‘Atari: Game Over’ Remembers How One Game Nearly Sank An Industry
<p>A new documentary traces the story of an <i>E.T.</i> video game that left the future of an industry titan at risk</p>
The hunt is on to find 3.5 million unsold copies of 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial' video game, reputed to have been the cause of Atari’s downfall in 1984... 'Atari: Game Over explores the popular urban legend known as “The Great Video Game Burial of 1983”.
As the story goes, the Atari Corporation, faced with an overwhelmingly negative response to the E.T. video game, disposed of millions of unsold game cartridges by burying them in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico. For decades, the myth of Atari and these “E.T.” cartridges was whispered about among game fans everywhere.
Director Zak Penn (X-Men 2, Avengers) and his team headed to the landfill where the videogames were supposedly buried to determine whether the story had merit. A range of interviews were also conducted to uncover the truth behind the legend. 'Atari: Game Over' was created by Xbox with two-time Academy Award-winning producer Simon Chinn (Man on Wire) and Emmy-winning producer Jonathan Chinn (30 Days).
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