ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- In the world of gaming there are very few unsolved mysteries. But today I'd like to talk about the lost prizes of Swordquest, a competition in the early 1980's for a series of games made by Atari. The Swordquest competition challenged players to possibly win items valued at $25,000. And overall the Swordquest competition was giving out up to $150,000 over 4 games: Earthworld, Fireworld, Waterworld, and Airworld. Despite this, more than half of the prizes are missing to this day, and Stephen Bell and Michael Rideout are the only known people to have the Swordquest prizes to this day. So what happened to the other ones? And maybe you know something about them? Let's see if we can solve one of the greatest video game mysteries.
Check us out on all these platforms:
Discord: / discord
Patreon: / savedatateam
Twitch: / savedatateam
Instagram: / savedatateam
Twitter: / savedatateam
Facebook: / savedatateam
#unsolvedmysteries #swordquest #swordquestprizes
What do you think about the Swordquest contest? Would you like to see another game company do something like this today? Tell us down below!
Check us out on all these platforms:
Discord: discord.gg/kt9AJtp
Patreon: Patreon.com/savedatateam
Twitch: Twitch.tv/savedatateam
Instagram: instagram.com/savedatateam
Twitter: twitter.com/savedatateam
Facebook: Facebook.com/savedatateam
I would love to see more!
@@FigmentForever Thank you! This video was a bit harder to make, and there isn't a story that is jumping out at me to tell in the same way at the moment, but I definitely want to return to this concept, it was super fun to make!
@@SaveDataTeam I know of several but I don’t want to be the main influence of your content. I’m not a big gamer anymore (PS3 was the last system I bought, besides a 3DSXL). But I really enjoyed the production quality, editing, all of it. Came from Reddit and don’t regret it for a minute!
To be perfectly, I don't believe for one second that programmer saw the Sword in Tremmel's home. Main reason being I simply don't believe a CEO would have any reason whatsoever to invite a random programmer into their home outside of some sort of company function. That said I can't imagine they'd simply melt them down that's a lot of unique gemstones and craftsmanship to make. I wouldn't be surprised if the items were sold in a private auction.
I would like a big contest like that with impressive prizes, but to be honest, the riddles you had to solve were crap. You literally only had to search the comic book pages for the words and spot the highligted words to know which one you had to use, like many contestants in the second round did. You didn't have to play the game for a second to solve the quest, that's a bit poor.
It's so sad that only one treasure still exists, this is such a unique and interesting piece of gaming history
Right!? It’s such a fascinating story! At this point, it’s highly unlikely the others exist, but it’s such a compelling story.
one for sure was melted down tremiel stole the sword when the company went bankrupt there's lotsa fingers pointing that his family still has it in a vault. I think 2 were seized and busted down to cover atari losses. and 1 is just gone
HOpfully if he does sell it it goes to someon worht it and wont just melt it like everyone else
Michael Rideout is definitely my favourite Swordquest winner for being so humble and being the only one to preserve such valuable gaming history.
What if in 100 years after civilization has collapsed and restarted someone digs up that guy's bank vault and thinks they found the Holy Grail?
“Huh, the holy grail was in Georgia this whole time!” 😅
Really wish that this contest would be resurrected with the same remaining prizes newly constructed. Like AVGN said it must go on.
Specially now that Atari will release Airworld for the first time.
For 39 years my brother and I have wondered what happned to the Swordquest prizes. Thank you for your video and hard work. You have earned two new subscibers.
Thank you!! It's such a fascinating story and I feel like nothing in the same vein has really happened since!
@@SaveDataTeam
Do you know about the Hareraiser story? That's interesting, too.
10 years after AVGN posed the question... the same question is asked once more.
