History VideoGame / ETTheExtraTerrestrial

* TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983: Considered a cause of it. Even though it was one of the best-selling games on the 2600, Atari produced millions more cartridges than were sold, hoping it would drive additional console sales. [[{{Understatement}} It didn't.]]

* TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames: [[EndOfAnAge Practically ended it.]] Though that was due more circumstances. See The Great Video Game Crash of 1983 below.

** He did at least try, and he did put a lot of detail into the game with little things like footsteps growing louder or softer as other characters got closer or farther away from E.T. The game was playable, and there is an easy way to avoid falling into the pits: pull the joystick to the left or right after E.T. goes back to the surface. The game was likely meant to be a sort of 'Adventure Lite'.

** He did at least try, and he did put a lot of detail into the game with little things like footsteps growing louder or softer as other characters got closer or more farther away from E.T. The game was playable, and there is an easy way to avoid falling into the pits: pull the joystick to the left or right after E.T. goes back to the surface. The game was likely meant to be a sort of 'Adventure Lite'.

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. An excavation project (helmed by a documentary crew surrounding the old {{urban legend}} about the landfill) was approved in 2013 to find out what was dumped there; in 2014, [[https://twitter.com/kobunheat/status/460128189147140096 the project hit paydirt.]] On April 26, 2014, ''NBC Nightly News'' reported that the crew had found the cartridges, and that the game is considered the worst video game ever made.

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. An excavation project (helmed by a documentary crew surrounding the old {{urban legend}} about the landfill) was approved in 2013 to find out what was dumped there; in 2014, [[https://twitter.com/kobunheat/status/460128189147140096 the project hit paydirt.]] On April 26, 2014, ''NBC Nightly News'' reported that the crew had found the cartridges.

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. An excavation project (helmed by a documentary crew surrounding the old {{urban legend}} about the landfill) was approved in 2013 to find out what was dumped there; in 2014, [[https://twitter.com/kobunheat/status/460128189147140096 the project hit paydirt.]]

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. An excavation project was approved in 2013 to find out what was dumped there. There's an {{urban legend|s}} that most of the ''E.T.'' cartridges were buried there, but it's not known for sure. ''E.T.'' cartridges are still very easy to find today.

!!''E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial'' provides examples of:

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* TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames: Practically ended it. Though that was due more circumstances. See The Great Video Game Crash of 1983 below.

* TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983: Considered a cause of it. Though it was more due to Atari making far more cartridges then they actually could sell than quality as the game was one of the best selling games on the Atari 2600. Apparently ET wasn't the only unsold game Atari had buried in the desert.
** It sold well because it was a hotly-anticipated ''E.T.'' video game and consumers hadn't been introduced to TheProblemWithLicensedGames yet; quality wasn't even part of the equation then. ''{{Asteroids}}'' and ''PacMan'' were the other titles to join ''E.T.'' in the landfill.
** Unfortunately, nobody at Atari who considered the situation for even a single minute could have missed the fact that they couldn't possibly sell all the cartridges they made for this game. ''[[WhatAnIdiot They made more cartridges than there existed consoles to plug them into.]]''

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. An excavation project was approved in 2013 to find out what was dumbed there. There's an {{urban legend|s}} that most of the ''E.T.'' cartridges were buried there, but it's not known for sure. ''E.T.'' cartridges are still very easy to find today.

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. There's an {{urban legend|s}} that most of the ''E.T.'' cartridges were buried there, but it's not known for sure. ''E.T.'' cartridges are still very easy to find today.

* ObviousBeta: To a certain extent. It's complete and there are no major bugs, but it suffers from a lack of playtesting.

** It initially sold well because it was an ''E.T.'' video game and consumers hadn't been introduced to TheProblemWithLicensedGames yet. ''{{Asteroids}}'' and ''PacMan'' were the other titles to join ''E.T.'' in the landfill.

* TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983: Considered a cause of it. Though it was more due to Atari making far more cartridges then they actually could sell then quality as the game was one of the best selling games on the Atari 2600. Apparently ET wasn't the only unsold game Atari had buried in the desert.

