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Once Upon Atari

Once Upon Atari

The uncensored story of what happened behind the scenes at Atari

2003 2h 0mDocumentary

In the late 70s and early 80s, ET phoned home on Atari 2600 and became the video game that New Media magazine later described as having toppled a billion dollar industry. We know the industry rose again as a pale, commercial version of its old self, but… did you ever wonder what it was like back in the wild days when the titans of gaming clashed, not on Wall Street, but inside the minds of designers? Want to learn first hand how the barren valley south of The Bay gave birth to cult celebrity that died as quickly as it was born? Take the ride with the folks who made it happen. Walk on walls, smoke the evil weed, and plunge head first into the uncharted (undocumented) world that was game production back in the bad old days.

3.0/5

TMDB score· 8 votes

Trailer

Synopsis

In the late 70s and early 80s, ET phoned home on Atari 2600 and became the video game that New Media magazine later described as having toppled a billion dollar industry. We know the industry rose again as a pale, commercial version of its old self, but… did you ever wonder what it was like back in the wild days when the titans of gaming clashed, not on Wall Street, but inside the minds of designers? Want to learn first hand how the barren valley south of The Bay gave birth to cult celebrity that died as quickly as it was born? Take the ride with the folks who made it happen. Walk on walls, smoke the evil weed, and plunge head first into the uncharted (undocumented) world that was game production back in the bad old days.

The vibe

video gamehistory

Behind it

Howard Scott WarshawDirector

Cast

Larry Anderson Jr.Interviewee
Marlin Bates, IVInterviewee
Nolan BushnellInterviewee
Jerome DomuratInterviewee
Clint DyerInterviewee
Tod FryeInterviewee
Rob FulopInterviewee
Jim HuetherInterviewee
Larry KaplanInterviewee
George KissInterviewee
Suki LeeInterviewee
Eric ManghiseInterviewee
Carla MeninskyInterviewee
Alan MurphyInterviewee
Bob PolaroInterviewee
Bob PoniatowskiInterviewee
Adrian RobertsInterviewee
Bob SmithInterviewee

Director

Howard Scott Warshaw

Release date

10 Aug 2003

Runtime

2h 0m

Language

English

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Once Upon Atari