The $500,000 Atari 2600 game

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 17th 2008 at 2:00PM }

We apologize for the crummy picture -- if you can find a better image depicting Gamma Attack, an Atari 2600 game which is apparently in smaller numbers than los Chupacabras, then we'd like to see it. According to eBay seller Wyatticog, there's less than 20 of this particular cart in existence, which may or may not justify his asking price for the game -- a cool half mil.

We don't doubt that the game is rare, but $500k is a ton of loot. With that kind of expendable income, we could buy a small island, a Crysis-ready PC, or 8,000 video games that are actually worth playing. Unless there's some eccentric millionaire out there with an uncontrollable boner for games from the President Carter era, we doubt this one will fly off eBay's virtual shelves.

Tags: 500000, atari, atari2600, auction, collector, ebay, gammaattack, raregames

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

mattclarkie @ Feb 17th 2008 2:09PM

All you need is another nutter willing to pay $500,001 and your a winner.
In fact I might bid, now to find a nutter to sell it to.

Tiptup300 @ Feb 17th 2008 4:57PM

No bids? Are you telling me nobody wants to pay 1/2 mill. for an old atari game? WTH People!?

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 17th 2008 2:13PM

I'm going to sell part of my Steve-Perry-like mullet on ebay.

Any bidder?

megapenguinx @ Feb 17th 2008 6:32PM

Hey Fernando you are my clone!!

Also I think I might have this game some where in storage...

quickshade @ Feb 17th 2008 2:15PM

I5t's like the jesus french toast all over again.

Shimrra @ Feb 17th 2008 2:20PM

Just to piss on his parade I would create a dummy account bid and win on it then close the account. Who would pay that much just for a game. I mean yeah i have heard of those mega sales where one guy sells his whole collection for a couple Ks but still just for one Atari game?

Batzarro @ Feb 17th 2008 2:29PM

DAMN! I'm not sure there's that kind of market for an Atari game no one knows.

Gehodra @ Feb 17th 2008 2:33PM

I'll give him a dollar for it.

Nigeria @ Feb 17th 2008 3:02PM

Did someone say dollar?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYirjKLskk

dan stabbingworth @ Feb 17th 2008 7:20PM

seriously, wtf

James @ Feb 17th 2008 3:17PM

Did the Atari hit Europe? All I remember from years back was Commodore.

Poisoned Al @ Feb 17th 2008 3:30PM

Only the kid that smelled bad and NOBODY liked (not even the nerds) had a Commodore. Everyone else had a ZX Spectrum. Except that poor bastard with middle class parents that bought him a BBC Micro.

ouj @ Feb 17th 2008 4:02PM

"Only the kid that smelled bad and NOBODY liked (not even the nerds) had a Commodore. Everyone else had a ZX Spectrum. "

In the UK, maybe. But Europe is not just UK.

Commodore 64 dominated elsewhere. I knew one kid with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum and a dozen with a C64.

Poisoned Al @ Feb 17th 2008 4:36PM

Humm, no, it was the Spectrum. It was made even more popular because the Russians as they based a lot of their computers off it. Before the IBM PC, the Spectrum was the most cloned machine on the planet.

tc @ Feb 17th 2008 7:29PM

most people i knew had commodores over here. Over heres being Ireland and a firm member of europe!

Faar @ Feb 17th 2008 8:52PM

You're off your rockers, Poisoned. The only part of the world that Sinclair dominated in was the UK. Bloody hell, pretty much the only part of the world where BBC Micros were even available to buy was the UK!

The Commodore C64 is STILL the world's most sold computer model with roughly 12 million units manufactured during its lifetime. It's the VW Beetle of computers.

Friggin' Sinclair Spectrum... Tsk tsk! Learn your 80s computer history please! :D

ManekiNeko @ Feb 17th 2008 8:58PM

The Spectrum was a terrible computer! Half the games on the system look like someone stuck colored overlays on a GameBoy. The Spectrum we got in the United States was even worse, a wedge-shaped doorstop with 2K of RAM and a monochrome display. They might as well have packed it with a free garbage bag, because you were going to need one after about a week of use.

Poisoned Al @ Feb 19th 2008 6:33AM

Epic fail for confusing a Z80 for a Spectrum idiot.

ManekiNeko @ Feb 19th 2008 11:24AM

Poisoned Al: You're arguing semantics, man... both of these machines were made by Sinclair, and they both sucked tremendously. If you took off the rose-colored glasses and viewed them more objectively, you'd realize that.

Lone Starr @ Feb 17th 2008 3:50PM

Winning this auction will get you laid.

mike shea @ Feb 17th 2008 4:08PM

laid off.
for being an idiot.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 17th 2008 4:54PM

i see what you did there.

DangerMouse @ Feb 17th 2008 8:41PM

We have another winner of the internet!!!

