Tetris: Difference between revisions

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Template:Pp Template:Short description Template:Good article Script error: No such module "about". Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox video game series

Tetris (Template:Langx)Template:Efn is a puzzle video game created by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. In typical Tetris gameplay, falling tetromino shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile. Once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disappears, granting points and preventing the pile from overflowing. Since its initial creation, this gameplay has been used in over 220 versions, released for over 70 platforms. Newer versions frequently implement additional game mechanics, some of which have become standard over time. Template:As of, these versions collectively serve as the second-best-selling video game series with over 520 million sales, mostly on mobile devices.

In the mid-1980s, Pajitnov worked for the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences, where he programmed Tetris on the Elektronika 60 and adapted it to the IBM PC with the help of Dmitry Pavlovsky and Vadim Gerasimov. Floppy disk copies were distributed freely throughout Moscow before spreading to Eastern Europe. Robert Stein of Andromeda Software saw the game in Hungary and contacted the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center to secure a license to release the game commercially. Stein then sub licensed to Mirrorsoft in the UK and Spectrum HoloByte in the US. Both companies released the game in 1988 to commercial success and sub licensed to additional companies, including Henk Rogers' Bullet-Proof Software. Rogers negotiated with Elektronorgtechnica, the state-owned organization in charge of licensing Soviet software, to license Tetris to Nintendo for the Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES); both versions were released in 1989.

With 35 million sales as of June 2024, the Game Boy version is the best-selling version of Tetris and among the best-selling video games of all time. Its commercial success upon release contributed to the Game Boy's success and popularized Tetris. At the end of 1995, Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights to Tetris, arranged ten years prior, reverted to Pajitnov. He and Rogers subsequently formed the Tetris Company to manage licensing. Guidelines for authorized releases were established, with certain features not in the original games becoming standardized over time. Versions of Tetris were released on mobile devices starting in the 2000s, with Electronic Arts (EA) holding a license on such ports from 2006 to 2020, to widespread commercial success. Tetris received renewed popularity in the late-2010s with the release of the critically successful Tetris Effect (2018) and Tetris 99 (2019).

Tetris is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential games ever made, and was among the inaugural class inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2015. Its gameplay has been influential in the genre of puzzle video games, being cited as an early example of casual gaming. Furthermore, Tetris has been represented in a vast array of media such as architecture and art and been the subject of academic research, including studies of its potential for psychological intervention. A competitive culture has formed around Tetris, particularly the NES version, with playersTemplate:Sndtypically adolescentsTemplate:Sndcompeting at the annual Classic Tetris World Championship. A film dramatization of its development was released in 2023.

Gameplay

In a black, upright rectangle bordered by gray squares, multiple tetrominoes of different colors are stacked on top one another, leaving a gap to the right that an I-shaped tetromino is about to enter vertically.

A typical Tetris game screen

Across its numerous versions, Tetris generally has a consistent puzzle video game design.Template:Sfn Gameplay consists of a rectangular field in which tetromino pieces,Template:Efn geometric shapes consisting of four connected squares, descend from the top-center. During the descent, the player can move the piece horizontally and rotate them until they touch the bottom of the field or another piece.^[1]^[2] The player's goal is to stack the pieces in the field to create horizontal lines of blocks.^[3] When a line is completed, it disappears and the blocks placed above fall one row. The speed of the descending pieces increases as lines are cleared. The game ends if the accumulated pieces in the field block other pieces from entering the field, a process known as "topping out".^[2] Common mechanics among Tetris versions include the queue (viewing the pieces that are next to appear), soft drop (increasing the descent of the piece), hard drop (instantly placing the piece as far down as it can go), and holding (reserving a piece for later use).^[3]

The objective of Tetris is to collect as many points as possible during a gameplay session by clearing lines.^[1] TetrisTemplate:'s scoring system has remained mostly consistent since Tetris DS (2006) with some exceptions. Points gained during gameplay increase with the descent speed. The more lines cleared at once, the higher the score for a line clear. Clearing four lines at once using an I-shaped tetromino is referred to as a "Tetris". Furthermore, the player can also gain points by using hard drops or soft drops.^[3] Advanced techniques, often used in competitive play, include T-spins (spinning a T-shaped tetromino into a blocked gap), perfect clears (emptying the field following a line clear), and combos (clearing lines consecutively).^[4]

History

Creation (1984–1985)

A man

Alexey Pajitnov (pictured in 2008), the creator of Tetris.

Alexey Pajitnov was a speech recognition and artificial intelligence researcher for the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences.Template:Sfn Pajitnov developed several puzzle games on the institute's Elektronika 60,Template:Sfn an archaic Russian clone of the PDP-11 computer.Template:Sfn In June 1984, he became inspired to convert pentomino tiling puzzles to the computer^[5] after he bought a pentomino puzzle set from a store and played with it in his office.Template:Sfn

Pajitnov programmed Tetris using Pascal for the RT-11 operating system on the Elektronika 60Template:Sfn and experimented with different versions.Template:Sfn Because the Elektronika 60 had no graphical interface, Pajitnov modeled the field and pieces using spaces and brackets.Template:Sfn He felt that the game would be needlessly complicated with the twelve different shapes of pentominoes, so he scaled the concept down to tetrominoes, of which there are only seven shapes.^[5] Afterward, he programmed the basic mechanics, including the ability to flip tetrominoes as they fell in a vertical screen and the clearing of lines.^[5]Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The name Tetris was a combination of "tetra" (meaning "four") and Pajitnov's favorite sport, tennis.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Pajitnov completed the first version of Tetris Template:Circa 1985.Template:Efn This version had no scoring system and no levels,^[6] but it nonetheless captivated Pajitnov's peers.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Pajitnov sought to port Tetris to the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC), which had a higher-quality display than the Elektronika 60. He recruited his colleague Dmitry Pavlovsky and the 16-year-old computer prodigy Vadim Gerasimov.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Using Turbo Pascal,Template:Sfn the three adapted Tetris to the IBM PC over two months, with Gerasimov incorporating color and Pavlovsky incorporating a scoreboard.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Floppy disk copies of this version were distributed freely throughout the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center, before spreading quickly among Moscow computer circles.Template:Sfn Pajitnov kept note of second-hand accounts of TetrisTemplate:'s spread during this time.Template:Sfn Tetris reportedly won second place in a Zelenodolsk computer game competition in November 1985,Template:Sfn and by 1986, nearly everyone with an IBM computer in Moscow and several major cities had played Tetris.Template:Sfn

Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988)

Gameplay of Tetris, represented by green ASCII text due to the system's primitive nature

The first version of Tetris, completed in 1985, run on an emulator of the Elektronika 60

Under Soviet law, intellectual rights were not protected, and the state-run organization Elektronorgtechnica (Elorg) had a monopoly on the import and export of software.^[7] Around this time, Pajitnov arranged for the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center to have the rights to Tetris for ten years to ease potential legal troubles.^[8] As a result, Pajitnov could not sell Tetris for profit. Nonetheless, Pajitnov's manager Victor Brjabrin liked Tetris and sought opportunities for success beyond the Soviet Union.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn In early 1986, Brjabrin sent a copy of Tetris to the SZKI Institute of Computer Studies in Budapest.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Robert Stein, founder of Andromeda Software who profited by licensing software from Hungary to UK companies, encountered Tetris during a visit to the SZKI Institute and found its gameplay compelling.Template:Sfn Stein learned from the SZKI Institute director that they had managed to port Tetris to Commodore or Apple computers. He returned to London and contacted Dorodnitsyn Computing Center by telex to obtain the license rights, believing he could sell those rights to a larger UK publisher.Template:Sfn