My money's on them getting melted down into RCA headers ;)
Good video!! Keep it up :)
Thanks! Yeah I was a huge fan of the AVGN video 10 years ago (I still think it’s one of his best), and I figured taking a different angle and spending more time getting into some deeper stories of the people involved would make it worth creating another video on the topic. (And yeah, I unfortunately think they got melted down too 😩)
There's one interesting bit of information that's not included in this video: According to author Curt Vendel in the Atlas Obscura article, 'The Quest for the Real-Life Treasures of Atari’s Swordquest': "Under contract, Warner was obligated to complete the contest for Waterworld, because players had submitted correct answers, and the game was sold to the public based on the fact that whomever solves the puzzle in the game would be awarded a prize... They held a very quiet, non-public contest with the 10 people who solved the Waterworld contest. The crown was awarded to the third prize winner."
While there's conflicting reports about this secret contest - such as if it took place or what exactly was awarded - it seems conceivable that the crown still exists, while the stone and sword were almost certainly melted down.
Yeah, I remember reading that, but I feel like so many people in the community have come to regard what Vendel has said as unreliable, that I didn't feel super strong on putting that in. It does seem like if the crown exists, someone would have come forward with it, but who knows. Either way, it's such a rad story lost to time.
Man if that were the case there must have been an iron clad NDA each person signed that is still in effect to this day.
You can melt down jade.
Ah yes, a classic retro story. Nice job on the vid, I'm jealous of your editing game! :P
Haha, thanks! This video took longer because I was learning after effects in the process, but I’m happy with the motion graphics and lower thirds 😅
This content is extremely well presented, definitely deserving of more subscribers.
Thank you 🙏
@@SaveDataTeam No problem, would love to see more content like this ^
@Adam The Unconvincing Spider-Thief I've considered making a series out of this idea, but I honestly can't think of other great mysteries that have quite the same human angle to them in the games industry.
Saw your post on reddit, gonna subscribe and look at some more videos once I watch this :)
Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy! 😁
So the challice could be the only remaining prize? Well done Micheal, for keeping it safe!
I wonder if anyone could make a 3d print file for these quest items... I'd love to print replicas.
That would be cool! They really are cool artifacts of gaming history
AirWorld now exists! Though the contest isn't resurrected, Atari 50 The Anniversary Celebration has a newly created SwordQuest: AirWorld developed using the original creators notes and ideas.
Swordquest should have been a comic series of its own! Time to bring this back with today's consoles!
They did do something with it recently! They made a new comic but it was about somebody from our world reading it and getting sucked in I think? It’s been a bit since I read up on it. But the original concept was such a cool idea!
At 10:30, I think you put in an extra zero by mistake.
Polite correction : video says Roy Thomas created Conan the Barbarian. He did not. Robert E. Howard created Conan the Barbarian. Roy Thomas only brought Conan to the comic book world.
Airworld is finnaly here as a part of atari 50 collection. No sword tho
"It dropped to 10 million dollars"
(Graphics on screen saying 100 million)
great video, can't believe it only got like 1000 views, this channel finna bouta blow
Haha, thank you! I really hope so! We put a lot of work in on these! Feel free to share with people, the algorithm is a beast to get through.
5:38 I don’t know how it’s apathy. Dude was unemployed and wanted a car which he never had before. Why keep something like that around if you have actual real world needs to attend to?
You know what, that’s fair. As someone in a tight spot financially rn, I 100% would probably do the same thing.
Considering that he would have a 1 in 4 chance at the Grand Prize Sword if the contest had finished, I would understand him selling off the talisman. Also since he kept the small white gold sword he kept some value and proof he was the winner.
I find it interesting how there is a picture of the sword but you cant find one of the crown or the stone.
Mr beast should finish the contest
this would make for an awesome movie. a modern day take on the Quest for basically EXCALIBRE, THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE AND CROWN. does Tremiel's family have the final 3, were they sold to gain back $? just imagine if they show up 1 day. be worth a lot more
I think that Michael Rideout should make a museum that he's in charge of that has his chalice and maybe also put stuff in the museum that he generally collects too.
Mr. Beasts prizes looks like dirt compared to this
Yeah...cheap bastard
I played a long Atari game (similar to this one), I can't remember if was this game, the game was long (similar interface), you had to pick up certain objects and if you finished the game you would get a code, then the developers would give you a prize telling that code, that was in the 80's, I finished the game and got a 4 or 5 digit code in a black screen (can't remember), I don't know if was this game, but probably. Can anyone help? anyway I can't remember the code, it is just curiosity.
