Oh you're, listening to the dial up, this is a by weekly paper cast where some weeks I explain a story from history to my friend. They, hardly you say your name, Who knows an idea, and I didn't say, leniency, where you were. When you start, you say you start. You say I dollop, I'm dave and yeah. Ok, our area and keep this all in favour of the part ha ha ha ha ha ha a fool he or listening to the dial up. This is by weak, podcast where every week or something I give reynolds explained. Is I history to what you ve been in the room when I've done this. What did I do wrong that time? The whole thing off your listening to the door,

Well, this is a bi weekly podcast, where every week I Gareth reynolds exploit his story to my friend, David Anthony who's know who has no idea what it's about yeah, that you fucked up bad? well. That was a fucking whoop gary you want to hear people say this is clearly not gary gara stave, okay, someone or something is tickling, and this is not going to become a particularly quiet. Uptown. All our shit. I've lived through a bunch of religious virgins, go to mingle and do what's right now and nicely done for the year, where a fifth nineteen, forty three, no bush now was born in the world in the suburbs of gorgeous clear field. Utah Bush now grew up in a way can class area outside of salt lake. He was

raised as a mormon but was not fond of israel engine and his surroundings, that early found he was a little different. We use at eighteen. Forty eight right, I said, nineteen, forty, three one, nineteen, four nineteen- seventy there are all the same, now they're very, very different february. Fifth, nineteen. Forty three was when he was born Jesus Christ. I mean even I retain more than that. Let's just get back to Nathan, okay and he was a little bit different than everyone his town for funny what he liked to play, pranks like the time that he convinced everyone there was a: u f, o invasion by Ben franklin and Ben franklin in a three hundred watt light bulb to a kite frank, later ended in an alfalfa field farm where bush no have led the police department to what so he put a light bulb on it. I was thunderstorm there must have been a storm. There must have been.

and the toddler tasted and then the and then he convinced people that it was a you fo, and then it ended up that the cops chased and chased him and car, and was he with his with the kite? I I do. I think he was the guy just assume, is with the guy, if you just like tied the kite down and they and we're like always. Shit is a terrible breakthroughs over does a great prank here also one stay mormon for long he became what he described as a heathen after an argument with the priest over religion. So that happens a lot yeah, as that should happen. Mystery to strait you will learn. Bush now is a pretty fucking. Awesome did as a team bush now, it didn't amusement park where you'd would watch people lose their shit over ring toss and ski ball games like that, and the fund of this environment would stick with him forever gave and good for college

push no ended up attending the university of utah as an electrical engineer reviewed, but one day David gravy to everything would change. Bush now walked into a department lab where people were playing space war many computer, essentially, first came ever. Bush now is shocked by what it was. We need, is turn he played any couldn't believe what he was saying. He was manipulating this digital spaceship and during the digital enemies, boy for imagine and when he was controlling it now his hands now really likes. You know. Sorry, I should be clear with his hair was mine, I'm sorry because, as you know, my control with Mine- oh no, no, no, not at all hands. So so has any new that people would lose their shit for something like this. If it was in like the amusement park that used to work at church, because you see funeral crazy he'd seen people think out of a ring top year, which is us in a ring in a bottle.

I think you get a prize pig or it's like the goldfish game, where you throw the ping pong ball into the goldfish bowl affairs dies in a universe when the simplicity and alcinous of carnival games to me. Ok, I get them so you so he wanted to do this, but he had no way of doing anything near that computers were far too expensive and even have that kind of money. It was all just an impact thought in his dreamer head until one day when he met ted, daphne to regos daphne worked but electronics in the marine corps and had an inexpensive way to bring bush nels vision to life. Daphne had figured out a way change, a tv signal into a bunch of dots and squiggles with nothing more than a video board, and that would do so, firstly, that of plant. Yet As these guys are don't understand by these guys,

look at something, and god he's a genius. I yeah. I can turn this into something. Yes, whereas I would look at a tv screen ago. That's there's a lot of snow yeah, yeah well and essentially like, if you think about it, like all that stuff you can do with computers. Have you can just do that on a tv monitor like given europe You know work with that kind of what damnable field playing. I feel upon coming not all anonymous, acquit revisionist, so a bush known to everyone to work and they made their own coin operated way. Is this can be bought me cause? I was the first kill them neighbourhood upon now. This is not what I eat. What an ego on you, about leave no Davis and not a fucking, I'm not doing it all up. I know because I know we're probably do more about me. This is good, is now and we did it where you did one about me. There is still a chance. I would have no idea what the topic was onto it was over until in and jose was picked so