Brjabrin received the telex and, after translating it from English to Russian, disclosed it to Pajitnov, who spent days attempting to compose, translate to English, and send a favorable yet noncommittal response by telex to Stein. Despite this attempt, Stein interpreted the response as granting him the license and proceeded to find a publisher for Tetris.Template:Sfn Stein pitched Tetris to Jim Mackonochie of Mirrorsoft, a UK software company founded by business magnate Robert Maxwell and Mackonochie. Though Mackonochie was skeptical about the commercial potential of Tetris, he consulted Phil Adam, president of US sister company Spectrum HoloByte, for his input. During his overseas visit to Mirrorsoft, Adam played Tetris for hours and then encouraged Mackonochie to accept Stein's offer. Though still cautious, Mackonochie agreed to allow himself the licensing rights for Europe and Adam the rights for the United States and Japan.Template:Sfn Stein sold the rights to the two companies for £3,000 and royalties of 7.5–15% of sales, even though negotiations with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center were at a standstill, with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center being resistant to selling Tetris in the West.Template:Sfn

Gilman Louie, CEO of Spectrum HoloByte, sought to exoticize the game's Soviet origins, marketing it as the first Soviet product to be sold in North America, alongside implementing Soviet folk music and imagery during gameplay and using red packaging adorned with an illustration of Saint Basil's Cathedral.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Tetris was first commercially released in the West for the IBM PC, with ports to other computer systems planned for release in the following weeks. Mirrorsoft released the game in the United Kingdom on January 27, 1988,^[9] and Spectrum HoloByte released it in the United States on January 29, 1988.^[10] Mirrorsoft rewrote the code of the original IBM release for systems such as the Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64.Template:Sfn Boosted by word of mouth and positive reviews,Template:Sfn Template:Sfn this Tetris release was commercially successful, selling 100 thousand copies within a year.Template:Sfn At the Software Publishers Association's Excellence in Software Awards ceremony in 1989, Tetris won across three categories.^[11]

At the time, the only document certifying a license fee was the telex from Pajitnov and Brjabrin, meaning that Stein had sold the license for a game he did not yet own. Additionally, Alexander Alexinko, director of Elorg, discovered Stein's negotiations with Pajitnov and Dorodnitsyn Computing Center and assessed their communications with disapproval. In response, Elorg took over representing the Soviet Union in negotiations.Template:Sfn Through communications, Alexinko attempted to revoke any potential deal the Soviet Union might have had with Stein in favor of having Elorg itself sell Tetris internationally. Stein responded by threatening to create a scandal that would harm the Soviet Union's international standing, persuading Alexino to consider negotiating the rights to Tetris.Template:Sfn An agreement was drafted by the end of February 1988 and finalized by May, granting Stein the rights to Tetris on computers.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

International negotiations (1988–1989)

A man

Henk Rogers (pictured in 2010), representing Nintendo, negotiated with Elorg for the rights to Tetris.

Following the commercial release of Tetris, Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft started licensing the game to other companies for platforms that were not covered by the contract that Stein and Elorg had agreed to.Template:Sfn At the time, Henk Rogers had been seeking video games across the world to sell in Japan through his company Bullet-Proof Software; he discovered Tetris as a publicly displayed video game at the 1988 Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES).Template:Sfn Mirrorsoft sold Atari Games subsidiary Tengen the rights to sell non-computer releases of Tetris in Japan in exchange for the rights to sell computer ports of Blasteroids worldwide.Template:Sfn Afterward, Tengen sold the Japanese arcade rights to Sega and the console rights to Rogers, who received the Japanese computer rights from Spectrum HoloByte.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Bullet-Proof Software released Tetris for Japanese computers in November 1988 and Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom) in December 1988, the latter of which became commercially successful, selling two million copies in Japan.Template:Sfn Despite this, Elorg was unaware of the Famicom version and was receiving no royalties from TetrisTemplate:'s worldwide success.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Around the time of TetrisTemplate:'s Famicom version, Nintendo developed the Game Boy, an economical handheld game console that interested Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa.Template:Sfn Arakawa, aided by Nintendo of America vice president Howard Lincoln, sought to port Tetris to the Game Boy, believing that it would be a commercial success. They were both discouraged by the convoluted nature of the game's legal rights, leading Arakawa to enlist Rogers in getting the handheld rights to Tetris.Template:Sfn Rogers contacted Stein by fax in November 15, 1988, for the handheld rights, with Stein responding that he was negotiating them with Elorg. At the time, Alexinko had been replaced by the more adversarial Evgeni Belikov as director of Elorg. After failing to get the rights after multiple attempts at contacting Stein, Rogers abandoned him in favor of negotiating directly with the Soviet government.Template:Sfn In February 1989, Rogers traveled to the Soviet Union and arrived at the Elorg offices uninvited to negotiate the rights. Discussions with Rogers were scheduled the next day.Template:Sfn

While trying to persuade Elorg to grant him the handheld rights, Rogers displayed a Famicom Tetris cartridge to demonstrate the game's success. Belikov did not recognize the cartridge, believing that the rights to Tetris had only been signed for computer systems per the contract with Stein, and accused Rogers of illegal publication.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Though surprised, Rogers provided a check of over $40,000 to Elorg as to remedy this breach of contract and discussed granting him the console rights. Afterward, Belikov recognized the potential financial benefits of allying with Rogers over the other incoming negotiators: Stein and Robert's son Kevin Maxwell.Template:Sfn While Rogers was consulting Nintendo for a potential offer to Elorg, Belikov implicitly diminished Stein and Kevin's standing in subsequent meetings by coercing the former into signing an updated contract with an exclusionary definition of computers and baiting the latter into admitting that Mirrosoft did not have the console rights, unaware of the commercial Famicom release.Template:Sfn Rogers, alongside Arakawa and Lincoln, returned to Moscow, and after a few days of negotiation, Nintendo received both the handheld and console rights to Tetris from Elorg.Template:Sfn

Legal battles and aftermath (1989–1996)

Refer to caption

Tetris running on a Nintendo Game Boy

On March 31, 1989, taking advantage of the new agreement, Lincoln sent a cease and desist fax to Hideyuki Nakajima, president of Atari Games, concerning their subsidiary Tengen's production of Tetris for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the North American equivalent to the Famicom.Template:Sfn Believing themselves to own the console rights to Tetris, Tengen filed copyright applications for the game in the United States and preemptively sued Nintendo.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Meanwhile, after being informed by Kevin, Robert pressured Elorg for sidestepping prior agreements with his companies by contacting ministers from both the Soviet and UK governments.Template:Sfn In an in-person meeting, Robert informed Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of his situation regarding Tetris, to which he responded that Robert "should no longer worry about the Japanese company".Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Despite pressure from both Robert and the Soviet government, Belikov stated his refusal to concede in a conversation with Lincoln.Template:Sfn

After a marketing campaign ordered by Nakajima, Tengen released their version of Tetris on the NES on May 17, 1989, selling tens of thousands of copies within a few weeks.Template:Sfn The next month, Judge Fern M. Smith of the US District Court for the Northern District of California presided over competing lawsuits from Atari Games and Nintendo over their console rights to Tetris.Template:Sfn Both companies motioned for preliminary injunctions that would prohibit the other company from selling Tetris. On June 15, 1989, in defense of its motion for injunction, Atari Games argued that the NES fell under the definition of computers under the original contract and that Elorg only excluded consoles from its definition of computers to take advantage of higher profits from Nintendo. Based on contradicting evidence, Smith rejected this argument and declared that Mirrorsoft and Spectrum HoloByte had never received explicit authorization for marketing on consoles, granting a preliminary injunction against Atari Games on June 22.Template:Sfn

