Buried copies of Atari 2600 ET game found in Alamogordo landfill

It’s an urban legend no more. Many buried and unsold copies of the Atari 2600 title E.T. The Extraterrestrial were finally discovered at the Alamogordo landfill after 31 years.

This discovery that took place today in New Mexico is part of a game documentary in the works by LightBox Entertainment, Fuel Industries, and of course, Xbox Entertainment Studios.

Xbox spokesman Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) was present along with a crowd of gamers and people working in the documentary to be present at this historic moment.

In case you may not know, the Atari 2600 videogame became a commercial failure right after its release in 1983 due to the title’s inability to bring fun to gamers.

The documentary will make its release sometime next year.

My new profile pic? pic.twitter.com/QpTBCdchU7

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

Details on the long-buried E.T. cartridges unearthed at a New Mexico landfill earlier today http://t.co/ojqXpU6kjP pic.twitter.com/TV4nTjKbbv

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

Here it is up close – the very first ET cartridge exhumed after 30 years pic.twitter.com/nb8tv33w8F

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

Looks like ET had some company here in New Mexico. Still in shrink wrap! pic.twitter.com/BNjKyVVcrN

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

Urban legend CONFIRMED pic.twitter.com/NruKE7qkbm

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

Digging up the past is messy https://t.co/wqo3YNv128

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014

With hundreds of fans looking on, the Atari dig is underway in Alamogordo pic.twitter.com/2lk1bhDH6k

— Larry Hryb 🎮⌨️🖱☁️ 🇺🇦 (@majornelson) April 26, 2014