Bush known, daphne went to work on their own coin, operated spaceport game that they called computer space, catchy name bush. No. At the vision for The actual device should look like it was going if and attract people away from conversations and bars in public places. He wanted to be sexy, so what they ended up building would be the standard for all, upright arcade games from then on heating itself. Get car design, the first spanned arcade game. I couldn't help break. I was visit about me. Let me take selfies repairs. What this is all in your work and phone there's a doll about me. I feel again should take pictures of not about you. Ok good god seems like it might be about so within the building would be the same. for all upright arcade games as asteroids upping. The sex appeal for the public

now decided to launch the game with an ad featuring a sexy model and negligent and the rest is history. Ok, wait what so it's it's! It's an archaic him to put in our case It is the first yes and he's gonna make an ad for it in the media, the magazine or is tv, and I just adds in our universal. It's hot chick in the neck, standing next year, a cave game, not only an archaic hymns of the gold computer space. Not their makes my nipple charter that computer space. I mean these guys are geniuses in some ways and not Jesus in the other leaved. They was there we're not getting laid is now crossing over zone. Are you telling me you're shocked that computer nerds didn't have a grasp on how to appeal to men? It is kind of yet on fourchan, Lee the game flocked. Why? I don't I don't think it had anything to do with the ad campaign people can understand.

Of the game that didn't really understand the concept. They felt that it was too complicated. What's it called space camp, it was called computers. Space base camp is honestly better can sell hey after that. You want to go down into the the dairy queen and play some computer space on that for sure it doesn't work, face sure it'll probably be a model and lingerie their weight. Is that where you take a computer and put it in the space yep, okay, it'd be amazing. If that's the game, you've won one. Fuck, you fuck, you wanted it over there. So after the flu they decided they weren't gonna. Take no for an answer. So on june, twenty seventh nineteen, seventy two and sunnyvale california for communal inhabitants, then we will know- and bush now and ted daphne filed the incorporation papers. And move their items into a seventeen hundred square foot office, space in santa clara, California, the heart of

silicon valley. This was the beginning of atari apple. This was the beginning of its. Are you listen to me? I know it's gotta. Be apple authority was mainly launched from something the bush saw at a trade show, so he saw this video you game system called odyssey, which was essentially a basic video tennis game and bush knowledge. Tired and engineer named AL acorn and instructed him to build their version of that. So having learned from it, first endeavour, bush no wanted to keep this far more simple. So basically, the idea was to digital paddles, one ball players at the ball back and forth. until one player misses and then the other player gets a point pong first, one to ten wins you think it sounds to me, like I've, never heard of this game before no. No, this you damn right yeah. This is about me. This ends up about me acorn, who called himself an anarchist from berkeley to work. Well, this is what anarchists do fuck the government, if there's ever a great example of an anarchist. It's a guy making to digital paddles. Had a ball back and forth. Take outcome.

Aren't you take that congress, and you're right, David, the fruits of their labour would be a little game called pond. on the first coin, operated arcade game. But how could they know if people wanted it before? I went why true so to find out. They set it up in a dive bar to see the result. What about putting a naked lady in a picture next to show that was deafening? Talk that you mean that like that's when they fired the ad department Maybe we go? a girl and larger at you. That was your idea last. I hope, and I like them, carriage she's really call a meter. She says if I keep getting your work, you might touch me dick someday touch, you touch it so so they set it up in a dive bar and within an hour bush, and I got a call from the bars manager who is pissed off, because the machine itself, working and people were upset panicked, personal sent acorn to the bar and acorn quickly figured out the

problem when you open the front and machine and realise that had been clogged with quarters. The game was just to popular, so they were They were. They had already learned how to monetizing didn't just put it in the bar for free they. Now they had it all up and made a landing everything. Yes, yes, shit was reckoned. Well, I don't even have it. Any aigner didn't have a big enough to hold we ll, have a big enough money, hole in it and make a big enough. Maybe if we put a girl and larger get out of your dog, let's get out of here now, just getting language cheaply, Grady gave a tory a lot of confidence in the game, so much confidence that is of sort of outsourcing this they decided they were going to build the machines and put them into bars and restaurants by themselves rather than licence licensing it to other companies. So a nineteen seventy three atari got a line of credit from wales, fargo uncertain assembly line, but

a tory only had for employees and they had five hundred pong machines that they were contracted to build. Do not do. through, like they went to different borders. Yeah they enter a bar, I, like international tip leah. Like I mean it started small, but orders for pong machines started flying, so pupils aren't hearing about it. The word people saw the episode and so guys who own bars would go to like a bar convention yeah they going to they'll, be like hey con hilaire. They going to bark on and they re hilarity. What's gonna with your bar, you not like this no machine. These guys put, I invite you put a quarter it and then you get digital paddles. Will you tell me about luggage? bugs now you dumb fuck, listen to me a few parks. Yes, that's a good you! are now it's a game. Put money in the game. Go shuttle jello near hockey is what you're gestures are saying you're. Joking, not someone behind you didn't live in one european order, shuttle board the stand. Men marijuana not like on the left, vote like one will. You are now