The next day, Atari Games withdrew its NES version from sale, and thousands of cartridges remained unsold in its warehouses. Preference for this release over Nintendo's led to Atari Games cartridges selling for up to $300 on the secondary market.^[12] The Game Boy version of Tetris was released in Japan on June 14, 1989,^[13] and as a pack-in game in the United States on July 31, 1989.^[14]Template:Sfn Nintendo's NES version was released the same year. Both releases achieved commercial success.Template:Sfn The Game Boy version was the primary game promoted for the Game Boy, becoming its killer app,^[15] generating $80 million in revenue,Template:Sfn and popularizing both the Game Boy and the Tetris game.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The NES version quickly sold three million copies and appeared on Nintendo's most popular games list for over a year.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

On November 13, 1989, Smith ended the legal battle between Nintendo and Atari Games regarding Tetris by summary judgment, granting Nintendo the console rights to Tetris.Template:Sfn In 1991, with Rogers' help, Pajitnov and his family emigrated to Seattle, where he worked as a freelance game designer.Template:Sfn^[16] During this time, Pajitnov worked on several sequels to Tetris. Welltris (1990) involved adjusting geometrical pieces descending down one of four walls of a three-dimensional well, and Hatris (1990) and Faces...tris III (1991) replaced descending tetrominoes with hats and faces respectively.^[17] Though they generally received positive reviews and commercial success,^[16] with Faces...Tris III winning "Best Action/Arcade Program" in the 1991 Excellence in Software Awards,^[18] none replicated TetrisTemplate:' success.^[19]^[20] Other early versions and sequels of Tetris were developed without Pajitnov's involvement, including Spectrum Holobyte's Super Tetris (1991), Bullet-Proof Software's Tetris 2 + BomBliss (1991) and Tetris Battle Gaiden (1993), and Nintendo's Tetris 2 (1993).^[17]

The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014)

Refer to caption

A 5th generation iPod running Tetris (2006)

The Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights to Tetris expired at the end of 1995, reverting back to Pajitnov.^[8] Worried that Elorg, which had become a private company under Belikov following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union,Template:Sfn would try to claim the rights, Pajitnov recruited Rogers to secure them. Rogers formed The Tetris Company as an equal partnership between Elorg and Rogers' new company, Blue Planet Software. Rogers acquired Elorg and renamed it Tetris Holding in 2005.^[21]^[22] Since its formation, the Tetris Company has maintained guidelines for authorized versions of Tetris, and Blue Planet Software has served as an agent for the Tetris brand.^[17] The Tetris Company has also enforced its copyright of the Tetris game against unauthorized clones,^[23]^[24] such as in the 2012 case Tetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc., where a judge ruled that the iOS game Mino violated TetrisTemplate:'s copyright based on look and feel.^[25]

Pajitnov and Rogers sought to keep Tetris versions fresh, and innovated in new directions. Tetrisphere, developed by H2O Entertainment and released on August 11, 1997, was an example of this innovation.^[17]^[26] Gameplay involved rotating a three-dimensional sphere to place pieces on its surface. It was the first puzzle video game on the Nintendo 64 and garnered a cult following.^[27]^[28] David Crookes of Retro Gamer called Tetrisphere "proof that the concept could be modernised and tweaked, while still being faithful to the original".^[17] Another version on the Nintendo 64, the Japan-exclusive Tetris 64 (1998), allowed for four players and was the only game to utilize the Nintendo 64's Bio Sensor, which detected a player's pulse.^[17]^[29] On other platforms around this time, Tetris Plus (1996), Tetris DX (1998), and The Next Tetris (1999) added new game modes, and Tetris: The Grand Master (1998) was an arcade game targeted toward experienced players.^[17]

According to Rogers, in order to appeal to beginner players, the Tetris Company started to incorporate features not in the original releases into the Tetris guidelines.^[30] These features included the hold feature and ability to perform both soft drops and hard drops in The New Tetris in 1999,Template:Sfn the easy spin and super rotation system in Tetris Worlds in 2001,Template:Sfn and the scoring system introduced in Tetris DS in 2006.^[3] Critics panned Tetris Worlds for the easy spin mechanic, which allowed players to delay a piece's descent by continually rotating it. Despite the controversy and Pajitnov's reluctance, the mechanic was implemented into the Tetris guidelines.^[31]^[30] Tetris Worlds also introduced the super rotation system, defining how pieces are to rotate,Template:Sfn which most Tetris games have since used.^[3]

Tetris was first released on mobile devices in 2001 by G-Mode.^[32] In 2002, Rogers formed Blue Lava Wireless to develop Tetris games for mobile platforms.^[17] JAMDAT acquired Blue Lava Wireless in April 2005, granting the former a 15-year license of Tetris for mobile platforms.^[33] By December 2005, when Electronic Arts (EA) started its acquisition of JAMDAT, Tetris had been consistently selling well on American carrier phones.^[34] EA completed its acquisition in February 2006, granting it the mobile license for Tetris.^[35] EA Mobile released their mobile version of Tetris as a launch game for the iTunes store on iPod 5G on September 11, 2006,^[36]^[37] and on the Apple App Store on iOS on July 10, 2008.^[38] By January 2010, EA's mobile releases reached 100 million paid downloads, making Tetris the most popular mobile game at the time.^[39]

Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present)

A woman

Maya Rogers (pictured in 2022) succeeded her father as CEO of Blue Planet Software in January 2014.

In January 2014, after eight years of involvement, Henk Rogers' daughter Maya succeeded him as the CEO of Blue Planet Software.Template:Efn She began by planning activities for TetrisTemplate:'s 30th anniversary. In an interview with VentureBeat in June 2014, Maya spoke of her desire to expand TetrisTemplate:'s brand, such as through merchandising, and keeping the game fresh.^[40] Sega released Puyo Puyo Tetris, a crossover between Tetris and Puyo Puyo, in Japan on February 6, 2014, for multiple platforms.^[41] Puyo Puyo Tetris sold over 60,000 copies within a week, with the Nintendo 3DS port being the second-highest-selling game of the week according to 4Gamer.net.^[42] Ubisoft's Tetris Ultimate was released on the Nintendo 3DS in November 2014 and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in December 2014.^[43] Tetris Ultimate received mixed reviews, though the online multiplayer was generally seen favorably.^[44]^[17]

In the late 2010s, the Tetris series had a resurgence in popularity with the release of Tetris Effect and Tetris 99.Template:Efn PCMag credited the resurgence to the 2017 release of Puyo Puyo Tetris in the Western world,^[45] where it received positive reviews and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide by November 2020.^[46]^[47] Tetris Effect, developed by Monstars and Resonair and published by Enhance Games,^[48] was released on the PlayStation 4 on November 9, 2018,^[49] and on Windows on July 23, 2019,^[50] receiving widespread critical acclaim for its visuals and emotional impact.^[51]^[52]^[53] Tetris 99 is a battle royale version of Tetris made available to subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online on February 13, 2019, upon its surprise announcement during Nintendo Direct.^[54] It received positive reviews and became Nintendo Switch Online's killer app;^[51]^[45]^[55] according to President of Nintendo Shuntaro Furukawa, 2.8 million Nintendo Switch Online users played Tetris 99 within a few months of release.^[56]

EA announced in January 2020 that its license for mobile releases of Tetris would expire on April 21, 2020, with the game becoming inoperable as a result.^[57] Video game developer N3twork subsequently released authorized mobile releases on the iOS and Android on January 23, 2020.^[58] These accumulated 30 million downloads before social casino company PlayStudios acquired the rights to them in November 2021.^[59] On March 28, 2023, Playstudios incorporated a playAwards loyalty program onto the Tetris mobile apps, allowing players to win points for playing Tetris that can be redeemed for real-life awards.^[60] Tetris Forever, a compilation of Tetris games and interactive documentary developed by Digital Eclipse, was released on November 12, 2024,^[61] to positive reviews for chronicling the history of Tetris.^[62]^[63]

