1223 replies to this topic

[Mock]

assuming it doesn't get locked...you will know i am dead and gone once this thread finally dies off lol...i have kept it alive for a while now lol.

[Tony The 2600]

moycon, on Fri May 13, 2011 1:54 PM, said:

wgungfu, on Fri May 13, 2011 12:46 PM, said:

The dump was not 5 million copies of E.T., that's the myth.

Agreed.
I think years ago we argued back and forth about this before realizing we were on the same page.
Companies dump products a lot, it's not uncommon to get rid of even perfectly fine working equipment and products.
The fact people were saying almost no E.T. sold, and that the ones that did sell were returned is the myth.
I know lots of people that had E.T. as a kid. The fact every lot on eBay contains an E.T. should be a clue at least some were kept. Not only do I not know anyone who returned a copy of E.T. I don't even recall us discussing about how we hated it, or that we were even considering return it. The game was great fun I always thought!

Yeah i had E.T and everyone i knew had E.T ,i used to play it all the time and thought it was one of the top 10 games i owned. Even stated i liked it on a you tube video you can only imagine the response i got back.

That is very true what you said about dumping brand new stock as many companies do it. I put my last 2 dollars on SEGA also dumping brand new stock when they went bust.

My conclusion as to why its such a massive deal is just like the "video game crash" of 1983. Atari came in with a big impact and was massively popular but also went out with a boom. Classed as the first video game console to bring something never done before. The "crash" and "Dumping" where the first time this ever happened to such a popular video gaming company.

Well thats what i think also helped made it a big deal,
As when something amazing comes into your life ,it will be a big topic if something happens to it.

Edited by Tony The 2600, Tue Sep 6, 2011 4:51 AM.

[jahfish]

Quote

That is very true what you said about dumping brand new stock as many companies do it. I put my last 2 dollars on SEGA also dumping brand new stock when they went bust.

not sure about that.

the main reason for dumping is to create a maximum output with the new releases. atari didn't want millions of ET games going for 10$ a cart ... they wanted kids to spend 40$ on the latest games. plus it was the time when more and more shops surfaced that would sell old stock that they bought cheap. with dumping, they would make sure that most of the money spent on games would somehow affect their actual products where the benefits are the biggest.

only once a company has vanished, the games will resurface in a place like best electronics and be sold for a few bucks. at that point it wouldn't "steal" any customers from their target group.

Edited by jahfish, Wed Sep 7, 2011 8:41 AM.

[Retro Rogue]

jahfish, on Wed Sep 7, 2011 8:41 AM, said:

Quote

That is very true what you said about dumping brand new stock as many companies do it. I put my last 2 dollars on SEGA also dumping brand new stock when they went bust.

not sure about that.

the main reason for dumping is to create a maximum output with the new releases. atari didn't want millions of ET games going for 10$ a cart ... they wanted kids to spend 40$ on the latest games.

In a normal market yes, in the crash market of the time no. The problem was huge amounts of excess inventory vs. a normal amount of unsold inventory that a company wants to get rid of for new products as you mention. People keep attributing normal market practices and conditions in hindsight to this for some reason. Warner had forced Atari to grossly overestimate demand across the board (console and computer) just to pump up projections and stock value.

Quote

plus it was the time when more and more shops surfaced that would sell old stock that they bought cheap. with dumping, they would make sure that most of the money spent on games would somehow affect their actual products where the benefits are the biggest.

only once a company has vanished, the games will resurface in a place like best electronics and be sold for a few bucks. at that point it wouldn't "steal" any customers from their target group.

To be fair though, the stuff at Best, B&C, the cavern, etc. was in addition to destroyed stock. I.E. Atari Inc. had so much in warehouses across the US, that they had more than enough to destroy besides all the NOS inventory those places purchased yeas later that had been sitting in warehouses for years. Enough to supply discount stores and liquidators from the mid 80's until present. In fact the last time Curt was out at the last existing storage that's been handed down to the current "Atari" (for a project for them) there was still some NOS stuff in there.

[Inky]

There's a very good Wikipedia article on this.. Most convincing article I've read on the topic...

http://en.wikipedia....deo_game_burial

[EVIL NOD]

wow can not believe this thread was started in 2005 and is still going

[rbudrick]

EVIL NOD, on Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:49 PM, said:

wow can not believe this thread was started in 2005 and is still going

I wonder if it's the longest thread in the history of the innertubes.

