That ET Atari game really was buried in New Mexico
UPDATE: Watch Microsoft show off the first copy unearthed.
UPDATE 28/4/14 10.20am: Microsoft has published an excerpt from its upcoming ET: The Extra-Terrestrial game documentary showing the moment that the first copy to be unearthed was shown off to waiting crowds.
ORIGINAL STORY 27/4/14 07.42am: Excavators have unearthed copies of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, the game Atari famously buried in New Mexico landfill after an unsuccessful launch in 1982.
The discovery was captured by documentarians producing an exclusive series for Xbox Live and proves that the story, which has become games industry legend over the last 30 years, is very much true.
Xbox Live's Major Nelson was on hand and uploaded a number of photos of the cartridges being excavated to his Twitter page.
Suggestions that Microsoft has taken a keen interest because it needs somewhere to dump loads of unwanted copies of Ryse are thought to be the mean-spirited invention of yours truly - and not at all in-keeping with the generally positive theme of preserving gaming history, for which all those concerned should be commended.