Atari Landfill Excavation Findings

The video explores the urban legend that Atari buried millions of unsold ET game cartridges in a New Mexico landfill. In 2014, an excavation confirmed Atari dumped excess inventory, but not millions of ET cartridges. The real story dates back to 1983 when Atari, facing financial losses, disposed of unsold merchandise from its El Paso plant. This led to rumors of a massive ET cartridge dump, but the truth was less sensational. The excavation merely confirmed Atari's past actions, not the myth.

What was the urban legend about Atari that circulated in the video game world?

• Atari gave away free games to local schools.

• Atari burned all their unsold games.

• Atari buried millions of unsold ET cartridges in a New Mexico landfill.

• Atari sold their unsold games to a foreign country.

What did the excavation crew find in the Alamogordo landfill in 2014?

• Old Atari hardware, joysticks, parts, and games including ET

• Only ET cartridges

• A treasure chest

• Nothing significant

Who funded the 2014 excavation of the Atari landfill?

• The US government

• A documentary team of Fuel Entertainment and Microsoft

• A group of local citizens

• Atari

What financial situation did Atari face in the second quarter of 1983?

• They gained a new investor

• They lost over 300 million dollars

• They broke even

• They made a huge profit

Why did Atari decide to dump their excess inventory in 1983?

• To make space for new products

• To avoid looting

• To donate to charity

• To sell them at a discount

Where did Atari move their game manufacturing in the early 80s?

• Canada

• Germany

• Taiwan

• Japan

What did local citizens do when they found out about the dumping?

• Ignored the law and started looting

• Helped Atari cover the dump

• Reported it to the police

• Protested against Atari

How did Atari respond to the local looting?

• They ignored it

• They moved the dump to another location

• They posted a security guard and covered some of the dump with cement

• They gave away the remaining inventory

What did the newspapers report about Atari's dumping in 1983?

• Atari was moving to a new location

• Atari was dumping the contents of their El Paso Texas plant

• Atari was giving away free games

• Atari was launching a new product

What did the 2014 excavation ultimately confirm?

• Atari dumped a bunch of excess inventory in a landfill

• Atari never dumped any games

• The landfill was empty

• The urban legend was true