George @ Feb 17th 2008 4:34PM

Even worse, he won't ship it out, you have to go to Jersey to pick it up. (I'll refrain from any NJ jokes here).

This is plain silly.

siro @ Feb 17th 2008 6:51PM

If someone really pays 500k for it, it wouldn't matter to send someone down to get it anyway. I know I wouldn't send it.

LittleSkrilla @ Feb 17th 2008 4:41PM

test

Lone Starr @ Feb 17th 2008 4:56PM

...tube baby?

John Morgan @ Feb 17th 2008 4:47PM

According the seller's forum posts at atariage, he's not intending to sell the game. There was a lot of drama surrounding his find of this rare game and how copies would be distributed. I think he posted this auction out of frustration more than anything else.

samfish @ Feb 17th 2008 4:55PM

Are you allowed to say 'boner'?

I mean, I don't think I've ever even seen you guys say 'crap'.

BONER BONER BONER BONERBONERBONERBONER

ManekiNeko @ Feb 17th 2008 9:00PM

If you can have a naked Princess Peach as an avatar, I'm sure you can say "boner" all you want.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 17th 2008 4:57PM

If this is Atari's way of trying to get back to profit they've got another thing coming. We're onto you Atari.....

Foetoid @ Feb 17th 2008 5:34PM

I LOL'd SO DAMN HARD at the Crysis ready PC comment. Tears flowing down my face LMAO.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 17th 2008 7:08PM

How much does a Chupacabra cost on eBay?

/puts on his anti-Dr. Evil suit

....

/and his anti-Vegeta suit

rv @ Feb 17th 2008 7:51PM

Not worth it...

ManekiNeko @ Feb 17th 2008 9:12PM

If it helps, there's a big thread about this (including pictures) over on AtariAge:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=120266&st=0

This guy seems a little odd to me, and the game doesn't look even vaguely impressive, even by the Atari 2600's low standards. This is strictly for the collectors, and only those with no concept of monetary value or personal safety.

Autopsy15 @ Feb 17th 2008 11:58PM

I wouldn't even pay over $9000 for that.

hvnlysoldr @ Feb 18th 2008 12:53AM

What! 9000!

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 18th 2008 12:56AM

Heavenly...

Did you get the wireless router yet?

LR @ Feb 18th 2008 4:36AM

Seems like a decent guy after reading posts John Morgan mentioned and got the raw end of the deal from people acting like jerks. It's a shame. Good for him if someone wants to spend that kind of money.

phantom @ Feb 19th 2008 2:21PM

Ok. Heres where the article is wrong.
There were 20 made if that, I am told but I havent been able to confirm that. I infact own the only copy known to still exist. There maybe others out there unfound or unknown to their owners. I do not intend on selling as I was hoping to get some real offers incase I HAD to sell and I have no way of knowing its true value because before I found it, It was thought it may never actually have been released even though it was listed in magazine ads back in the day. But I wont find out a value on this because instead of people sending in legit offers, I have to deal with the Riff Raff because some people feel it is somehow their right to voice their displeasure at the price instead of enjoying the fact that you are getting to see a one of a kind that was thought to be lost and now has been found just last month. I also wanted more than just AA members to get to see that it exists and what better way then to make a listing like this? And no I do not intend on selling it right now and that is the main reason the price is what it is. If someone wants to take it from me they can hit the BIN but thats the only way Im selling it right now. If however you are interested in this, I suggest you send a legit offer and down the road, If I have to sell for financially disaterous reasons, Then I would contact the ones that sent legit offers and see if they were still interested. Thats it. You are all making way too big a deal out of this.I see antiques sell for 3 x's as much as this and they are a waste of money in my opinion. Id much rather spend money on something like this game if I had it to do so. Point being everyone has their own idea of what ANYTHING is worth. One persons garbage is another persons valuables. I Personally think antique furniture is GARBAGE and wouldnt spend a dime on it. As others think video games are worth a nickle regardless. Why is it anyones right to decide what this is worth? Its worth as much as the higest bidder will pay as is everything in life. Its your right to say "I wont pay that much for that" but its not your right to decide what anything is worth except to your own purchasing decisions. Ive had many varying offers for this and regardless of what anyone says, it is so rare that no one, not even I, can give a "true value" on this item without it being anything but a guess. Thats it. Now go back to yapping about how youre outraged but for the life of me, I cant figure out why it would even matter enough to voice your displeasure on an ebay listing. Those of you that knew it MAY exist should be glad to know it does and those of you who didnt know, well I know I find it neat to see one of a kinds of any video game so I would think many are happy just to find out about the game at all but instead some choose to complain and make derogatory comments. Now go back to blasting it if you want but its all a bunch of silliness if you ask me. Cheers