I think so I just love bar garden, so there to make five, whereupon machines, but there were four employees. So not content and waiting for a want, add to run, which would take four days. Bush now drove to the local unemployment office all the homeless, they hippies and the homeless hippies that he could find that's amazing. He had a job to do after all. Despite admitting the drug testing should probably have been a part of that voting. No bush now atari part that ten pound machines a day. Well, pretty good riots, british government the homeless degenerate. You know otherwise only every now and then you would find a guy like living in one at the end, you'd be just like hey hank. This is where I keep my vodka buddy It's beginning to come out of there. I can sitting here with a bottle now to get out of there. We need to make the coin thing bigger, paquette. We can't send this one to china So the machines would cost three hundred artists to build that

atari, would sell them for nine hundred dollar ends at the time was pretty crazy, I'm on it hey, that's a third twenty, fifty percent profit The idea in mind your good. I know you're good. it was an international phenomenon to orders, were coming in from all over the world eta, He also operated a few machines locally to keep the quarters coming in, for whatever reason, but bush now is paranoid about. People that he was sending to go, collect the corral coins from so he insists that anyone who want to go empty a machine carried a hatchet. Ok, wait a minute you to back up what part I thought february. Then I thought that he was worried that the guys were going to get the money were going to steal it now, but he's worried that people are going to attack the guys getting the quarters where the people he's sending two so can be monitored and going at attack. He seeing wants them to carry out like a situation from eighteen fifties were the worst part of stage go just cruiser across one, comes out attacks and that's what he sees it. As you know,

there were so many fuckin quarter, robberies in the seven I got you a year ago. I mean this is of course a dime robberies happened in the fifties, but in the in the seventies. It was a quarter and it was then there were home. Gangs is built on negative estonia. Fifty four one quarter crimes will never forget the quarter crimes so at all he's going faster than alfalfa on a farm. The bush know about the cops to a needed, a bigger space for all of its new employees. So the company, we don't you get it it's fun, so they're coming move to a roller rank near by and became a real fucking party has bush know what to do with. It was the roller extol operating was not in an operation. Okay, because my atlanta been now we have a movie well buddy. We got a movie and it turned into like a party house. So it wouldn't surprise me if there were maybe four was rollers bush now was a real fuckin hippy. He wore bell buttons to work.

you don't really care much for rules. Drinking was allowed at work, so was pots, no sorry their action wasn't much not allowed. Bush now told this staff quote: I dont care. When you come to work, I don't care. If you come to work, I don't care what you where I don't care. If you bring your dog, I don't care. If you bring a six back, get your job done. You're an adult and I treat you like an adult. I actually totally agree with that totally. Why would care. If someone's do whatever the fuck in doing a guy can be sitting, their main lining cocaine. killing monkeys and as long as he gets his job done, like other guys doing an ape holiday and shooting like nine monkeys with an aching. Forty seven out back, you are starting line getting, but at the same time getting the machine bill. yeah? What can you complain about the monkey murder, the murder of the monkeys, I gotta be honest. There are looking anywhere. That's that's a lot of monkeys, but I agree. I do agree. I think if you

I like people who are like like this. Like you know they they have to their job, is to like it's not like you're driving a bus. Now exactly so, you can just get used to getting fucking worked if you it's for me and gareth. You can main line all day as long as you get your job done and as long as there are no monkey murders, we are looking for entered when we are going to talk out there about the monkey problem, because that is a huge issue, and so on blew up. Bush no word emulate just atari started. Blurb like bushnell would have more. This business meetings and a hot tub nearest house said it was a wild environment. It was post flower Our resolution- women's liberation, no aids yet and lots of company romance no age, member, those with a fucking. That's my life

one of those monkeys right for some reason, Atari became quickly known as a party company bushnell promised to tap a keg every friday that they hit their quota. And basically this was beer pong before beer pong beer pong yeah I get it. That was part of our culture smoking pot and doing a lot of cocaine. Al Acorn said our attitude was work hard play hard. So they were doing cocaine, they were doing a lot of cocaine. Yes, However, a nineteen, seventy four a problem arose while bush knows better. And with his mind and the tax base business was fairly new to him and he failed to copyright. Pong circuit boards she is a wise man. Oh my god, it's meant was that anybody could try to produce their own policies, and so all over the world flying machines were being ripped off only about a quarter of the machines in the market were actually made by atari for community, so shit got real fast, and atari was starting to think that there are gonna have filed for bankruptcy. Things got so bad that bush, nor had

wages for his assembly line workers, which resulted in workers having ensured that simply red fuck you up, it was at a point in point. Maidens I mean they product can afford more letters with the way they are being paid. It took a tall ambush those personal life to causing a divorce between him and his wife. I can't believe you married, I mean I gotta, be honest, others zone shocking thing ever two daughters, so with little choice emotional saw only one way to save the company a bit of a hail mary confused, the thieves, began to mess with the names on the chips inside the game. Atari is she would switch chip names or create new ones to make the game harder to steal and when other companies would want to copy it, it would fail and it worked. Atari was safe, so afforded people. Fucking up the design of their machine. They would put a chip in there. That was wrong. They would miss

label. This label and label them with don't try and put it in and it wouldn't work. So then more of the people that were trying to rip it off they would you know yeah it'd be like giving them a wrong recipe, so it saved so then a night in seventy five sears roebuck approached atari about the idea of making pong game councils that people could use in their homes, which was fairly revolutionary idea at the time for getting around me, ok, but isn't anthony whose no it showed personal showed up to the meeting with sears in genes and a teacher, the series as well worth suits and ties, but no, Time series started seeing things bush knows way, one of their first visits to atari bushnell, divided. the two teams and they race around the conveyor belt. In boxes. The two companies went into here's to guess: here's the serious guys got it a box. Is another box raise yet at a time the geyser incident eyes there. no enough. There are like letterbox rain. is of boxers. Ok,

