One man who developed 'legendary kusoge' and collapsed Atari

ByDigital Game Museum

It was chosen as "the worst game title ever in history" and the legendary Kusoge who also triggered the collapse of Atari was "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"is. A man who was one of the developers talks about BBC's interview at the time how such worst game in history was developed.

The man who made 'the worst video game in history' - BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35560458


Atari in 1982 is one of the world's most successful IT companies. Atari then paid 21 million dollars (about 5,236 million yen at that time) to buy the game right of Stephen Spielberg's hit movie "E.T.". It was a programmer who is a programmer named Howard Scott Walshow who took charge of such ET as a theme, "I was upset and my idol, Spielberg, made a game I have been making suggestions for it! "I am talking.

Mr. Walshow was a game programmer who was also highly valued at Atari, and he was selected as a game developer in the name of the upper layer of Atari including the director of Spielberg as "reliable genius" from the past achievement. Mr. Warshaw who commented, "That day was a day when my life would permanently get bad reviews." When he received a story about E.T.'s game production directly from Atari's CEO at the time, he seems to have been willing to say "I will do it without fail"!


While considering the big hit movie called E.T., it is said that the reason for receiving dishonor "the worst game in history" was due to a development period that was too short. Normally, when making one game of Atari 2600, it seems that it took six to eight months development time, but ET The Extra-Terrestrial has developed period of only 5 weeks in order to make it in time for Christmas season He said that he was not given.

Mr. Walshaw's idea was an adventure game where players construct Earth Telescope by collecting parts by manipulating E.T. During development, I am so busy that I do not have time to sleep and eat, Mr. Walshou installs a development system at home, so that I do not leave the site of code entry more than two minutes except when driving between my workplace and my home It seems that he worked in a stochastic development environment. As a result, Mr. Warshaw was able to complete E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial by the deadline in the development period of 5 weeks.

Commodore 64Atari who was being deprived of the share of the home computer market to the (C64) was hoping for a lot of expectation when the hit of E.T. became a breakthrough. Atari prepares 4 million copies of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial's first production, and set as an advertising campaign budget for the game, which is the largest ever, 5 million dollars (about 1,245 million yen at that rate). Television commercials were broadcast for several weeks, and Spielberg directed himself to appear on promotional videos, etc. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was extensively advertised.

ByThoughtquotient.com

However, development that is too sudden became Ada, and bugs such as ET getting stuck in a hole and being unable to move can be found, and ET The Extra-Terrestrial, contrary to Atari 's expectations, content that children and adults can not enjoy It was getting. Still 1,500,000 were sold, but not far from the initial production of 4 million, by the second quarter of 1983, Atari was $ 310 million dollars (about 73,628 million at that rate I will announce the amount of loss of yen). E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was mass-dispose and "Video game graveyard"The urban legend called" The Atari market collapsed. " In 1984, Atari was divided by Warner of the parent company.

ByTaylorhatmaker

In addition, Mr. Walsho who has decided to develop a game that Atari's collapse is also a person who developed multiple titles that are said to be Atari's best games such as "YARS REVENGE", Mr. Walshaw said " I am the only game designer who experienced the ups and downs that can not be experienced by anyone in the history. " Mr. Walshaw said that he was turning into a psychotherapist from a programmer from 2008, "I may have wanted to fill in all the depression and trauma that the ET game created." I am talking.