ET: The so-called “worst game ever”, becomes rejuvenated for iOS devices

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At 30 years after the launch of the film and the Atari game. Now Available for iOS devices a new version of the classic Steven Spielberg. However, the title is preceded by a dark legend of the early 80s.

The story is well known for video game lovers. It was June 1982 and the movie “ET: The Extraterrestrial” beat all records raising nearly $ 800 million, surpassing the 10.5 million used as budget. A success. Atari enjoying himself, who with their consoles helped bring the fun of video games parlor at home. For this reason, it was hard to think of an alliance between the two companies to launch a new product that could exploit the link generated by the film, the character and children.

This was Warner Communications who in late July of that year purchased for 25 million dollars to Universal rights for producing a mega video game based on the movie, which would have a budget of no less than 125 million dollars. The only “problem” is that because of the delay in negotiations, Atari had only five weeks to produce the title before it could be distributed in early September and towards Christmas 1982. That’s where the name of Howard Scott Warshaw.

Scott Warshaw was a programmer with experience designing successful titles despite the short turnaround and his previous work with games like Yars’ Revenge and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark were enough for Steven Spielberg himself appointed him as the ideal candidate to develop the ambitious project. In just two days the basic design was completed, and although it was thought Pac-Man as inspiration, the best thing was to devise something new to pass to player emotions of the original film. Atari, a powerful company in the market of software and hardware, put all their hopes in the game, producing more than 4 million cartridges for console 2600 .

But after the release, something went wrong. Began to see in-store returns and claims so boring and the game understandable comenaron to multiply. Screens poorly programmed, a poor storyline and word of mouth made the copies sold only 1.2 million arrived, and although it ended up being the eighth best selling game of the company, the great commercial failure led Atari bankruptcy two years later , being a major contributing factor to the decline of the market for video games of the early 80s.

What happened with the cartridges? in September 1983, the New Mexico Press reported 20 trucks loaded with scrap what appeared to be video games, due to a local landfill. Later that month, a layer of concrete fell on the ground and cartridges, burying the embarrassment of a poorly designed title and starting the legend. Needless to say that at present the original Atari cartridge is a part of worship for most fanatical gamers.

Thirty years later, Universal and Chillingo companies announce the release of “ET The Green Planet” for iOS devices. The game, available for free in the App Store has nothing to remember the fiasco of the 80s, and that this time the story takes place in the home planet of the aliens and the player must save the enchanted gardens on a dying planet .

Best of all, it is impossible to bury digital video games in a landfill.

Images of the new game:

Available for free on the App Store