Does it see or call another doing blow like fast? What a fine impacts? Dude everyone knows is bleeding. fuck a vague macy's doggedly star, amazing. That is what they talk by like sears co party bony. I'm your problem may seizes the guys, like rubbing his gus maisie good wages, that great a tyrant. Work and began designing a home tv version of its pong. Arcade game shows a juicy penny fuck. These home atari version appalling, had a sporting color, an onscreen score. An audio from built in speaker inside the oddly shaped pedestal. Council- and it turned to be won the hottest selling items for the nineteen. Seventy five holiday shopping season, with people waiting several I was in line to purchase pot. We're talking upon at

sears wanted to sell fifty thousand units, but demand was high enough that series quickly as dettori to produce one hundred and fifty thousand instead unleash atari atari, topped more than forty million dollars in sales. Now again, Davis, a home pong game was a big f and deal at the time, but Atari wanted to grow. They need. That they were killing it in the home gaming business, but bushel also want the focus on our core arcade gets. He felt like that was a good market as well, so we hired teams team of designers to help conceive and create games, his sat ask yourself to grow described nerds, but these ners worked hard and played are slowly, but surely they began coming with great games and doing the same thing that pong done in bars and arcades games like tank and indian eight hundred even a video game adaptation of the movie jaws sumptuous, that one among bush status that one work jaws I mean I'm sure.

I might honestly my getting. I think I have a recollection of my guess it. I threw sharks coming up each swam across Yes right yeah I mean that's all it could be unless you're the shark trying to eat people, but I don't think people had that fucked up attitude yet yeah, I think yeah. I think the people wanted to be the hero and. Amongst those young staff was a young, nobody named steve jobs. Bush no mistake: jobs early and promoted him to work on a game called break up. Here we go personal offer jobs, a five grand bonus if he could use a few chips as possible. Steve jobs went to his friends, Steve Wozniak and helped and any helped him. The team did and getting the bonus, but bush now and atari, where the winners, because the game was said to have turned pong on its side. Basically, it was a video game,

version of racquetball, which was very popular at the time a few months later job and was niac approached bushnell with an offer for fifty thousand dollars. Bush could be the third partner in a computer company. They were starting called apple. I would jump in. I would jump on this while bliss like the guys he passed that unless you and why would you won't jump on that it sounds stupid, apple, who's, going to name a company apple exactly, but he what he said was that he basically passed on it for the right reasons, but regretted it. And and that investment today, but he's living in a garbage can right that he's going to live in a pong machine that investment today would be. The Six hundred and seventy could Gillian billion dollars so now much now. Much now much real money, however,

There is still the dream of being able to do what they did with pong with all of their other games. There was there a way to bring games into the comfort of the consumer's home dave personal thought, so. Chip technology had changed and bush no thought that Atari could make a council that could use multiple games by exchanging cartridges. However, the cost of something like that would be huge bush can cover the whole cost so to pull it off a thirty three year old bush, no needed more money to cover the cost of production, there's only one way to get it he had to sell atari. So various who saw her own cell heroin hisself tory saw the target to make turkey to make Atari bigger suck. That's just what bush no atari was hot and warner communications knew it they wanted to I atari so to show them how much they wanted. The water companies set a private jet back to pick up bush known some of his other hippy nea and when they got on the plane, there sat clint eastwood who, along with his girlfriend, we're headed to need

to screen least eastwards latest movie worries quince, angrily When the team landed, they were given the vip treatment rooms on the top floor of the waldorf astoria and even got to watch eastwards film with eastward and the company s not bad. They already that's pretty good right, given a terrier for that they did. He saw the bushel so sorry for jet bush, not just started Atari for years earlier and now had just so that for twenty eight million dollars as which is a lot for back, then it was back then you're not wrong the deal, those stated the bush no would still be the chair of atari a deal which got him. Fifteen million dollars- oh yeah, Oh, it's kind of the best yeah he's right right, yeah, but until he gets fired well and with that with the fifteen million dollars that he got, he bought a boat and a private jet for the same name will decide what you do with it money, he bought any name them both. Well, what else you remain name your boat, they haven't told you the name. You atari part