Versions

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Tetris has been released on a multitude of platforms since its initial creation. It is available on many game consoles, personal computers, smartphones, among other platforms. To date, Guinness World Records recognizes Tetris as the video game with the most ports, totaling over 220 versions across over 70 platforms.^[64]^[65] Across its multiple versions, TetrisTemplate:'s core gameplay has remained consistent.Template:Sfn Since 1996, the Tetris Company has maintained annual standard specifications for authorized versions of Tetris.^[6]^[30] Pajitnov considers these guidelines a baseline for different versions and not "set in stone".^[66] Several game mechanics of Tetris have been changed over time. For example, the distribution of tetrominoes was completely randomized in early versions, while modern versions use a "bag system", in which each tetromino is guaranteed to appear once in a set of seven.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Other mechanics that have become standardized in modern versions include the ability to hold tetrominoes to swap with later pieces, introduced in The New Tetris (1999),Template:Sfn and the super rotation system and infinite spin, introduced in Tetris Worlds (2001).Template:Sfn

The original Elektronica 60 version of Tetris had no music.Template:Sfn Spectrum Holobyte's version of Tetris in the United States exoticized the Soviet origins through elements such as Russian music, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" from The Nutcracker and Reinhold Glière's "Russian Sailor Dance" from The Red Poppy. This approach differed from other versions of Tetris from other countries at the time: Mirrorsoft's Commodore 64 versions in Europe used an atmospheric soundtrack, and Sega's arcade version in Japan used a synthesized pop-influenced soundtrack.^[67] Nintendo's versions for NES and Game Boy continued the pattern of using Russian music. The NES version uses Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker as Music A, with the Russian-influenced Music B and the mellow Music C having unclear origins.^[68] The Game Boy version has the 1860s Russian folk tune "Korobeiniki" for Music A, an original composition by Hirokazu Tanaka for Music B, and the Menuet of Johann Sebastian Bach's French Suite no. 3 for Music C.Template:Sfn "Korobeiniki" has become primarily associated with Tetris as its main theme and would be used in most significant versions within the series,Template:Sfn^[67] as mandated by the Tetris Company guidelines.^[6]

Reception

Sales

Sales of selected versions of *Tetris*
Year	Game	Platform(s)	Sales
1988	Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)	PC	1 million^[69]
1988	Tetris (Famicom)	Famicom	2 millionTemplate:Sfn
1989	Tetris (Game Boy)	Game Boy	35 million^[70]
1989	Tetris (NES)	NES	8 millionTemplate:Sfn
1996	Tetris Plus	PlayStation	1.53 million^[71]
1997	Tetrisphere	Nintendo 64	430,000^[72]
2001	Tetris Worlds	Multi-platform	1.81 millionTemplate:Efn
2006	Tetris DS	Nintendo DS	2.05 million^[73]
2014	Puyo Puyo Tetris	Multi-platform	1.4 million^[47]
2020	Puyo Puyo Tetris 2	Multi-platform	293,000Template:Efn

In January 2010, EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software announced that the mobile versions of Tetris released 2005 had reached 100 million paid downloads, making it most-downloaded mobile game at the time.^[74]^[39] In April 2014, Rogers announced in an interview with VentureBeat that Tetris totaled 425 million paid mobile downloads and 70 million physical copies.^[75]^[76] To date, all versions of Tetris collectively serve as the second-best-selling video game series of all time, totaling 520 million sales according to The Tetris Company.^[77]^[78] The majority originate from paid mobile downloads, based on Rogers' figure from the 2014 interview.^[76]^[79] Some publications consider Tetris the best-selling video game of all time due to these figures,^[78] though BBC disputes this claim due to differences between the versions, including on mobile platforms.^[77] The most commercially successful version is the Game Boy version,Template:Sfn which at 35 million copies is among the best-selling video games of all time.^[70]^[80] By 1996, the original had sold nearly 40 million copies.^[81]

Accolades

Tetris has garnered accolades and awards since its initial commercial release. The Spectrum HoloByte version won three Software Publishers Association Excellence in Software awards in 1989, including Best Entertainment Program and the Critic's Choice Award for consumers.^[11] Macworld inducted Tetris into the 1988 Macworld Game Hall of Fame in the Best Strategy Game category. Macworld praised "the addictive quality" and said its "simplicity is bewitching",^[82] and Compute! gave Tetris the 1989 Choice Award for Arcade Game, describing it as "by far, the most addictive game ever".^[83] Entertainment Weekly named the NES version the eighth-greatest game available for sale in 1991, saying: "Thanks to Nintendo's endless promotion, Tetris has become one of the most popular video games."^[84]

Tetris is widely considered among the greatest video games of all time,Template:Sfn being ranked as such by Flux (1995),^[85] Next Generation (1996 and 1999),^[86]^[87] Electronic Gaming Monthly (1997),^[88] GameSpot (2000),^[89] Game Informer (2001 and 2009),^[90]^[91] IGN (2007 and 2021),^[92]^[93] Time (2012 and 2016),^[94]^[95] GamesRadar+ (2015 and 2021),^[96]^[97] Polygon (2017),^[98] USA Today (2022 and 2024),^[99]^[100] The Times (2023),^[101] and GQ (2023).^[102] Tetris has also been ranked as among the best computer games by PC Format (1991)^[103] and Computer Gaming World (1996),^[104] among the best video game franchises by IGN (2006)^[105] and Den of Geek (2024),^[106] and among the most influential games of all time by GamePro (2007),^[107] IGN (2007),^[108] 1Up.com (2010),^[109] GamesRadar+ (2013),^[110] and The Guardian (2017).^[111]

Tetris has been inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of the following publications: Computer Gaming World (1999),^[112] GameSpy (2000),^[113] GameSpot (2003),^[114] and IGN (2007).^[115] At the 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards, Pajitnov won the First Penguin Award, known afterward as the Pioneer Award, for pioneering casual gaming through Tetris.^[116]^[117] Tetris was listed as part of the game canon, announced at the 2007 Game Developers Conference by Henry Lowood of Stanford University as a list of ten games to be considered for preservation by the Library of Congress, modeled after the National Film Preservation Board.^[118]^[119] In November 2012, the Museum of Modern Art acquired Tetris, along with thirteen other video games, to display.^[120] As part of the 2015 inaugural class, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Tetris into the World Video Game Hall of Fame for its iconic nature.^[121]

Legacy

Industry impact

Due to Rogers and Nintendo's belief in its potential for mass appeal, Tetris was the pack-in game and the primary game promoted for the Game Boy in the United States. The resulting public anticipation led Tetris to become the Game Boy's main draw,^[15]^[122]Template:Sfn with many, including non-gamers, buying the Game Boy specifically to play Tetris. This release simultaneously contributed to both the popularity of the Tetris game and the Game Boy,Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[123] with the bundle selling out its initial run of a million copies shortly after release.^[15] This success established Nintendo's dominant position in the handheld gaming market, setting a standard that competitors struggled to replicate.^[109]^[124]^[125] Several writers credit Tetris and Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) for the Game Boy's longevity, as it would not be discontinued until 2003.^[123]^[15]^[126]

Tetris is influential in the genre of puzzle video games.^[108]^[127] Commentators have considered Tetris an early example of a casual game.Template:Efn Wired deemed Tetris unique for its time, given its appeal to players regardless of gender and age,^[128] and 1Up.com credits Tetris for establishing a market for puzzle video games with universal appeal.^[109] Various common elements of puzzle games, such as managing pieces over a fixed screen, originated from Tetris,^[108] and multiple clones have been created to replicate TetrisTemplate:'s popularity.Template:Sfn Video games influenced by Tetris include Nintendo's Dr. Mario (1990), Sega's Columns (1990), Compile's Puyo Puyo (1991), Taito's Puzzle Bobble (1994), and Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996).Template:Efn

Cultural impact

A man holding a trophy

Jonas Neubauer (pictured in 2010) won the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship.

