99% Invisible

The Worst Video Game Ever

Jan 28, 2020

Lizzie Peabody, host of Smithsonian's Side Door, teams up with Howard Scott Warshaw, the infamous creator of the E.T. video game for Atari. They dive into the chaotic story of how E.T. became one of the worst games ever, leading to buried cartridges in New Mexico. Warshaw reflects on the crushing expectations and corporate pressure he faced while making the game. The duo also explores the game's lasting impact on Atari and its unexpected transformation into a nostalgic piece of gaming history.

26:37

Creator website

Episode guests

Howard Scott Warshaw

Lizzie Peabody

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Atari Legend Unearthed

12min

E.T. Game: From Anticipation to Disappointment

8min

The E.T. Impact: Atari's Downfall

6min

Nostalgia and Legacy of Classic Video Games

3min

Deep within the National Museum of American History’s vaults is a battered Atari case containing what’s known as “the worst video game of all time.” The game is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it was so bad that not even the might of Steven Spielberg could save it. It was so loathsome that all remaining copies were buried deep in the desert. And it was so horrible that it’s blamed for the collapse of the American home video game industry in the early 1980s.

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The Worst Video Game Ever

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