Finally, in october night seventy seven had happened. The atari vis, A computer system model number twenty six hundred was made meant, was set to make its debut with a retail price between a hundred ninety nine to two hundred and twenty nine dollars the system The multi processor base programme programmable game council included to joy, sticks to paddle controllers. It came to play a game. And twenty seven variations called combat. The council design was cool and hope to have a selling life of two to three years. That year it sold two hundred and fifty thousand units the next year, Atari overestimated it's sales and only sowed sold five hundred and fifty thousand out of the eight hundred thousand they had produced. Oh quite the miscalculation

up, however, it is that would not be the last time. Atari's eyes were bigger than the consumer zones. Eli, don't said, Steve Liebmann, you just use the name enjoyed fierce, go first kind of neighborhood get a tour that will let that will will keep that in mind frogger for what it's about you great good, broader reggie bush no hated the air when they made eight hundred thousand only sold five hundred fifty hasn't he hated there and he began to worry that warner was putting too much emphasis on home gaming and not enough on broad appeal of atari. after locking horns for long enough, bush now left the company that he had started by nineteen. Eighty two atari was worth two billion dollars. Switch, no walked away: twenty eight million solar retorted two billion bush not started a new business venture sort of like public gaming. He opened a restaurant college, Jackie cheese, ok, I gotta go what what we did doing cocaine, making sears race and boxes having a hot tub

sittings whenever Chucky diseases he opened up Jackie chase. Oh my god, jimmy kids. He sickened, I mean, I don't think it is designed he was like, and the ball pits where everyone goes to puke every kid or puke in the ball pit, hey fuck. He went from creating one of the greatest greatest things, one of the worst things ever things ever teaches the greater I mean I was here, give it's a fucking yeah, but I always, I think you are judging. I will said, as I think you are judging chuckie cheese today, on what chuckie cheese was back then check each is used to be great. Now it is basically a year inside a rat's anus, but it not be right. Now it's a concentration yet now it is actually. I do believe that there are killing people in the back Still, though, with all that going on in nineteen seventeen nineteen, seventy nine people seemingly began to realize that this council could do more than just what the VC way more than just what Paul was doing, and the vizier s was the best selling christmas gift that year, due to its exclusive,

content and one million units result that has kept coming games like code breaker, hangman space invaders, breaker centipede, ms pack, men were all names and started to captivate the fan base, as things are cooking at atari, they hired a new game designer a man named howard, Scott worship. Howard was a graduate of two lane university or shall finish this bachelors degree within three years, with a double major in math and economics, a job at hewlett packard before taking a job with a tory warsaw so quickly that he became a stand out at a time when he presented them with his first game called yours? Revenge dimension I don't know I mean I I I I I remember

atari a little bit, not a ton, though I remember like I remember. Like I mean it was around when I was a kid, but it wasn't. I think it was coming. You know we were coming off of it. We were going into tv and so the game yards revenge. The game at a great narrative narrative and was accompanied by a comic book explaining the history of the game, basically yours. Revenge featured insecticides, space sector space ship, you're sure. It was ranged against an enemy ship clotel encased in defence of barricade, where utopian scientology. So you- our avoids nasty missile, while shooting at or nibbling at the shield, this nibbling powers up a super weapon that can be used. Destroy the coastal which itself powers up and attacks you're from time to time and at the end of the game come Tom cruise version, so

want to get to that level. You want either by David Miscavige or tom cruise drain and your miss cabbage, I'll, find your. Why are clear guts I do alive new can marry woman for a start, myths that the first round of development of the yards game did not go great quote the control scheme sacked the problem was trying to manoeuvre the ship or controlling the weapon, so people, who played an early founded a little irksome and difficult, but instead of trying to fix the particular problem, he changed the entire game. Warsaw was a protectionist and it should be noted that he had no experience in game development. All he did to get ready to program games was read the programming manual for the twenty six hundred. What what it sees a fuckin gene the fucking scary. He should be put down kind of the guy's going to ruin the world. What are you going to shoot him up back with the monkeys? Yes,

and you are yours- revenge was huge when it hit the mark, it never heard it blew up and didn't it didn't go to your town. It is thought of by a lot of gamers as a tories, best game? Really, yes, so augur. But you really like fraga, no pitfall nap. in the fall. If I remember and is where you kind of swing on like vines across your souls right, yes yeah, I remember that It's it's the closest thing we had Indiana jones buckle, the fuck up. Scott worship had gone the confidence of his bosses and was given the task of adapting india the jones raiders of the lost our exile as a video game. The film had cleaned up at the box office there So worse, I gladly accepted the challenge and immediately we sent a universal studios to meet with Steven Spielberg, so the two men up and over a game of yours they deserve