TetrisTemplate:'s cultural impact and recognition is widespread, being represented in a vast array of video game platforms, among other media such as architecture, art, and merchandise.Template:Sfn^[6]^[17] Tetris has been frequently referenced in pop culture, such as in The Simpsons, The Big Bang Theory,^[17] Family Guy, Futurama, Office Space,^[129] Muppet Babies, and Monty Python.Template:Sfn The game has also earned multiple Guinness records, such as the record for "largest architectural video game display", granted to a game of Tetris hosted on the side of the 29-story Cira Center in April 2014.^[130] "Korobeiniki", a Russian folk song, has become widely associated with Tetris following its inclusion in the Game Boy version.^[67] A 1992 Eurodance cover of "Korobeiniki" by Doctor Spin peaked at number six on the UK singles charts.^[6]^[131] The "Tetris effect" refers to the phenomena of perceiving certain patterns in dreams and mental images following engagement in a repetitive activity such as playing Tetris.Template:Sfn^[132] The term was coined by Jeffrey Goldsmith in a 1994 article for Wired,^[133] in which he compared Tetris to an "electronic drug".Template:Sfn

The background of Tetris, including its creation and legal battles in the late 1980s, has been documented multiple times.^[134] David Sheff provided a comprehensive overview in his influential Nintendo history book Game Over (1994). Subsequent books that covered this topic include the non-fiction books Steven L. Kent's The Ultimate History of Video Games (2001), Tristan Donovan's Replay: The History of Video Games (2010), Dan Ackerman's The Tetris Effect (2016), and the graphic novel Box Brown's Tetris: The Games People Play (2016).Template:Sfn^[134] Tetris has also been the subject of documentaries including BBC's Tetris: From Russia with Love (2004) and the independent Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters (2010).Template:Sfn^[134] Tetris, a film dramatization of the legal battles starring Taron Egerton as Rogers, premiered on Apple TV+ on March 31, 2023,^[132] to positive reviews, according to Metacritic, and a viewership of 88,000 people, according to Samba TV.^[135]^[136] Henk Rogers' memoir, The Perfect Game—Tetris: From Russia With Love, was published on April 1, 2025, to provide his perspective on TetrisTemplate:'s history following the film's release.^[137]^[138]

Tetris is part of the competitive gaming scene, especially around the NES version.^[139] Competitor Jonas Neubauer and his victory in the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) in 2010 were the subjects of Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters,^[140] which helped popularized competitive gameplay of Tetris.^[141] Competitors at the CTWC, typically adolescents, have used the CTWC to demonstrate advancements in the gameplay of the NES version. For example, gameplay techniques such as "hypertapping" and "rolling" have been used to help competitors to maximize their scores beyond level 29, which was previously deemed impossible to complete due to its speed.^[142]^[143] Willis Gibson "beat" Tetris by playing NES Tetris until it crashed in a 40-minute livestream in January 2024, receiving significant media coverage for his achievement.^[144]^[145]

Research

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The Tetris game has frequently been featured in academic research, including in psychology, computer science, and game studies.^[1] By 2014, John K. Lindstedt and Wayne D. Gray, cognitive scientists of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, had traced 133 scholarly papers across a variety of academic fields that utilized Tetris in their research.^[146] Soviet clinical psychologist Vladimir Pokhilko was the first to use Tetris in clinical experiments, conducting them Template:Circa 1985 at the Moscow Medical Center.Template:Sfn^[1] Prior to studying them, Pokhilko observed that distributed copies of Tetris to his colleagues impaired medical research due to their constant gameplay. Although he initially destroyed these copies, after new copies were reintroduced to his facility, Pokhilko used Tetris in psychological tests of his patients.Template:Sfn

In psychology, starting with the research of American psychologist Richard J. Haier in 1992,^[147]Template:Sfn^[148] Tetris has been frequently used in neuroimaging studies testing how gameplay affects the human brain.^[149]^[146] For example, the near-transfer effects of Tetris on mental rotation is frequently researched, though research methods have varied widely and results have been contradictory.^[150] Furthermore, Tetris has been studied as a potential form of psychological intervention, particularly regarding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).^[149] To date, playing Tetris as a valid form of imagery treatment for symptoms of PTSD is in an experimental stage and in need of further research. Nonetheless, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies have demonstrated some evidence supporting its effectiveness in reducing intrusive memories, especially when combined with other interventions.^[151]^[152]^[153]

In computer science, the Tetris game has been the subject of research papers analyzing how the tetrominoes affect gameplay.Template:Sfn Most analyze a traditional game of Tetris and do not account for features such as lookahead.Template:Sfn In 1992, John Brzustowski argued in his master's thesis for the University of Waterloo that it is impossible to play a traditional game of Tetris indefinitely,^[154]Template:Sfn a conclusion affirmed by Heidi Burgiel of the University of Minnesota in 1997, who attributed the inevitable end to the game's Z-shaped tetrominoes and calculated a hard cap of seventy thousand tetrominoes.^[155]Template:Sfn Partly accounting for the lookahead feature, in 2003 a trio of MIT students proved that the optimal strategy for playing a game of Tetris is NP-complete, meaning it is difficult to be solved by an algorithm within a reasonable time due to the game's complexity. This is true even if the player knew the complete sequence of incoming pieces.^[156]^[157]Template:Sfn

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Bibliography

Books

Template:External media

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Video documentaries

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External links

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Tetris: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:04, 19 November 2025

Contents

Gameplay

History

Creation (1984–1985)

Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988)

International negotiations (1988–1989)

Legal battles and aftermath (1989–1996)

The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014)

Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present)

