In 1982, Atari rushed out E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the 2600 in just five weeks, hoping to cash in on Spielberg’s holiday blockbuster. Designed by Howard Scott Warshaw, fresh off Yars’ Revenge and Raiders of the Lost Ark, it tasked players with collecting phone parts and calling home while dodging FBI agents, scientists, and endless pits. Our conversation explores how the impossible deadline, lack of playtesting, and awkward mechanics made it a notorious flop, often branded one of the worst games ever. But E.T. wasn’t solely to blame for the crash of 1983. We trace the oversaturated console market, competition from home computers, and flood of poor-quality releases that shattered consumer trust. Join us as we revisit gaming’s first great crash on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.
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A Trip Down Memory Card Lane