The sword of ultimate sorcery? Oh yes its a very nice! We've already got one you see!
[I told them we already got one! hehe (snickers)]
Another mystery: what did the white jade chunk of the philosopher's stone look like?
i duno why i thought they may have found the sword when its called unsolved mysteries lol
Were there any other famous contests with real treasures as rewards? I know of the Masquerade contest where the reward was a golden hare. And the subsequent Hareraiser scam.
None that I know of, or at least quite on the same scale. I wish there was! It’s a great story!
I dreamt everyday as an 8 year old of winning those treasures
1:15 Adapted Conan the Barbarian, not created, not by a long shot.
Really enjoyed this. Gained a sub and looking forward to other videos like this one.
Awesome, thank you! I've wanted to do another video in this style. If you have any other stories in gaming that fit this concept let me know! 😅
@@SaveDataTeam I like to know who is the G-Man in the Half-Life series and/or the Stranger in Red Dead Redemption. Thanks
@@FunBoxBoards Those are good mysteries for sure. Once we finish up the next slate of videos we have planned I'll start doing some research!
This videos is underrated
Thank you! It was a lot of work and I really like the concept and would like to return to it someday!
Wow very incredible video. I love the presentation and found out things I didn’t know. Very good stuff ! I’m subscribing!
Thanks!
This whole contest reminds me of James Halliday's contest from Ready Player One. Pretty sure that was the point tho, does anyone know if SwordQuest really was the inspiration for it?
It seems like it has to be? But I’m not sure if the author ever confirmed that.
I can't confirm if it was for sure, but in the book SwordQuest and the contest are briefly mentioned (I remember that vividly because I was geeking out at the reference). So probably.
Symbolically ironic, with the fire chalice remaining. Because the others didn't get finished, the element cosmos was out of balance everything burned and left in the ash bin of history.
What a coward
Hmm. Isn't a once in the world jewelry object worth more than it's molten components? Why melt it when you can sell it as a whole?
What i'm trying to say is, that I doubt that Stephen Bell has melted the Talsiman down by his own hands. He most likely gave it to a jewelry who did it for him and gave him money. But if those weren't complete idiots, they maybe kept it as a whole because they know it would be worth more and more by time. They just could only have told him they melted it down. I think he was that kind of guy that believes you instantly when you tell him the first impressive price tag that comes to your mind and that you will have to melt it down, because you don't want him to ever ask again about thiis precious object, but in reality you want to sell it for a much higher price later as a whole.
Most certainly wishful thinking, but it's not completly out of limits.
It makes sense to melt down the artifacts when you consider that their individual value would basically preclude all but the richest of clients from ever obtaining it. Jewellers make their money by selling things people can actually afford and use like rings, necklaces, bracelets, that sort of thing. As rad as a solid gold crown or philosopher's stone might be, the company wouldn't be able to offload it as easily as, say, a couple dozen gold rings or chains.
Dad - "Son stop being a beta male and do something besides video games."
Son - *Wins a chalice that only a true alpha chad would own by playing video games*
Dad - "I will never bitch about you playing video games again, my chad son."
*Like a week later*
Dad - "Son seriously stop playing video games."
Good stuff. Definitely getting a sub
Thank you very much! 😊
This video was so well done! Very cool story; I had no idea!
It’s a pretty buck wild story. I was tempted to not do it, since the AVGN did a video on it 10 years ago, but I think the perspective and polish in the video made it worth digging up this story again. It’s fascinating.
@@SaveDataTeam it makes me want to go on a quest
This was some serious business
It’s so wild to think something this crazy happened so long ago. I’d love to see a game company do something like this today.
@@SaveDataTeam I thought the same thing but given the internet and hacking and that sort of thing I couldn't see how a contest like these could possibly be held and also be run fairly
That’s probably true, given the popularity of ARGs these days, stuff would get solved really quickly online 😔
I hope you win is Robert Wagner for Halloween
I'll take that as a compliment!