other. My guess is they will find chunks at best.

Maybe they'll be all melted together and look like a fossil of some sorts.

Weren't they run over with a steam roller, then buried and sealed in concrete?

http://kotaku.com/someones-going-to-dig-up-ataris-infamous-new-mexico-l-510830049

Yeah, pretty sure they were compacted and then sealed with concrete to prevent any poisoning from the materials.

Funny that this may coincide with the release of the AVGN movie, which has a plot centered around E.T. for the 2600.

Yes, to prevent looting.  It was a safety precaution to keep local children from being tempted to dig through the landfill.

So is this the original team finally reviving their expedition or a new team ready to take on the challenge?

It's a new team. This is probably just media hype considering a marketing company is planning this dig.

Oh great, now all my copies of E.T. will be worthless.

Seriously though, I highly doubt they were encased in concrete. That would have just cost too much money. If they're put into a landfill, they are compacted like everything else, which would undoubtedly destroy every one of them. Plus, landfills cover everything they take in that day, so while it may not be concrete, they'd be covered with compacted trash and dirt. And unless they closed the landfill right after these games, there could be a hundred feet below the surface now.

It's also closing in on the 30th anniversary?

I can't wait to see what these shards sell for on eBay........it'll be the Berlin Wall all over again. Just involving nerds like me...... :P

Here's an interesting link that I saw on Slashdot: Fixing E.T. (http://www.neocomputer.org/projects/et/)

Basically examines all the major problems with the game, why they happen, and changing the code to fix them. Doesn't necessarily make it a great game, but at least you won't fall into as many pits.

--Zero

This reminds me of a video I saw a while ago. It's Joe from Digital Press defending the game. I guess there are rose colored glasses and there can also be the opposite. At least that's the case he is making. Here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPHOhg_Bqi4

Funny, I just read the article about a new team getting permission to "attempt" to dig it up in NM right before I logged in today to RFG. I'm actually anxious to see the AVGN movie w/ this. Such a bad game!

I really wanted to listen to what he had to say, but the audio quality on that is so awful.