The ideas for the raiders of last art videogame shortly after howard, began coding. His epic treasure on the archeologist Mister Jones begins as video game quest on arm, but soon he picks up a trademark whip and is battling snakes. Detonating grenade and diligently scouring the marketplace for handy items, now as you and I both know dave. When you hear the description of a game like this year, there is a chasm between what your hearing and what it actually look like. The indiana jones character looked more like a yellow score to piss and his whip look more like a stick than any number of computer but still people went apes club. When I was coding raiders, I really tried to get into character. I were there, and I had a real ten foot leather bull with me- It was so loud like a gunshot if people were snooping around the building, I'd sneak up behind them and I crack that whip jump out of their suits they'd, be like hey you do it will. This is

if the guy, who I know the guy who made frogger, did that to justify a fraud through traffic, that's the thing that I know is most guys you're, creating an atari game I dress up like the character, is a huber. There's an idea of the frog miss PAC man is walking around. We lost another frogger in traffic. Why are we here The traffic you that's the idea there not so they don't have to do that they can just programme the gay. What you're saying is is absolutely accurate hard. He should have backed away when our daughter, clara so highway when you're, not at a frog. I can tell you something. I think I think it's gonna be worth. It will enable see great progress here. We need another guy, though your iron, and yet no, I we lost for progress today. I mean I'm not saying that it's a good plan so so when we're someone's presented I'm too spielberg at the indiana jones game, Spielberg approved of the game in june nineteen. Eighty two prior to its official release. He previewed worse, I went

Previewed raiders at the consumer, electronics show in Chicago it's going to blow up by screening, especially filmed demo of himself completing the game and providing a running commentary as as you went it particularly impressed one member of the audience. I played the tape to Spielberg and at the end of it turns to me and said, while those really great it's just like a movie, it was one of the most gratifying moments of my entire life, more shots Spielberg was not alone in his admiration, the game went on, be another million seller for howard, but its success. Was double edged sword see this would not be the last time gilbert and more sharply to work together for a nineteen. Eighty, two, a little film called e t, never was getting ready to hit the world. You ve never heard of it. He the movie extra time, ST. I know what an extraterrestrial is yeah, but do you know the movie iti know and let me walk you through it,

it was a hit from the day was released and quickly became one of the most beloved movies of all time. When people do not have blackened hearts, you sort of ordinary people know. Eighty. The film is about a ten year old boy, elliot hoop. rendered a little lost, ailing namely alien e t? This words are looking for you and did his best to item from the adults and soon elliot. Seven siblings, gurdy and Michael discovered eighties existence and help giving it a chappie. You know the deal raises pieces phone home for the bike in the basket finger lights up, most people know the deal you doubt, but that, but it would be important, for europe cap. It says the same chappie god Jesus saint any violent movie chappie as they pay totally. Whoever margaret was so. It was insanely violent, so like they got to marketing and there are like this is to violence, and they look like to make it unknown with heart, will give you. Nine chappie yeah, there's, not the movie jappy shout out,

So. The storyline vittie had its beginnings, indirect or steven Spielberg on past, when Spielberg's parents divorced in nineteen, sixty Spielberg invented and imaginary alien to keep him company. Well, I mean who hasn't done. That's just classic divorce kit, I know one mind split a what about not telling people there those things that he proudly sectors, like I just said it well, I went interview should not have done that. I was on board with spielberg for a while the opening week of each. He was huge. It aggressive, eleven point: nine million dollars, which now sounds like nothing but used to be a lot of money and eating at the top of the possibility for Malta plexus. That's right that this before the eighty stayed at the top of the movie charts for over four months, At the time it was the largest grossing movie ever made the new,

atari. Atari was also a fan of T. They saw huge potential to follow up the success of the raiders game with an e video game. They thought eighty could not only be bigger, but could be huge, huge holiday seller. We just in the game, im phone at home and you nailed it yeah. You just dial, zero and he's like manner from your left me and then I miss you guys so much. I invaded little jewish director to hang out with a well so they they wanted to make each video game, but for some dumb reason, Atari, wait a long time to negotiate the licensing rights. Rieti would Spielberg Spielberg wanted war, show to make game These talks kept going and going in going and they continue deep into July. The price of the licence once bree agreed upon was a measly twenty two million dollars. So now she's

are we had spent twenty two million dollars on the game they needed to have done by september first, in order to get ready for a christmas roll up. What do what's the deal? This is the end of July. They need to have it done by september, one other thing, so it's a little better I'm a little over five weeks for I was not a real thing. Games normally took four five six a year to develop right, it's not, but here, if you like, this isn't gonna go atari had painted themselves into a corner. They wanted this to be the holiday seller. They envisioned so it only five weeks left they needed to get it develop or to say yes to completing the game and undertaking the task, which leads to a burial and in late summer of nineteen. Eighty two castle, Who is the new head of atari called workshops and offered him a chance to develop the game eating? It was an emergency situation that the company created said warshaw

paid too much for the license and left us too little time to do the game. Regardless worship accepted the challenge. He was on board now compounding the already tight deadline or shaw had a mere today, to come up with the games, design document before presenting it to Spielberg in LOS angeles two days I mean two days to come up with the game here, two days to come the whole idea of the game and then go presented to Spielberg level, let alone having to put the wheels in motion alright, so you can get a bike. You ride your spaceship, co, a man! That's it! That's really bad thanks the presentation to Spielberg? Why wouldn't they? Why? Wouldn't they just say, hey, think about the idea, we're negotiating? Why don't you already started thinking about it? That's so true hero to the fucking company, but you know how these places I mean. You know how like a big dumb company is, there are probably like. I don't think I think that's I think you're generalizing their probably they probably our like, as happened, what they like, we don't want to waste money. Having someone develop a game, the women