Versions

Reception

Sales

Accolades

Legacy

Industry impact

Cultural impact

Research

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

Books

Video documentaries

Further reading

External links

Navigation menu

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{pp|small=yes}}
-{{Short description|1985 video game}}
+{{Short description|Video game series and franchise}}
 {{good article}}
-{{About|the video game|specific versions|List of Tetris variants{{!}}List of ''Tetris'' variants|other uses}}
+{{About|the video game in overview|specific versions|List of Tetris variants{{!}}List of ''Tetris'' variants|other uses}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
 {{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
-{{Infobox video game
+{{Infobox video game series
 | title = Tetris
 | image = Tetris logo.png
+| caption = Official brand logo since 2019
 | alt = The word "Tetris", each letter a different color, engraved on a blue, T-shaped tetromino.
-| designer = [[Alexey Pajitnov]]
+| creator = [[Alexey Pajitnov]]
-| platforms = [[List of Tetris variants|List of ''Tetris'' variants]]
+| platforms = [[List of Tetris variants|Various]] (Over 70 platforms)
-| released = '''[[DOS]]'''{{Video game release|USSR|1985|UK|January 27, 1988|US|January 29, 1988}}
+| first release version = [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|''Tetris'' (Spectrum HoloByte)]]
+| first release date = January 27, 1988
+| latest release version = ''[[Tetris Forever]]''
+| latest release date = November 12, 2024
 | genre = {{cslist | [[Puzzle video game|Puzzle]]}}
-| modes = {{cslist | [[Single-player video game|Single-player]] | [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]}}
+| spinoffs = ''[[Tetris: The Grand Master]]''
 }}
-'''''Tetris''''' ({{langx|ru|link=no|Тетрис}}){{efn|Pronounced {{IPA|ru|ˈtʲetrʲɪs|}} or {{IPA|ru|ˈtetrʲɪs|}}}} is a [[puzzle video game]] created in 1985 <!-- Please consult the talk page of the article before changing the date. -->by [[Alexey Pajitnov]], a Soviet [[software engineer]]. In ''Tetris'', falling [[tetromino]] shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile; once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disappears, granting points and preventing the pile from overflowing. [[List of Tetris variants|Over 200 versions of ''Tetris'']] have been published by numerous companies on more than 65 platforms, often with altered game mechanics, some of which have become standard over time. To date, these versions of ''Tetris'' collectively serve as the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|second-best-selling video game series]] with over 520 million sales, mostly on mobile devices.
+'''''Tetris''''' ({{langx|ru|link=no|Тетрис}}){{efn|Pronounced {{IPA|ru|ˈtʲetrʲɪs|}} or {{IPA|ru|ˈtetrʲɪs|}}}} is a [[puzzle video game]] created by [[Alexey Pajitnov]], a Soviet [[software engineer]]. In typical ''Tetris'' gameplay, falling [[tetromino]] shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile. Once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disappears, granting points and preventing the pile from overflowing. Since its initial creation, this gameplay has been used in [[List of Tetris variants|over 220 versions]], released for over 70 platforms. Newer versions frequently implement additional game mechanics, some of which have become standard over time. {{As of|December 2024}}, these versions collectively serve as the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|second-best-selling video game series]] with over 520 million sales, mostly on mobile devices.
-In the 1980s, Pajitnov worked for the [[Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences]], where he programmed ''Tetris'' on the [[Elektronika 60]] and adapted it to the [[IBM PC]] with the help of Dmitry Pavlovsky and [[Vadim Gerasimov]]. [[Floppy disk]] copies were distributed freely throughout Moscow, before spreading to Eastern Europe. Robert Stein of Andromeda Software licensed ''Tetris'' to [[Mirrorsoft]] in the UK and [[Spectrum HoloByte]] in the US. [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|Both companies released the game]] in 1988 to commercial success and sold licenses to other companies, including [[Henk Rogers]]' [[Bullet-Proof Software]]. Rogers negotiated with [[Elektronorgtechnica]], the state-owned organization in charge of licensing Soviet software, to license ''Tetris'' to [[Nintendo]] for the [[Game Boy]] and [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES); both versions were released in 1989. With 35 million sales to date, the [[Tetris (Game Boy)|Game Boy version]] became the best-selling version of ''Tetris'' and among the [[best-selling video games]] of all time; its success popularized both the console and the game overall. In 1996, after the rights reverted to Pajitnov, he and Rogers formed [[the Tetris Company]] to manage licensing.
+In the mid-1980s, Pajitnov worked for the [[Dorodnitsyn Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences]], where he programmed ''Tetris'' on the [[Elektronika 60]] and adapted it to the [[IBM PC]] with the help of Dmitry Pavlovsky and [[Vadim Gerasimov]]. [[Floppy disk]] copies were distributed freely throughout Moscow before spreading to Eastern Europe. Robert Stein of Andromeda Software saw the game in Hungary and contacted the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center to secure a license to release the game commercially. Stein then sub licensed to [[Mirrorsoft]] in the UK and [[Spectrum HoloByte]] in the US. [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|Both companies released the game]] in 1988 to commercial success and sub licensed to additional companies, including [[Henk Rogers]]' [[Bullet-Proof Software]]. Rogers negotiated with [[Elektronorgtechnica]], the state-owned organization in charge of licensing Soviet software, to license ''Tetris'' to [[Nintendo]] for the [[Game Boy]] and [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES); both versions were released in 1989.
-''Tetris'' is frequently cited as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest and most influential games ever made]], being among the inaugural class of games inducted into the [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]] in 2015. It is an early example of a [[casual games|casual game]] and has been influential in the genre of puzzle video games and [[popular culture]], being represented in a vast array of media such as architecture and art. ''Tetris'' has also been the subject of academic research, including studies of its potential for psychological intervention. A competitive culture has formed around the game, particularly the [[Tetris (NES)|NES version]], with players{{snd}}typically adolescents{{snd}}competing at the annual [[Classic Tetris World Championship]]. A [[Tetris (film)|film dramatization]] of the game's development was released in 2023.
+With 35 million sales as of June 2024, the [[Tetris (Game Boy)|Game Boy version]] is the best-selling version of ''Tetris'' and among the [[best-selling video games]] of all time. Its commercial success upon release contributed to the Game Boy's success and popularized ''Tetris''. At the end of 1995, Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights to ''Tetris'', arranged ten years prior, reverted to Pajitnov. He and Rogers subsequently formed [[the Tetris Company]] to manage licensing. Guidelines for authorized releases were established, with certain features not in the original games becoming standardized over time. Versions of ''Tetris'' were released on mobile devices starting in the 2000s, with [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) holding a license on [[Tetris (EA)|such ports]] from 2006 to 2020, to widespread commercial success. ''Tetris'' received renewed popularity in the late-2010s with the release of the critically successful ''[[Tetris Effect]]'' (2018) and ''[[Tetris 99]]'' (2019).
-==Gameplay==
+''Tetris'' is frequently cited as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest and most influential games ever made]], and was among the inaugural class inducted into the [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]] in 2015. Its gameplay has been influential in the genre of puzzle video games, being cited as an early example of [[casual gaming]]. Furthermore, ''Tetris'' has been represented in a vast array of media such as architecture and art and been the subject of academic research, including studies of its potential for psychological intervention. A competitive culture has formed around ''Tetris'', particularly the [[Tetris (NES video game)|NES version]], with players{{snd}}typically adolescents{{snd}}competing at the annual [[Classic Tetris World Championship]]. A [[Tetris (film)|film dramatization]] of its development was released in 2023.
-[[File:Typical Tetris Game.svg|thumb|A typical ''Tetris'' game screen]]
-''Tetris'' is a [[puzzle video game]] with a consistent general design across its numerous versions.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=268}} Gameplay consists of a rectangular field in which [[tetromino]] pieces,{{efn|The standard spelling in mathematics is ''tetrominoes'', while [[the Tetris Company]]'s trademarked spelling is ''tetriminoes''.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=271}} This article uses the standard spelling for consistency.}} geometric shapes consisting of four connected squares, descend from the top-center. During the descent, the player can move the piece horizontally and rotate them until they touch the bottom of the field or another piece.<ref name=MarkWolf2012/><ref name=GameDesign>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rulesofplaygamed0000sale/page/143/mode/2up |last1=Salen |first1=Katie |author-link1=Katie Salen |last2=Zimmerman |first2=Eric |author-link2=Eric Zimmerman |title=Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |date=2003 |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-262-24045-1 |pages=143–144 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> The player's goal is to stack the pieces in the field to create horizontal lines of blocks.<ref name=polygon-tips>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/2/22/18225349/tetris-strategy-tips-how-to-jonas-neubauer |last=Ramos |first=Jeff |title=''Tetris'' Tips from a Seven-Time World Champion |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=February 22, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114154632/https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/2/22/18225349/tetris-strategy-tips-how-to-jonas-neubauer |url-status=live }}</ref> When a line is completed, it disappears, and the blocks placed above fall one row. As lines are cleared, the speed of the descending pieces increase. The game ends if the accumulated pieces in the field block other pieces from entering the field, a process known as "topping out".<ref name="GameDesign" /> Common mechanics among ''Tetris'' variants include soft drop (the ability to increase the descent of the piece), hard drop (instantly placing the piece as far down as it can go), and holding (reserving a piece for later use).<ref name=polygon-tips/>
