Hasta La Gadget!

To dig or not to dig, that is the question. Apparently, that particular question has already been answered by the folks over at Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios, as they look set to commence the digging out of an old landfill that is located in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in order to try to locate the fabled millions of copies of “E.T” for the Atari 2600 that were allegedly buried there many years ago.

Of course, before that will happen, Microsoft has decided to make the situation a little less sombre, by throwing a free party in Alamogordo on Friday night as part of the celebrations – to commemorate both the dig as well as Atari’s game legacy in general.

This particular event will be held from 7pm to 9 pm at the GameStop location at 516 1st Street in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Those who show up will be able to take a stroll down memory lane, playing with classic Atari games while feeding themselves with free food and the classic gamer staple, soft drinks. Not only that, those who attend will also stand a chance to bring home an Xbox One, among others, at the end of the night.

This dig is going to be a historical one, since whatever that is going to be filmed would prove to be a central axis to the created documentary that explores the scenes behind the 1982 game which was based on the hit film, although the game itself bombed – big time.

Microsoft Organizes Party To Celebrate E.T. Videogame Dig , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gaming, atari, Microsoft,

So what is the real story with the fate of millions of unsold E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Pac-Man video games made for the Atari 2600? They were a big time flop and legend says that tons of unsold copies were dumped into a New Mexico landfill never to be seen again. But no one seems to know if this is fact or just urban legend.

Fuel Entertainment has been trying to get permission to dig up the games for several months, and they finally have a green light. Fuel has acquired the exclusive rights to excavate the landfill, and they took the opportunity to Xbox Entertainment Studios. So now Microsoft is including the dig in a documentary series. This may finally solve an age-old nerd mystery.

They will excavate the burial site on April 26, 2014, and the public is invited to attend. Director Zak Penn will be recording the dig, and people involved with the creation of the E.T. game will even be there. Maybe they can ask them why it sucked so bad. Will they find a massive pit full of games? If they do, how many will they sell as souvenirs? Stay tuned.

[via Kotaku via Nerd Approved]

Around a week and a half after we reported that the landfill dig for the E.T. game on the Atari 2600 platform was put on hold, the wheels of its “archaeological” dig continues to begin spinning – as the New Mexico Environmental Protection Division Solid Waste Bureau’s instructions to freeze the proposed dig is set to be rescinded. This dig happens to be sponsored by Microsoft and Lightbox Entertainment, and it has a scope of importance, too.

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The Quest For Atari’s E.T. Cartridges Continues original content from Ubergizmo.

While many of us fans of classic arcade games would love to have a whole roomful of old arcade cabinets, we don’t always have the space, the money, or the understanding significant other to allow for such dalliances. ArcadeLights has the next best thing.

Instead of filling up tons of space with a complete arcade cabinet, ArcadeLights takes original game marquees and mounts them into wall sconces. They come in a wide variety of designs, and are the perfect addition to your gameroom. Whether you’re looking for Pac-Man, Asteroids, Moon Patrol, or TRON, they’ve got you covered.

Prices range from about $85 up to $225(USD) depending on the rarity and cost of the particular marquee. Head on over to their Etsy shop now to check their current stock. Keep in mind that due to the age of these marquees, they’re not all in perfect condition, but that just adds to the arcade-y charm, IMHO.

And if you miss playing the classics, you can always load up some games on your arcade emulator while you admire your shiny new wall light.

This week the folks at the Internet Archive have released a new collection of in-browser emulated games, a whole mess of vintage titles released recently into the public domain. This … Continue reading