I never do and we may never do. You know don't negotiate with mother fucker. You think you're talking to them, you're talking to me and the presentation is Spielberg regret less than stellar were presented, idea. I laid out the whole plan and at the end of the presentation, Spielberg looks at me and says: can you do something more like pack, man, we're shall said in retrospect that might not been such a over here. every species of outlay Essentially yeah yeah, it's like to make them eat shit and he was like no. This is a mission to take advantage of every minute, as as at his disposal, had a developer workstation inspired by the way. If I remember correctly, they went to eminence first and said: hey. Can you put em and m's in this eminem said now? Is our right yeah? They make him came recently so stupid. Yet gatt lot, fuck up surrender their another another black where he was an amendment on the whole movie change america. I a great support

I got the developer workstation stalled in his home. He intended to make the game on innovative adaptation of the film and atari liked what he said and thought that it would achieve high sales figures based on the connection with the phone or no self you don't know that? Why he's already come up a than today's ok mits aspirin again today Today's is normally how they do it. Atari Atari had produced around four million cartridges of e t, although they never expected to sell them all. Considered a degree of overproduction sound if it meant that people could be guaranteed to make a purchase and any store and retailers wearing to get their orders early. Indeed, sailfish. Were initially impressive and in countless christmas stockings you can children that american children or opening a gift rapped on christmas?

everybody was excited, running wire up their atari with eighty running over their console and putting it in yeah. Many t did, but I also love the idea that they were like it is better to have enough than do not have if you think about like today, that's completely in the market not only do not do that. Just based on finance but you also want to have one agree like where the fuck is that it will be our now. You want to sell out. Are you wanted everybody everybody gets? Was they made four million cartridges and kid started playing it as in the film? The game starts because e t crash to earth and a spaceship the object of the game is to guide eighty around the map searching for three pieces, this phone. There are a total seven different screams. Some green screens contain wells or pits The three pieces of his phone are down these wells, so it's why's that every single one of these pits. Once you had the part you'd be able to find the phone and phone home, it sounds really easy and fun. No, it does on funds.

It was far too easy to fall into the pits, and once you were in a bit, you couldn't get out we're getting out of the pits the pits. So it's like jail its e t in prison. He did what they like. Once you followed a pit you're fucked. He spoke the levitate. the pit, but that was easier said than done. The little fucker could not get out. It was a design floor, due to the rush that atari put on it whips, so gamers would repeatedly fall back into the pit during which time, scientists, an fbi agents would just appear from out of nowhere. Re abduct. Eighty what's happening that you would lose all the phone parts you collected and have to start all over again, then the hales out and people hated, the hell's angels would come in and just murder you at the bottom of the page. You know it's like when you have a game that working out a lot of video games, but when you have one that's working and you're frustrated by it, like you can't you can like you can't, you can't beat the main thing. Whatever the fuck happens, all the time, but imagine one where you can't know you can't get off of the first.

Frida their games. When you were you where you're playing along your play online, often you walk in his place and universities. give you never done before you just walk around this room going what its The idea, but there is normally something you're going to figure something out with those symptoms. You don't you just like fucking? U go look upon line. Would you can't do back, then? Will I imagine for little kids, like MIKE it will get out of the well, but he then he gets arrested honestly, like for little kids to hate. A video game of iti has to be really bad. I also just love the the idea that you fall in these pets and your god, damn it and then an f b I agent just comes then takes my other, the them really. I hate. I hate this game. but it is often cited ass. One eighth of worst video games ever really gives it the fbi on top of it. Yet that listen, I mean we're dealing with their right now, every parent or soon driving back to stores and demanding a refund retail stores were then left to send the cartridges back to atari with customers return

the unsold cartridges in the millions at an alarming rate. Eighty posed an immediate problem for atari, suddenly again the retail price of forty. Nine dollars was being sold in dollar bargain bins at stores at a time atari coordinate nine dollar forty nine dollars back. Then I guess I was pleased with the hottest I know, but that so much games almost caused now qatar, eventually pull the plug and losses on the eighty game or around a hundred million eat, see Well! This is what happens when the suits are in charge. It's true. I mean that that yeah and end, if you think, like I've seen before like bush now like what he was saying was: don't just concentrate on the home video game where right like he saw a tories brand and they put all their eggs into eu tease leaky. Fucking pit basket the name that is yeah. No, I wouldn't you pay

you're very easily get bit brass. Get titles, terrible, terrible, terrible name doesn't work. I mean it actually work. For what they're saying is it actually is an accurate title now that I played the game and makes sense it's a terrible title, because the game is awful, and so what were they going to do with four? million eighty games. What would a tory do with all of this? The merry? No, the rumour started as a myth mesmer miss the go. Atari was so ashamed at the game that day internally me the decision to bury millions of unsolved cartridges in the new mexican desert and cover them with a slab of concrete. Could that be the winner here that some so crazy over. I haven't you called green, yet covered up like it's a fucking like it's. A murder like it is a murder. So, as with me, man. This is what they do. With half was with most minutes. There was no real logic to it, but it caught fire. It became a joke and it further hurt the feelings of worship.