-The objective of ''Tetris'' is to collect as many points as possible during a gameplay session by clearing lines.<ref name=MarkWolf2012/> ''Tetris''{{'s}} scoring system has remained mostly consistent since ''[[Tetris DS]]'' (2006) with some exceptions. Points gained during gameplay increase with the descent speed. The more lines cleared at once, the higher the score for a line clear; clearing four lines at once using an ''I''-piece is referred to as a "Tetris". The player can also gain points by using hard drops or soft drops.<ref name=polygon-tips/> There are advanced techniques that can gain more points than a Tetris, including T-spins (spinning a T-piece into a blocked gap), perfect clears (emptying the field following a line clear), and combos (clearing lines with multiple pieces in a row).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/3/6/18244590/tetris-t-spin-perfect-clear-combo-guide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306212036/https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/3/6/18244590/tetris-t-spin-perfect-clear-combo-guide |last=Ramos |first=Jeff |title=''Tetris'' Advanced Guide: T-spins, Perfect Clears, and Combos |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=March 6, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref>
+== Gameplay ==
+[[File:Typical Tetris Game.svg|thumb|100px|A typical ''Tetris'' game screen|alt=In a black, upright rectangle bordered by gray squares, multiple tetrominoes of different colors are stacked on top one another, leaving a gap to the right that an I-shaped tetromino is about to enter vertically.]]
-==History==
+Across its numerous versions, ''Tetris'' generally has a consistent [[puzzle video game]] design.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=268}} Gameplay consists of a rectangular field in which [[tetromino]] pieces,{{efn|The standard spelling in mathematics is ''tetrominoes'', while [[the Tetris Company]]'s trademarked spelling is ''tetriminoes''.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=271}} This article uses the standard spelling for consistency.}} geometric shapes consisting of four connected squares, descend from the top-center. During the descent, the player can move the piece horizontally and rotate them until they touch the bottom of the field or another piece.<ref name=MarkWolf2012/><ref name=GameDesign>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rulesofplaygamed0000sale/page/143/mode/2up |last1=Salen |first1=Katie |author-link1=Katie Salen |last2=Zimmerman |first2=Eric |author-link2=Eric Zimmerman |title=Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |date=2003 |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-262-24045-1 |pages=143–144 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref> The player's goal is to stack the pieces in the field to create horizontal lines of blocks.<ref name=polygon-tips>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/2/22/18225349/tetris-strategy-tips-how-to-jonas-neubauer |last=Ramos |first=Jeff |title=''Tetris'' Tips from a Seven-Time World Champion |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=February 22, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114154632/https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/2/22/18225349/tetris-strategy-tips-how-to-jonas-neubauer |url-status=live }}</ref> When a line is completed, it disappears and the blocks placed above fall one row. The speed of the descending pieces increases as lines are cleared. The game ends if the accumulated pieces in the field block other pieces from entering the field, a process known as "topping out".<ref name="GameDesign" /> Common mechanics among ''Tetris'' versions include the queue (viewing the pieces that are next to appear), soft drop (increasing the descent of the piece), hard drop (instantly placing the piece as far down as it can go), and holding (reserving a piece for later use).<ref name=polygon-tips/>
-===Creation (1984–1985)===
-[[File:Alexey Pajitnov GDC 2024 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|right|Alexey Pajitnov (pictured in 2024), the creator of ''Tetris'']]
-[[Alexey Pajitnov]] was a [[speech recognition]] and [[artificial intelligence]] researcher for the [[Dorodnitsyn Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=30–31}} Pajitnov developed several puzzle games on the institute's [[Elektronika 60]],{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=298}} an archaic Russian clone of the [[PDP-11]] computer.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=377}} In June 1984, he became inspired to convert [[pentomino]] tiling puzzles to the computer<ref name="guardian2014"/><ref>{{Cite interview |url=https://archive.org/details/oh-x-1989-08-hires-scans/Oh%21X%201989%208/page/90/mode/1up |magazine=Oh!X |last=Pajitnov |first=Alexey |author-link=Alexey Pajitnov |title=The Softouch: Software Information |volume=8 |issue=8 |date=August 1989 |page=90 |language=Japanese |access-date=February 1, 2025 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> after he bought a pentomino puzzle set from a store and played with it in his office.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=32}}
-Pajitnov wrote ''Tetris'' using [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] for the [[RT-11]] operating system on the Elektronika 60{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:50}} and experimented with different versions.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=299}} Because the Elektronika 60 had no [[Graphical user interface|graphical interface]], Pajitnov modeled the field and pieces using spaces and brackets.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=299}} He felt that the game would be needlessly complicated with the twelve different shape variations of pentominoes, so he scaled the concept down to [[tetromino]]es, of which there are seven variants.<ref name="guardian2014">{{cite news |last=Hoad |first=Phil |date=June 2, 2014 |title=''Tetris'': How We Made the Addictive Computer Game |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jun/02/how-we-made-tetris |access-date=July 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621140034/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jun/02/how-we-made-tetris |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Afterward, he programmed the basic mechanics, including the ability to flip tetrominoes as they fell in a vertical screen and the clearing of lines.<ref name="guardian2014" />{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=33–34}} The name ''Tetris'' was a combination of "tetra" (meaning "four") and Pajitnov's favorite sport, [[tennis]].{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=293}}{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:20}} Pajitnov completed the first version of ''Tetris'' {{Circa}} 1985.{{efn|[[The Tetris Company]] celebrates ''Tetris''{{'s}} anniversary based on its apparent creation date on June 6, 1984, though various sources, including copyright records, indicate that the original version was completed in 1985.<ref name="timeextension">{{cite web|url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-is-tetris-really-40-this-year|work=[[Time Extension]]|title=Anniversary: Is ''Tetris'' Really 40 This Year?|last1=McFerran|first1=Damien|last2=Yarwood|first2=Jack|date=June 24, 2024|accessdate=November 18, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717140506/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-is-tetris-really-40-this-year|archivedate=July 17, 2024}}</ref>}} This version had no scoring system and no levels<ref name="guardian020609">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Bobbie |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 1, 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov |title=How ''Tetris'' Conquered the World, Block by Block |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329135242/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov |archive-date=March 29, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> but it nonetheless captivated Pajitnov's peers.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=6:32–7:02}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=35–36}}
+The objective of ''Tetris'' is to collect as many points as possible during a gameplay session by clearing lines.<ref name=MarkWolf2012/> ''Tetris''{{'s}} scoring system has remained mostly consistent since ''[[Tetris DS]]'' (2006) with some exceptions. Points gained during gameplay increase with the descent speed. The more lines cleared at once, the higher the score for a line clear. Clearing four lines at once using an I-shaped tetromino is referred to as a "Tetris". Furthermore, the player can also gain points by using hard drops or soft drops.<ref name=polygon-tips/> Advanced techniques, often used in competitive play, include T-spins (spinning a T-shaped tetromino into a blocked gap), perfect clears (emptying the field following a line clear), and combos (clearing lines consecutively).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/3/6/18244590/tetris-t-spin-perfect-clear-combo-guide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306212036/https://www.polygon.com/guides/2019/3/6/18244590/tetris-t-spin-perfect-clear-combo-guide |last=Ramos |first=Jeff |title=''Tetris'' Advanced Guide: T-spins, Perfect Clears, and Combos |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=March 6, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Pajitnov sought to [[Porting|port]] ''Tetris'' to the [[IBM Personal Computer]] (IBM PC), which had a higher-quality display than the Elektronika 60. He recruited his colleague Dmitry Pavlovsky and the 16-year-old computer prodigy [[Vadim Gerasimov]].{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=54–56}} Using [[Turbo Pascal]],{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:50}} the three adapted ''Tetris'' to the IBM PC over two months, with Gerasimov incorporating color and Pavlovsky incorporating a scoreboard.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=63–65}} Floppy disk copies of this version were distributed freely throughout the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center, before spreading quickly among Moscow computer circles.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300–301}} Pajitnov kept note of second-hand accounts of ''Tetris''{{'s}} spread during this time.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=70}} ''Tetris'' reportedly won second place in a [[Zelenodolsk, Republic of Tatarstan|Zelenodolsk]] computer game competition in November 1985,{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}} and by 1986, nearly everyone with an IBM computer in Moscow and similar cities had played ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=89}}