The game itself is a ThreeQuartersView ActionAdventure game. You play E.T., and at the beginning, you are dropped off by the [[JoueurDuGrenier phonebooth-looking spaceship]]. You then have to find three pieces of an [[PlotCoupon intergalactic telephone]] so E.T. can "phone home." You wander around six screens, and perform various actions by pressing the fire button; different actions are available depending on where E.T. is standing. The most important screens are the ones with pits; the phone pieces are in the pits. You can try falling into pit after pit to check them, or you can find the part of the screen where you can use an action that shows which pit has a phone piece. Once you assemble all the phone pieces, you head to one spot on one screen where the available action is phoning home. Phone home, then head to the landing site for a pick-up before a timer runs out.

* TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames: Practically ended it.

* TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983: Considered a cause of it.

Following the success of the movie, in July 1982 Warner Communications, {{Atari}}'s parent company, paid $20-25 million for the rights to do a video game adaptation. Programmer Howard Scott Warshaw was given just six weeks to write it, in order to [[ChristmasDeadline meet the Christmas deadline]]. In comparison, Warshaw's previous 2600 games, ''VideoGame/YarsRevenge'' and ''VideoGame/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', both highly regarded, took seven months and six months respectively.

Following the success of the movie, in July 1982 Warner Communications, {{Atari}}'s parent company, paid $20-25 million for the rights to do a video game adaptation. Programmer Howard Scott Warshaw was given just six weeks to write it, in order to meet the Christmas deadline. In comparison, Warshaw's previous 2600 games, ''VideoGame/YarsRevenge'' and ''VideoGame/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', both highly regarded, took seven months and six months respectively.

* ChristmasRushed: An infamous example.

The screens with pits also have Reese's Pieces, represented by green dots, lying on the ground. Pick them up, and a part of the screen will let you eat them for more energy. The FBI agent will steal these too. Another part of the screen will let you call Elliot, and if you have nine Reese's, he will take them, and in return, chase away the FBI agent and scientist, and return a moment later with a phone piece. If you have less than nine Reese's, Elliot will take them and go home.

If you succeed in getting home, you will see Elliot walking around his house, and you'll see the number of Reese's you've given him. These will [[ScoringPoints add to your score]]. The game then [[EndlessGame restarts]], with the phone pieces once again in random pits.

An adaptation of [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial the movie]] for the {{Atari 2600}}, that became infamous as the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]] for TheProblemWithLicensedGames. Considered one of the worst games of all time, and one of the events that led to TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983.

Standing in your way are an FBI agent who steals your phone pieces if he touches you and puts them back in the pits, and a scientist who drags you off to study you. Also, every time you move or do an action, you use energy. Run out of energy, and E.T. dies, though Elliot will revive him.

In September 1983, Atari buried a bunch of stuff in a New Mexico landfill. There's an urban legend that most of the ''E.T.'' cartridges were buried there, but it's not known for sure. ''E.T.'' cartridges are still very easy to find today.

* NonPlayerCharacter: Elliot.

* RoadRunnerPC: Hold down the fire button to run away from the FBI agent and scientist.

->''"E.T. certainly isn't the worst game or even the least polished, but I actually like having the distinction of it being the worst game. Between that and [[YarsRevenge Yars' [Revenge]]], I have the greatest range of anyone ever on the machine."''

Following the success of the movie, in July 1982 Warner Communications, {{Atari}}'s parent company, paid $20-25 million for the rights to do a video game adaptation. Programmer Howard Scott Warshaw was given just six weeks to write it, in order to meet the Christmas deadline. In comparison, Warshaw's previous 2600 games, ''YarsRevenge'' and ''VideoGame/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', both highly regarded, took seven months and six months respectively.

->''"E.T. certainly isn't the worst game or even the least polished, but I actually like having the distinction of it being the worst game. Between that and [[YarsRevenge Yar's]], I have the greatest range of anyone ever on the machine."''

* BottomlessPitRescueService: You levitate out of them. [[hottip:*:Then fall back in most of the time.]]

An adaptation of [[{{ptitle8pp9w72sx8tq}} the movie]] for the {{Atari 2600}}, that became infamous as the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]] for TheProblemWithLicensedGames. Considered one of the worst games of all time, and one of the events that led to TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983.

Following the success of the movie, in July 1982 Warner Communications, {{Atari}}'s parent company, paid $20-25 million for the rights to do a video game adaptation. Programmer Howard Scott Warshaw was given just six weeks to write it, in order to meet the Christmas deadline. In comparison, Warshaw's previous 2600 games, ''[[{{Ptitlekcdhzvl7}} Yars' Revenge]]'' and ''VideoGame/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', both highly regarded, took seven months and six months respectively.