-Rob

[atari181]

I'm just bumping this for fun, it's my favorite thread

[moycon]

One more page to hit page #50!! Go ET!!!!

I have an unopened ET still. Going to hang on to it until I retire. I figure at that time I'll sell it for like $1,000,000
I know it's uber rare because everyone who initially bought E.T. either threw them away or returned them!!

[Deteacher]

Oh heck, let me add to the thread, since I haven't done so yet. I think it should be a requirement that anyone who joins AA has to reply to this thread at least once.

There! I've fulfilled my duty. Rock on, o' glorious thread.

[SoulBlazer]

I'm pretty sure I replied to this at some point in the distant past....

The 'landfill' story is one of those things that has a grain of truth but the facts are so twisted the correct version of the story will never be known. It's like with the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit from about ten years ago.

[Pioneer4x4]

If I had a bulldozer...

[Fixitguy74]

Pioneer4x4, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:28 AM, said:

If I had a bulldozer...

I'd bulldoze in the morning, I'd bulldoze in the evening.........

[axh174]

Fixitguy74, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:48 AM, said:

Pioneer4x4, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:28 AM, said:

If I had a bulldozer...

I'd bulldoze in the morning, I'd bulldoze in the evening.........

I'd bulldoze at supper time....

*Achievement Unlocked: "The Few, The Proud." Fullfill your duty to AA by posting in the 'Atari's Landfill Adventure' thread.*

[SoulBlazer]

axh174, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:40 AM, said:

Fixitguy74, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:48 AM, said:

Pioneer4x4, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:28 AM, said:

If I had a bulldozer...

I'd bulldoze in the morning, I'd bulldoze in the evening.........

I'd bulldoze at supper time....

*Achievement Unlocked: "The Few, The Proud." Fullfill your duty to AA by posting in the 'Atari's Landfill Adventure' thread.*

Great post! I should make up a list of other Achievements for AA members on the site.

Posting here should be worth.....oh, 25 points.

[Gaztee]

SoulBlazer, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:13 PM, said:

axh174, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:40 AM, said:

Fixitguy74, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:48 AM, said:

Pioneer4x4, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:28 AM, said:

If I had a bulldozer...

I'd bulldoze in the morning, I'd bulldoze in the evening.........

I'd bulldoze at supper time....

*Achievement Unlocked: "The Few, The Proud." Fullfill your duty to AA by posting in the 'Atari's Landfill Adventure' thread.*

Great post! I should make up a list of other Achievements for AA members on the site.

Posting here should be worth.....oh, 25 points.

I'll have my 25 then please! I have to say this sounds like a job for time team. I'm gonna email tony Robinson & get him on the case

[Syntaxerror999]

Deteacher, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:41 AM, said:

Oh heck, let me add to the thread, since I haven't done so yet. I think it should be a requirement that anyone who joins AA has to reply to this thread at least once.

There! I've fulfilled my duty. Rock on, o' glorious thread.

Ok

[Enig]

Pioneer4x4, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:28 AM, said:

If I had a bulldozer...

...go on...

[roberto]

I guess it will take years to read this epic thread... I'd better start now from page 1!

[Random Terrain]

roberto, on Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:00 PM, said:

I guess it will take years to read this epic thread... I'd better start now from page 1!

Skip all of the posts that mention E.T. and you'll be done in no time.

[Keatah]

Bump

[sqoon]

Regarding OP, is there infallible evidence one way or the other regarding this story?

[phattyboombatty]

Deteacher, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:41 AM, said:

Oh heck, let me add to the thread, since I haven't done so yet. I think it should be a requirement that anyone who joins AA has to reply to this thread at least once.

There! I've fulfilled my duty. Rock on, o' glorious thread.

Yeah, I'm in with you on this idea. I actually know someone from Alamogordo. He's kind of a douche. I asked him about the story, and he had no some-such knowledge.

[frogstar_robot]

SoulBlazer, on Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:13 PM, said:

Great post! I should make up a list of other Achievements for AA members on the site.

Posting here should be worth.....oh, 25 points.

Being the first one to bump the Hardwork Knight Rider thread on New Years day is worth 500 points.
Advising the use of Armor All to shine vintage gear and cartridges is worth 10 points.
Starting an A8 vs C64 thread is a -100 points debit.
Annoying ZylonBane is 25 points per post.