The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Howard Scott Warshaw speaks to Matthew Bannister from the BBC World Service about his creation, E.T. for the Atari 2600, considered as the world’s worst ever video game and the cause of the video game market crash in North America (Ed: which wasn’t true!).
source: BBC World Service
image source: Dave Staugas (via BBC World Service)
When I first heard that Fuel Entertainment and Xbox Entertainment Studios were going to make a documentary about the so-called Atari landfill urban legend, I thought, “everyone knows that Atari dumped their stock in Alamogordo. So what?“. So what indeed. A lot of people still believed that it was an urban legend that Atari dumped millions of E.T. cartridges. Well, my scepticism about the documentary and how it would present the material was totally unfounded. My scepticism had been smashed out of the park. Take a bow Mr. Zak Penn.
The documentary interweaves two storylines within an hour of compelling viewing. There is the lead up to the Alamogordo dig and the rise and fall of Atari. The interviews with key Atari people, including its co-founder, Nolan Bushnell, former Warner Communications Inc. Co-Chief Operating Officer, Emmanuel (Manny) Gerard and Atari games developer, Howard Scott Warshaw, add that extra credibility to an already well produced documentary. (Ed: SPOILER ALERT!) There is an emotional moment in the documentary when Howard is asked by a media crew on how he felt about the dig. We promise you, you will shed a tear too.
Atari: Game Over sets the record straight about the Atari burial myth once and for all – do yourself a favour, and watch it right now!
Screenshots from Atari: Game Over