Tetris 25 years

[Heather74]

Tetris is celebrating its 25th year, who's of thought it?? 25 years!! geez I feel old.

[Derekflint]

Re: Tetris 25 years

I hate to think of how much time I've spent playing it!

As far as I know, only Donkey Kong had a tougher time reaching Western shelves. And its creator came very close to not getting any credit, since his employers wanted to claim it for the whole organisation.

[Emettman]

Re: Tetris 25 years

Yes, I was playing Tetris when it came out. (for many, many hours.)
And Space Invaders.
And the Rubik Cube...

It all marks you as old.

[Richard1978]

Re: Tetris 25 years

I hate to think of how much time I've spent playing it!

As far as I know, only Donkey Kong had a tougher time reaching Western shelves. And its creator came very close to not getting any credit, since his employers wanted to claim it for the whole organisation.

There was also a problem that the Studio that made King Kong claimed it was a rip-off, & wanted a share of the profits.

[Derekflint]

Re: Tetris 25 years

There was also a problem that the Studio that made King Kong claimed it was a rip-off, & wanted a share of the profits.

That was the major bit I was referring to (only now am I remembering the rather small scale operation that Nintendo of America was when it started).

It's one of my favourite behind the scenes stories - MCA, as you state, were after the profits - they had already bullied other companies that were doing deals on Donkey Kong into handing over money. Howard Lincoln asks the boss to trust him and go along with whatever he says, just before a meeting with MCA lawyers. When they asked what the compensation would be, Lincoln told them that they would get nothing, and he just wanted to say it to their faces. Case goes to court.

Only for Lincoln to pull out a prior court case involving RKO vs MCA over the King Kong remake...

Where MCA had successully proven that King Kong was in the public domain.

Pajitnov, on the other hand, nearly lost Tetris because his bureau wanted to grab his work (done on his own dime) as their own. If it hadn't been for the software co rep's actually giving a damn about his work, who knows what would have happened.

[Richard1978]

Re: Tetris 25 years

That was the major bit I was referring to (only now am I remembering the rather small scale operation that Nintendo of America was when it started).

It's one of my favourite behind the scenes stories - MCA, as you state, were after the profits - they had already bullied other companies that were doing deals on Donkey Kong into handing over money. Howard Lincoln asks the boss to trust him and go along with whatever he says, just before a meeting with MCA lawyers. When they asked what the compensation would be, Lincoln told them that they would get nothing, and he just wanted to say it to their faces. Case goes to court.

Only for Lincoln to pull out a prior court case involving RKO vs MCA over the King Kong remake...

Where MCA had successully proven that King Kong was in the public domain.

Pajitnov, on the other hand, nearly lost Tetris because his bureau wanted to grab his work (done on his own dime) as their own. If it hadn't been for the software co rep's actually giving a damn about his work, who knows what would have happened.

Thanks for reminding me, Coleco also were involved with the case as they had done a deal with Nintendo to port Donkey Kong onto the Colecovision, as they felt it needed a big name game to sell it. When the MCA action came up they panicked & paid out, but then claimed it back when the case with Nintendo (who decided to fight it in court) was thrown out.

[Derekflint]

Re: Tetris 25 years

Interview with the creator:

Interview: Alexei Pajitnov, creator of Tetris

[darren]

Re: Tetris 25 years

Tetris is celebrating its 25th year, who's of thought it?? 25 years!! geez I feel old.

you are still a spring chicken heather.

here us the original tetris.
never knew it looked like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0gAgQQHFcQ

[Trickyvee]

Re: Tetris 25 years

I never knew Tetris was that old. I first discovered it on my first long-haul flight 11 years ago. Incidentally it was the first transatlantic commercial flight of a Boeing 777 so we boarded to a chorus of an American 'jazz band' trumpets and got a free badge. On board the shiny new plane there was Tetris on the back-of-seat tellys. I was in awe of everything!

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Tetris 25 years

I imagine the Tetris 25th Birthday cake will be in layers!

Do you remember the 'Tetris' song by Dr. Spin that got into the charts in the early '90s? It was about the same time as the 'SuperMarioLand' song by the Ambassadors Of Funk.