E.T. Atari Game: Misjudged Classic or Gaming Catastrophe?

It’s clear when a new form of entertainment becomes mainstream that elements from its unique subculture start influencing popular culture at large. Regrettably, traditional media continues to view video games as if they were just a passing trend, despite their long history spanning over fifty years.

For some time now, gaming has held its ground alongside Hollywood as a significant shaper of popular culture, and this influence is evident not only in video games themselves, but also in the broader trends they spawn.

Examine the emergence of Hollywood. Initially, it was an effort to circumvent Edison’s patents that eventually led to the creation of movie star tabloids, actual murder mysteries, and ghost stories within studios. The industry gained prominence when society discovered not only films but also the personalities behind them, as well as their scandals, to be fascinating topics of conversation.

A significant milestone in gaming history that gained popularity outside the niche is the Great Video Game Crash of ’83. This nearly catastrophic incident occurred at a time when the gaming industry was thriving in its early days and is said to have pushed it close to bankruptcy within a single night.

To be honest, the real tale here is far more intricate than it seems. For quite some time now, market analysts have been forecasting a correction in the gaming boom. They didn’t need to consult a crystal ball to see the bubble bursting. Short-sighted hardware manufacturers were stacking shelves with consoles, while publishers were churning out overpriced, low-quality games en masse. It was an unchecked phase of corporate IP exploitation that ultimately led to the crash. As a gamer, I’ve seen it all unfold.

Not that these facts stopped the masses from pinning the rap on one game that now lives in infamy.

E.T. for Atari is often referred to as the equivalent of “Plan 9 from Outer Space” in the world of video games. Just like Ed Wood’s film, Plan 9 from Outer Space, E.T.’s reputation as the worst representation of its medium is unjustified.

Initially, it’s important to clarify that E.T. the game didn’t single-handedly cause Atari’s downfall. Launched in December 1982 following the popular Spielberg movie, the game sold 1.5 million copies initially. However, Atari’s predicament wasn’t due to this one mistake alone. They had overestimated demand by ordering 5 million copies, with a staggering 3.5 million units being returned. While that miscalculation wasn’t fatal in itself, their practice of conducting business in such a manner was ultimately detrimental to them.

The general disdain for E.T. among gamers is due to the misconception that it was carelessly discarded in a video game graveyard in New Mexico. However, it’s essential to clarify that many games, including E.T., were buried in a landfill. The infamous incident involving Atari occurred nine months earlier with their botched port of Pac-Man, which resulted in an astronomical 5 million returned copies compared to the 3.5 million of E.T.

The idea that E.T. is considered one of the worst video games ever made has been challenged by Howard Scott Warshaw, a renowned Atari programmer. For those who might not be aware, Warshaw was behind popular Atari games like Yar’s Revenge and the tie-in for Raiders of the Lost Ark., one of the few good games based on a movie. Having revisited E.T., I’d contend that it should be included in this esteemed company.

Despite some criticism for its gameplay mechanics, E.T. becomes more manageable once you grasp the basic controls. You navigate the main character on a quest to find missing phone parts to contact alien friends for a ride home. These parts are hidden in pits scattered throughout the game map. A common complaint about the game is that escaping from these pits can be challenging. This issue arises due to a bug caused by the game’s rapid 5-week development period. However, this problem can be resolved by simply letting go of the joystick when exiting a pit.

Through the diligent efforts of fans, not only has the issue with E.T.’s incorrect coloring, among other game bugs, been resolved, but a seamless gaming experience without any glitches can now be easily obtained by simply conducting a quick online search.

Ultimately speaking, the Atari version of E.T. isn’t a poor quality game. Despite being hurriedly developed, containing some bugs, and being quite difficult, it stands out significantly from the numerous Breakout copies that flooded the video game market, leading to the infamous 1983 market crash.

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