Who doesn’t know the famous game Tetris in which the player must move bricks of different shapes and colors, falling from the top of the screen, to align them? As soon as the line is completed, it disappears. It was created by Aleksei Pajitnov in 1984 and quickly became one of the phenomenon games. This article will teach you 11 surprising and perhaps little-known facts about video games.
Information to know about the game Tetris
1. The creator didn’t receive any royalties until the mid-90s
In 1984, Russian Pajitnov came up with the Tetris program to prove the capabilities of the Soviet computer Electronika 60. But due to the political system, the country appropriated the copyright of the game.
2. Meaning of the title
The name of the game was born from the combination of two words: tetra, which means four in Greek, and tennis, Aleksey Pajitnov’s favorite game.
3. Rights to the game
Henk Rogers, the video game developer, was convinced that the new game was suitable for Nintendo’s upcoming Game Boy console. He traveled to Moscow, on a tourist visa, to obtain the copyrights held at that time by the Russian government. After two hours of negotiations, he obtained them.
4. At first, the Nintendo company was not interested in the game
Rogers joined forces with Nintendo to convince its founder that the game would be played by everyone, not just children.
5. Tetris made computer fun
The game proves that the computer is not only a work tool, but also an entertainment tool .
6. At first the game was boring
At first the game was a bit boring and monotonous. But Henk Rogers suggested Pajitnov to add the ability to fill in two or three lines at once, which made the game more fun.
7. Tetris is good for your health
According to scientific studies, gaming makes the brain work more efficiently and reduces stress.
8. The game is hosted in a museum
A museum in New York houses the original 1984 game as a work of art.
9. Playing Tetris helps you lose weight
Scientists have found that 3 minutes of playing Tetris a day helps reduce appetite. It’s the most fun way to lose weight or reduce nicotine cravings.
10. The game’s tune is over 100 years old
The music is taken and reworked from a 19th century Russian folk song.
11. Tetris is not Pajitnov’s only creation
He also created the game Hexic and Marbly for mobile devices with iOS operating system.
Today, 36 years after the creation of Tetris, the game is present on more than 50 gaming platforms in more than 185 countries and exceeds 100 million downloads on mobile.
