There’s an interesting documentary entitled “Game Over” that details the demise of Atari in the wake of their crappy “E.T” video game released for the movie.
E.T. wasn’t the best game the 2600 had to offer, but it sold well and can’t be blamed for bringing down the company. Basically the crash of 1983 was going to happen no matter what—the industry couldn’t experience exponential growth forever.
That said, I remember being very disappointed in the crud that was on the shelves back then. It really cemented the image of Atari as a clunky old dinosaur compared to the new home computers and newer consoles like the Coleco.
It’s a shame because the best 2600 games are really fun (my kids are behind me playing them right now) and what people are doing now with the console is absolutely amazing.