who carry guilt over the game with them. Even though really wasn't his power, because he had no time so worse I believe that the atari silicon mass grave, as nothing more than a rumour, doesn't make any sense, but as soon as you see, I come from a place of making sense, you're losing touch with the tories said laughing, but honestly, what company and financial trouble does that? That's what I that's why I always figured it wasn't there as the years went on people wanted to know That was true. Was there really an eighty landfill in new mexico? Why? The rumours persisted so much we when we may never know would be the attitude of people had until years ago, but a movement grew. It grew momentum, believers, one is proof of the existence, sceptics wanted to put to bed. So finally, this gamer gave this is gamer game. So, finally, the rumors were to be put to rest when, in two thousand fourteen microsoft funded a documentary which was to involve an escalation of

landfill site. Warsaw self made the trip to see if it was true or not gone, hundreds again showed up. It was like a concert during this. sandstorms a team of archeologist began to dig for their arc. Nothing was found for awhile as they did went on. They pulled up a newspaper from nineteen eighty three oh shit, the same year, the burial was thought to have taken place, who parity with the newspaper a good sign that they were on the right track, that a good sign or just weird dig took ages in ages and then eureka. The diggers confirmed that they had found it atari had for some in salaries buried our dignity games in the desert. The alamo or burial? That's the name of the city, it was did include e cards is among many other titles, James Heller, the former atari manager, who is in part of the original burial was so on handed the excavation and later of the associated press that seven hunter

twenty eight thousand cartridges, a varied to various titles were buried and I dont know why they put newspaper, but they put it. They basically did a layer of concrete and then they did like a layer of junk of newspapers and just like other bona fide certain lines he ruined yeah because they were selling their great secret embarrassed like buying worry hooked up. It's it's. These gave Emma Jane. Others be Remember I remember hearing about this before they had dug it up hearing it, and it was cited for I only heard about I I heard about when they dug up all the e t games, but I didn't hear I I'd never heard of anything until then- and I I remember hearing and it was such a weirdo. It happened like a couple of years or a year ago, and I remember hearing about it and I just thought: that's weird. I never thought about it again. They did apparently married thought about it. A lot. Thank you. So there was a company that was once considered the greatest techno.

Technology company in the world had been reduced to burying games in the sand. Like does with his ways. Atari made video games what they were and now a video game eating landfill in new mexico is confirmed for war. The dig was somewhat therapeutic. He tried to shake his eighty pass, but when he saw the fanfare and all that were drawn to the dig, he got the monkey office back. someone shockwave true classic gamers, true classic gamers defend It's either game once once you can get away from the pit issue or she had made a pretty. the game. Wouldn't you much five weeks, no less a shaman day, they came out with like an online version of voting on things that over you and actually play the game. Instead of spending your life and a goddamn, the eating I still in its original box, is sold for one thousand five honey thirty seven dollars. The interest in the game has gone global online bitter.

From other countries, including germany and Sweden, snapped up the items? As a matter of fact, I mean, Jim in rome opened and exhibit on the dig that includes dirt from the landfill in the gaming world. Eighty is and was nothing short of a phenomenon or has left, in game, and he now works as a successful psychotherapist in silicon valley. Unlike our sweet, hugh glass homes, yeah, I'm sorry did you see the gaming ye left, the gaming game. Okay, yeah should go and, like our sweet, hugh glass

In order to caprio has been in talks to pronounce ray bushnell in a bio, pugwash, bio pic, that's definitely a movie r. I p atari r, a p atari. So that's the story of atari, that's fucking insane and nolan. Bushnell atari doesn't exist anymore as a company. It does not exist as a company anymore. I don't think I mean. I think there might be some like small version, but it's definitely not. You know I mean it. It went under and the truth is that, like the more he read about this stuff more than its like this, like you were saying I mean it was apple like atari- was apple. Atari was doing all those things that we're on I track it's just that when personal laughed right, those that was it because this

is the cover. So the deal is that he saw love. He's I mean he's. You know he made a shitload more than ray. He made. He didn't find many many chuck e cheese's. So he's I mean anybody, remember chuck e cheese, but that dude is a bad ass. Yeah, that's pretty impressive to go from atari to chuck e cheese yeah! That's some shit! Isn't it so there you go. There's a reverse dollop that was good, yeah. I like your stories, I'm going to go, and this is my room and I'm going to get outta here, and this is why I'm staying alright, but I got a phone on the pad. and I want to say one more thing. I want to thank my friend Alex burns for helping me with some of that story. Interesting fact for that, so that turkey birds job alley, his name's sorry about.