Which game is usually considered the worst videogame ever? Unpacking the Infamous Title
When you think about the absolute worst video games ever made, one title often rises to the top of the heap, dragging with it a reputation for sheer awfulness. That game, almost universally cited as the nadir of interactive entertainment, is none other than E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600.
Released in 1982, E.T. wasn't just a bad game; it was a cultural and commercial disaster that nearly killed an entire industry. Its story is legendary, a cautionary tale whispered among gamers and industry veterans for decades.
The Genesis of a Disaster
The game's development was famously rushed. Atari, the then-dominant force in the video game market, had secured the rights to the blockbuster movie *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* from Steven Spielberg. The idea was to capitalize on the film's immense popularity by releasing a tie-in game in time for the Christmas holiday season. Howard Scott Warshaw, a young programmer at Atari, was tasked with the monumental challenge of creating the game in just five weeks.
This incredibly tight deadline was a recipe for disaster. Warshaw, despite his best efforts, was unable to craft a compelling or even remotely playable experience within the given timeframe. The pressure from Atari executives to deliver a product, any product, overshadowed any concern for quality.
Gameplay That Defies Logic
So, what made E.T. so terrible? The gameplay itself is where the game truly falters. The premise was loosely based on the movie, with players controlling E.T. as he searched for pieces of a futuristic telephone to contact his home planet.
- Pitfalls and Endless Loops: The primary mechanic involved E.T. falling into one of several "pits" scattered across the screen. These weren't enemies or obstacles in the traditional sense; they were simply holes that E.T. would drop into. The frustration came from the sheer randomness and frequency of these falls. Often, E.T. would fall into a pit, and the only way out was to fall into another one. This created a maddening cycle of falling and re-falling, with little progress to show for it.
- Confusing Controls and Objectives: The controls were clunky and unresponsive. E.T. moved in an awkward, jerky manner, making precise movement incredibly difficult. The objective of finding telephone pieces was vague and the game offered little guidance, leaving players bewildered and unsure of what to do next.
- Repetitive and Tedious: The core gameplay loop was incredibly repetitive. Wander around, fall in a pit, get frustrated, repeat. There was no sense of progression, no engaging challenges, and certainly no fun to be had.
- The "Scientists": Adding to the confusion were "scientists" who would periodically appear and take away any collected telephone pieces, further setting players back and exacerbating their frustration.
"It was a game designed by committee, and the committee didn't know anything about making video games."
This quote, often attributed to critics and players alike, perfectly encapsulates the feeling many had when trying to play E.T. It felt like a product designed with a deadline and a license in mind, rather than an actual game meant to entertain.
The Fallout: A Video Game Catastrophe
The launch of E.T. was met with widespread disappointment and even outrage. Despite Atari producing millions of cartridges, expecting them to fly off the shelves due to the movie's popularity, the game was a colossal failure. Millions of unsold cartridges were eventually buried in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, a legendary burial that has since become a symbol of the game's ignominious end. This event is often referred to as the "E.T. burial" and is a significant part of video game folklore.
The commercial failure of E.T., alongside other poorly received Atari titles, contributed significantly to the video game crash of 1983. This crash saw the industry's revenue plummet, and many companies went out of business. While E.T. wasn't the sole cause, its spectacular failure was a major symptom of the inflated market and the decline in game quality.
Why E.T. Remains the Benchmark for Bad Games
Even today, decades later, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 remains the yardstick against which all other bad video games are measured. Its legacy is that of a cautionary tale about greed, rushed development, and the importance of quality over quantity. It serves as a stark reminder that even the most popular licenses can't save a fundamentally flawed product.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How did the E.T. game contribute to the video game crash of 1983?
The E.T. game was a massive commercial failure. Atari produced an enormous number of cartridges, far more than the game's poor quality and lack of demand could justify. The unsold inventory led to massive financial losses for Atari, and its failure, along with other poorly received games, contributed to a general loss of consumer confidence in the video game market, triggering the crash.
Why was the E.T. game developed so quickly?
The game was developed under an extremely tight deadline. Atari wanted to capitalize on the immense popularity of the Steven Spielberg film *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* and release the game in time for the 1982 Christmas season. This meant the developer, Howard Scott Warshaw, had only about five weeks to create the entire game, a virtually impossible task for a title of any complexity.
What happened to all the unsold E.T. cartridges?
The vast majority of the unsold E.T. cartridges were famously buried in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. This event, often referred to as the "E.T. burial," became a legendary part of video game history and a symbol of the game's catastrophic failure. Many of these cartridges have since been excavated as collector's items and historical artifacts.
