The Story of a Soviet Videogame: How Tetris Became a Global Phenomenon

Tetris is a legendary game that has captured the hearts and minds of millions of players around the world. Its simple yet addictive gameplay has stood the test of time, and its influence can be felt in countless other games that have followed in its wake. But how did Tetris come to be? What is the story behind this classic game?

In the early 1980s, video games were still a relatively new phenomenon. But even in those early days, there were a few games that stood out from the rest. One of these was Tetris, a puzzle game developed by a Soviet programmer named Alexey Pajitnov.

Photo: CNN Style

Pajitnov was a computer scientist working at the Academy of Sciences in Moscow when he began developing Tetris in 1984. He was inspired by a similar game called Pentomino, which involved fitting geometric shapes together to form a larger shape. Pajitnov took this basic concept and turned it into something entirely new.

The gameplay of Tetris is simple but challenging. The game involves dropping various shaped blocks, or tetrominoes, into a grid. The player must fit the blocks together in such a way that they form complete rows, which are then cleared from the screen. The more rows the player clears, the higher their score.

Tetris quickly became popular in the Soviet Union, where it was distributed on floppy disks and passed around from person to person. The game’s popularity grew through word of mouth, with players becoming addicted to its simple yet challenging gameplay.

The original version of Tetris. ( Photo: CNN Style)

But it wasn’t until 1986, when Pajitnov met a businessman named Robert Stein, that the game began to spread beyond the Soviet Union. Stein was visiting Moscow on a business trip when he saw Tetris being played by a group of people in a computer shop. He was immediately captivated by the game’s simple yet addictive gameplay, and he saw its potential for international success.

Stein struck a deal with the Soviet government to license Tetris for distribution in the United States and other countries. The game was an instant hit, and it quickly became one of the most popular video games of all time.

But the story of Tetris didn’t end there. In the years that followed, there were numerous legal battles over the rights to the game. There were multiple companies claiming to have the exclusive rights to distribute Tetris, and it wasn’t always clear who was telling the truth.

One of the most famous legal battles over Tetris was between two companies, Nintendo and Atari. Nintendo had secured the rights to distribute Tetris on its Game Boy handheld console, but Atari claimed that it had also secured the rights. The matter was eventually settled in court, with Nintendo emerging as the rightful owner of the Tetris license.

Photo: Washington Post

Despite the legal battles, Tetris continued to thrive. It was released on countless different platforms, from home consoles to mobile phones. It has been translated into numerous different languages and remains a beloved game in many parts of the world.

In recent years, there have been attempts to create new versions of Tetris that build on the game’s classic gameplay. One of the most successful of these is Tetris 99, a battle royale-style game that pits 99 players against each other in a Tetris battle. The game has been a hit with players and has helped to keep the Tetris franchise relevant in the modern era.

The legacy of Tetris is undeniable. It is one of the most influential video games of all time, and its influence can be seen in countless other games that have followed in its wake. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Tetris is how it transcends cultural boundaries.