Writer (and with this project, director) Zak Penn is best known for films such as The Incredible Hulk and X2 (along with the upcoming Pacific Rim 2), but with Atari: Game Over he turns his attention to a smaller-scale story about the demise of one of the world’s worst video games.  The game in question?  Atari’s E.T. tie-in, which was rushed on a 5-week production schedule in order to be ready for stores by Christmas.  Those in charge? Atari’s founder Nolan Bushnell and the designer of the E.T. game, Howard Scott Warshaw.

Now we have a look at the trailer for Atari: Game Over and it seems really compelling.  It’s a classic rise and fall story, the kind of narrative that occurs millions of times over in every culture of the world that we are eternally doomed to repeat.  It also just looks like a really fun documentary that expands nicely on that “games buried in the desert” story we’ve been hearing for a while now.  Hit the jump for the Atari: Game Over trailer. The film hits Xbox this fall, hopefully some other platforms are announced as well.  Also, check out our Comic-Con panel recap.

Again, I love the backdrop of a corporation at the top that is toppled by hubris (though the documentary apparently points out the it was hardly the E.T. game alone that sunk Atari).  Trailer via Den Of Geek: