In the 1980s, Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian computer scientist, crafted Tetris. Pajitnov was working at Moscow’s Dorodnitsyn Computing Centre of the Soviet Academy when he designed this mental gymnastics game.
The Tetris game starts simple. Players arrange different blocks, or tetrominoes, falling from the top of the screen. The aim is to stack them so they form full horizontal lines. This clears the line and scores points.
Tetris Goes Global
At first, you could only play Tetris on Soviet computers. However, its unique appeal soon charmed a broader audience. In 1986, Robert Stein, a U.S. businessman, spotted this potential.
Stein bargained with the Soviet powers for rights to share Tetris worldwide. Then he kickstarted “Andromeda,” teaming up with big names like Atari and Nintendo to share the game.
In 1989, Nintendo’s Game Boy launched a Tetris version. This step crowned Tetris a cultural gem, bringing it to the fingertips of a new wave of young game lovers.
Legal Wrangles
Tetris scored big, but rights disputes loomed. The Soviet State owned Tetris rights, not rewarding creator Pajitnov.
In 1996, Pajitnov and Dutch game maker Henk Rogers made The Tetris Company. This aimed to control Tetris rights. They won rights back from the Soviets, fighting unlicensed knock-offs.
The Tetris Company keeps protecting Tetris rights and licensing. This ensures a top-notch, true-to-roots gameplay for fans everywhere.
The Current Tetris Scene
Tetris improved since its birth. It spread across gaming gadgets, PCs, and smartphones. On-the-go Tetris play became possible.
Many new Tetris versions cropped up, each spicing up the traditional game. Multiplayer options, virtual reality versions, Tetris keeps changing and luring players of all generations.
