The Invention of Tetris
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Tetris, the iconic puzzle game that has captivated players worldwide for decades, was created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer working at the Dorodnitsyn Computing Centre in Moscow. Inspired by a childhood game involving pentominoes, Pajitnov's simple yet addictive creation would go on to become one of the most popular and widely ported video games in history, sparking a complex tale of international licensing and Cold War-era negotiations.
Alexey Pajitnov and the Creation of Tetris
biography.com
Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian computer scientist, created Tetris in 1984 while working at the Dorodnitsyn Computing Centre of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow
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. Inspired by his favorite childhood puzzle game featuring pentominoes, Pajitnov adapted the concept to use shapes made of four squares, which he called "tetrominoes"1
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. The game's name combines the Greek numerical prefix "tetra" (four) with "tennis," Pajitnov's favorite sport2
. Initially programmed using only spaces and brackets due to the Electronika 60 computer's limitations, Tetris quickly spread among Pajitnov's colleagues, who became addicted to the game, leading to its ban in some Moscow institutes to restore employee productivity1
.5 sources
The Rapid Development After Pajitnov’s Initial Prototype
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The development of Tetris progressed rapidly after Pajitnov's initial prototype on the Electronika 60. While the original version quickly gained popularity among Pajitnov's colleagues, it was limited by the hardware's capabilities. To expand the game's reach, Pajitnov collaborated with fellow researchers Dmitry Pavlovsky and Vadim Gerasimov to port Tetris to the IBM PC. Gerasimov, remarkably only 16 years old at the time, played a crucial role in adapting the game over several weeks
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. This PC version, written in Turbo Pascal, incorporated color graphics and a scoreboard, significantly enhancing the game's appeal2
. Pavlovsky further contributed by implementing a high score table, adding a competitive element to the gameplay5
. The IBM PC port marked a significant milestone in Tetris' development, making it more accessible and setting the stage for its global popularity.5 sources
Western Expansion and Licensing
livescience.com
Tetris' journey to the West began when it spread from the Soviet Union to Hungary, where it caught the attention of Robert Stein, a British software entrepreneur, at a computer expo. Recognizing the game's potential, Stein sought to acquire distribution rights for Western markets. However, the licensing process was complex due to Soviet regulations. Stein initially believed he had secured full rights to distribute Tetris through a Telex agreement with Pajitnov, but this was not legally binding in the Soviet Union
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. The Soviet state trading firm Elektronorgtechnica (ELORG) actually owned the rights to Tetris, complicating negotiations4
. This led to a convoluted situation where multiple companies believed they held various distribution rights, setting the stage for future legal battles over the game's licensing3
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How Tetris Became A Worldwide Phenomenon
community.openai.com
Tetris achieved global success through a complex web of licensing agreements and strategic partnerships. Mirrorsoft in the UK and Spectrum HoloByte in the US were the first to publish commercial versions of Tetris in the West in 1987 and 1988, releasing ports for popular home computers like the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64
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. These early versions emphasized the game's Soviet origins in their packaging and marketing2
. The game's popularity exploded when Nintendo secured the handheld and console rights through Henk Rogers, leading to Tetris becoming a launch title for the Game Boy in 19892
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. This move proved instrumental in Tetris' worldwide success, with the Game Boy version alone selling over 35 million copies3
. By 2014, the Tetris franchise had amassed over 425 million paid downloads on mobile platforms, cementing its status as one of the most successful video game franchises in history3
.5 sources
Pajitnov's Delayed Royalties
en.wikipedia.org
Alexey Pajitnov, despite creating one of the most successful video games in history, did not initially reap financial rewards from Tetris due to Soviet regulations. As a Soviet citizen, Pajitnov was not allowed to profit from his intellectual property, with all rights belonging to the state
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. This situation changed in 1996 when Pajitnov and Henk Rogers, a Dutch-American video game entrepreneur, founded The Tetris Company1
. This move allowed Pajitnov to finally secure the rights to Tetris and begin earning royalties from his creation2
. The Tetris Company now manages worldwide licensing for the Tetris brand, ensuring that Pajitnov and Rogers benefit from the game's continued success3
. Since then, Tetris has sold hundreds of millions of copies across over 50 gaming platforms, solidifying its place as one of the world's most popular electronic games3
.5 sources
The Role of the Electronika 60
commons.wikimedia.or...
The Electronika 60, a Soviet clone of the PDP-11 computer, played a crucial role in the birth of Tetris. Alexey Pajitnov programmed the original version of Tetris on this machine in 1984, using the Pascal programming language
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. Due to the Electronika 60's limited graphical capabilities, Pajitnov ingeniously represented the game's iconic blocks using pairs of square brackets or delete/rubout characters, creating a distinctive ASCII art style2
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. This constraint led to the game's minimalist aesthetic, with the playfield outlined by greater than/less than symbols and slashes3
. The Electronika 60's limitations also influenced the game's core mechanics, including the 10x20 playfield size and the use of a single preview piece, features that would become standard in future Tetris iterations2
.5 sources
Related
What other games were programmed on the Electronika 60
How did the Electronika 60 compare to other computers of its time
What was the significance of using Pascal on the Electronika 60
How did the Electronika 60's hardware influence the development of Tetris
Are there any surviving Electronika 60 computers today
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