Back in 1982, the days when Atari was the biggest Game Company, they paid millions for the rights to make a game of the super famous movie E.T. Though the game did well initially, the gameplay was frustratingly difficult which resulted in most of the cartridges being returned. So, Atari ended up with millions of the cartridges which went unsold. This game has been considered to be the beginning of downfall of Atari.
But what happened to the millions of unsold cartridges remained a mystery till now. A New York Times article from September 28, 1983 reported that Atari had dumped 14 truckloads of the cartridge at a site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was not confirmed by the company itself and it remained one of the biggest myths.
A documentary film production company decided to check it out for their upcoming movie on the Game Studio’s history which is produced by Microsoft. It was a tough job for them. It could be anywhere buried deep in the 300 acre landfill. It really was a huge calculated gamble for them to dig at the right place. After digging for 40 feet, they did bump into the first few cartridges proving it was real and not a myth. Around 200 enthusiasts were present there to see this happen.
Cool, never heard about this, must have been living under a Rock 0-0.. Very Interesting Story though!! Now I know. .;)
~Sharon Silva~