Reading about the landfill excavation that unearthed Atari video games made me think about other instances in history during which American companies “hid” potential setbacks, mistakes, or failures. My mind immediately raced to the “Syringe Tide,” an environmental disaster that occurred from 1987-1988 where significant amounts of medical waste, particularly hypodermic syringes were washed up onto the beaches in New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island. Hospitals decided to discard the medical waste in the ocean to avoid extra costs associated with the government regulations, figuring they could save money by burying their problem at sea. However, when the medical waste was found, hundreds of thousands of vacationers were driven away, causing places such as the Jersey Shore to lose much revenue in tourism as well widespread skepticism regarding public health in general. I also thought about the movie Erin Brockovich, a dramatization of the story of Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts, who fought in a real estate case against the energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) which polluted a city’s water supply with hexavalent chromium. It was not until Brockovich looked under the surface that she discovered how many residents in the area were poisoned by the toxic waste, leading her to succeed in one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American history. Although these examples differ in content and form, an examination of them led me to the conclusion that we bury our mistakes simply because we can, and yet, many of them are eventually uncovered.
During Easter Break, I decided to watch the documentary entitled, Atari: Game Over which explores the burial and excavation site in Alamogordo, New Mexico more in depth. The film brought light to many of the success of Atari, considering it to be “the future of technology.” It also highlighted the idea that it has become “fashionable” to say that E.T. was the worst video game of all time, when in actuality, it was not, and was certainly not the sole reason for the company’s downfall. Many people in the documentary reiterated the point that the E.T. game was not buried because of it was the worst game ever, rather it has become known as the worst game ever because it was buried. While society has become quick to “trash” games and game designs both physically and verbally, hiding our mistakes from the public view has also become part of our history. After thinking about this more, was there a valid justification for the Atari burial site to be unearthed? If the site is looked at as being Atari’s funeral, was it ethical to dig it up? Why does society feel the need to reclaim “dead” technology?
Hi,
The Syringe Tide is horrifying… I had no idea that happened!
I like the point you brought up about how it became “fashionable” to claim that E.T. was the worst video game of all time. Specifically, this is a strong statement:
“it has become fashionable to say that E.T. was the worst video game of all time, when in actuality, it was not, and was certainly not the sole reason for the company’s downfall. Many people in the documentary reiterated the point that the E.T. game was not buried because of it was the worst game ever, rather it has become known as the worst game ever because it was buried.”
Although E.T. was not solely responsible for Atari’s downfall, its failure to sell put a significant dent in the company’s business. It may not have been the “worst video game of all time,” but . . . have you checked out the gameplay? The Angry Video Game Nerd on YouTube has a fantastic video, which I’ve linked here. It’s senseless, boring, and somewhat difficult to play. The game had potential to be decent and the person who made the game was more than capable of creating a worthwhile product, but the time restraints put on the development of the game crippled its production. It was created for the sake of gaining revenue soon after Spielberg’s movie was released, so the gameplay itself was not prioritised. Instead, the product name and market value were prioritised.
Still, even the Angry Video Game Nerds says that it wasn’t a terrible game. In fact, Raiders of the Lost Ark was supposedly just as strange and elusive as E.T. I think you made a great point when you stated, “[E.T.] has become known as the worst game ever because it was buried.” I wonder what E.T.’s legacy would have been like if it was never buried.
Trash in urban spaces allows us to, “experience the anterior physicality of the world as a sensuous presence in a way that exceeds our usual daily relation with the objects we use.” People wanted to see the excavation site, because it reduces a once highly valued social commodity to pure rubble. It symbolises the literal and figurative death of Atari and its products. Also, there is a mystical quality to the site because no one else was supposed to know about it. The dumpsite became a legend, and people are keen on proving and disproving fact from fiction.
Although it may not have been ethical to dig up the pit, it is easy to understand why the pit peaked people’s curiosity. As Stallabrass points out, “The video game as desirable product became just more unwanted stock remaindered in toyshops at discounted prices and combined with other undesirable rejects in a landfill’s ‘collage of filth.'” The tragedy of E.T. is the fact that all of these cartridges were supposed to find loving homes. Instead, they were disposed of by mass liquidation. Finding a cartridge, even one that doesn’t work, would offer little to no monetary value (between $1 – $10 according to the article), so why bother? Well, these cartridges act as a momento of the past; as a piece of evidence of Atari’s downfall; as a legendary artifact. These cartridges act as a ghost haunting Atari for all eternity, and its legacy draws people in.
E.T. is often associated with the downfall of Atari, but I would love to know about the extra factors leading to Atari’s death. I haven’t watched the documentary, so I would love to hear your input!