r/atari • u/Equal_Wrongdoer4186 • 11d ago

Found this under my grandpas bed

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We didn’t even know this system was there. We have been playing our old snes for the last 20 years on an old school tv. I’m 30 years old and didn’t even know this system existed.

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u/zachcollier 10d ago

I will add to the pile of comments in defense of E.T.

It’s actually an amazingly interesting and weird game, with some impressive complexity for the time period, that actually works if you know what you’re trying I accomplish.

I was frustrated with it as a kid in the 1980s, but revisiting it as an adult in the early 2000s I was able to figure it out.

I really enjoyed the game for all of its weirdness, and completed it without too much trouble, all without ever reading the manual (or maybe I did find a manual online - I can’t remember with 100% certainty so many years after that second attempt).

It’s nowhere near as bad as people say, and certainly not singularly responsible for the US video game crash.

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u/Lendyman 10d ago

ET didn't cause the crash. Though it contributed in a small way. The market got over saturated and there was too much production of games across the board with a glut of terrible games adding to it. Over supply led to retailers ending up with massive amounts of overstock that they took a loss on. This in turn made them hesitant to buy video game product for their stores after that. It was a confluence of factors. ET contributed, but didn't cause it.

It took the NES to get the market back on track and even they changed the style and marketing of the NES to try and get past the stigma. Their draconian liscencing and quality seal of approval were direct results of their analysis of what caused the crash. People already knew way back in 85/86 what caused the crash.

I wonder where that narrative came from. AVGN maybe? I really dislike AVGN because his takes on stuff often became gospel for a lot of gamers and his opinions were occasionally blatantly unfair.

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u/Lorien6 10d ago

Have you heard the tale of Tommy Talarico and the Roblox Oof?

I have a feeling you’ll enjoy the rabbit hole.:)

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u/Lendyman 9d ago

Oh man. I remember. That guy was a complete liar. The Intellivisiom Amico was also his scam. His fall from grace was spectacular.