+== History ==
-===Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988)===
+=== Creation (1984–1985) ===
-{{multiple image
+[[File:Alexey Pajitnov January 2008 cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Alexey Pajitnov (pictured in 2008), the creator of ''Tetris''.|alt=A man]]
-| align             = right
-| direction         = vertical
+[[Alexey Pajitnov]] was a [[speech recognition]] and [[artificial intelligence]] researcher for the [[Dorodnitsyn Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=30–31}} Pajitnov developed several puzzle games on the institute's [[Elektronika 60]],{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=298}} an archaic Russian clone of the [[PDP-11]] computer.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=377}} In June 1984, he became inspired to convert [[pentomino]] tiling puzzles to the computer<ref name="guardian2014"/> after he bought a pentomino puzzle set from a store and played with it in his office.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=32}}
-| width             = 250
-| image1            = Tetris-VeryFirstVersion.png
+Pajitnov programmed ''Tetris'' using [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] for the [[RT-11]] operating system on the Elektronika 60{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:50}} and experimented with different versions.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=299}} Because the Elektronika 60 had no [[Graphical user interface|graphical interface]], Pajitnov modeled the field and pieces using spaces and brackets.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=299}} He felt that the game would be needlessly complicated with the twelve different shapes of pentominoes, so he scaled the concept down to [[tetromino]]es, of which there are only seven shapes.<ref name="guardian2014">{{cite news |last=Hoad |first=Phil |date=June 2, 2014 |title=''Tetris'': How We Made the Addictive Computer Game |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jun/02/how-we-made-tetris |access-date=July 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621140034/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jun/02/how-we-made-tetris |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Afterward, he programmed the basic mechanics, including the ability to flip tetrominoes as they fell in a vertical screen and the clearing of lines.<ref name="guardian2014" />{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=33–34}}{{sfn|Donovan|2010|p=200}} The name ''Tetris'' was a combination of "tetra" (meaning "four") and Pajitnov's favorite sport, [[tennis]].{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=293}}{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:20}} Pajitnov completed the first version of ''Tetris'' {{Circa}} 1985.{{efn|[[The Tetris Company]] celebrates ''Tetris''{{'s}} anniversary based on its apparent creation date on June 6, 1984, though various sources, including copyright records, indicate that the original version was completed in 1985.<ref name="timeextension">{{cite web|url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-is-tetris-really-40-this-year|work=[[Time Extension]]|title=Anniversary: Is ''Tetris'' Really 40 This Year?|last1=McFerran|first1=Damien|last2=Yarwood|first2=Jack|date=June 24, 2024|accessdate=November 18, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717140506/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-is-tetris-really-40-this-year|archivedate=July 17, 2024}}</ref>}} This version had no scoring system and no levels,<ref name="guardian020609">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Bobbie |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 1, 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov |title=How ''Tetris'' Conquered the World, Block by Block |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329135242/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov |archive-date=March 29, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> but it nonetheless captivated Pajitnov's peers.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=6:32–7:02}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=35–36}}
-| caption1          = The first version of ''Tetris'', completed in 1985, run on an emulator of the [[Elektronika 60]]
-| image2            = Tetris DOS 1986.png
+Pajitnov sought to [[Porting|port]] ''Tetris'' to the [[IBM Personal Computer]] (IBM PC), which had a higher-quality display than the Elektronika 60. He recruited his colleague Dmitry Pavlovsky and the 16-year-old computer prodigy [[Vadim Gerasimov]].{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=54–56}} Using [[Turbo Pascal]],{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=1:50}} the three adapted ''Tetris'' to the IBM PC over two months, with Gerasimov incorporating color and Pavlovsky incorporating a scoreboard.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=63–65}} Floppy disk copies of this version were distributed freely throughout the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center, before spreading quickly among Moscow computer circles.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=300–301}} Pajitnov kept note of second-hand accounts of ''Tetris''{{'s}} spread during this time.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=70}} ''Tetris'' reportedly won second place in a [[Zelenodolsk, Republic of Tatarstan|Zelenodolsk]] computer game competition in November 1985,{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=300}} and by 1986, nearly everyone with an IBM computer in Moscow and several major cities had played ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=89}}
-| caption2          = A screenshot of the 1986 IBM PC version developed by Dmitry Pavlovsky and [[Vadim Gerasimov]]
-| image3            = Tetris screenshot (Amiga, Infogrames).png
+=== Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988) ===
-| caption3          = The version designed by Spectrum Holobyte contained Soviet-related images (Amiga version screenshot, 1988)
+[[File:Tetris-VeryFirstVersion.png|thumb|right|The first version of ''Tetris'', completed in 1985, run on an emulator of the [[Elektronika 60]]|alt=Gameplay of ''Tetris'', represented by green ASCII text due to the system's primitive nature]]
-}}
-Under Soviet law, intellectual rights were not protected, and the state-run organization [[Elektronorgtechnica]] (Elorg) had a monopoly on the import and export of software.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/11471 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304100515/https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/11471 |title=Интеллектуальная собственность / Тетрис |trans-title=Intellectual Property / ''Tetris'' |website=[[Kommersant]] |language=Russian |date=September 12, 1995 |archive-date=March 4, 2014 |access-date=November 30, 2024}}</ref> To compensate for his lack of knowledge of the business world, Pajitnov asked his supervisor, Victor Brjabrin, who knew more of the world outside the Soviet Union, to help him publish ''Tetris''. Pajitnov offered to transfer the rights to the Academy and was delighted to receive a non-compulsory remuneration from Brjabrin through this deal.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=87–88}} In 1986, Brjabrin sent a copy of ''Tetris'' to the Hungarian game publisher [[Appaloosa Interactive|Novotrade]],{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=88}} and copies began circulating via [[floppy disk]]s throughout Hungary.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=89}} Robert Stein, an international software salesman for the London-based firm Andromeda Software, saw the commercial potential during a visit to Hungary in June 1986.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=302}}{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=11 min}} After an indifferent response from the Academy,{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=12 min}} Stein contacted Pajitnov and Brjabrin by fax to obtain the license rights.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=11 min}} The Soviet researchers expressed interest in forming an agreement with Stein via fax, but were unaware that this fax communication could be considered a legal contract in the Western world;{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=12 min.}} Stein began to approach other companies to produce the game.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|pages=89–90}}
+Under Soviet law, intellectual rights were not protected, and the state-run organization [[Elektronorgtechnica]] (Elorg) had a monopoly on the import and export of software.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/11471 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304100515/https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/11471 |title=Интеллектуальная собственность / Тетрис |trans-title=Intellectual Property / ''Tetris'' |website=[[Kommersant]] |language=Russian |date=September 12, 1995 |archive-date=March 4, 2014 |access-date=November 30, 2024}}</ref> Around this time, Pajitnov arranged for the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center to have the rights to ''Tetris'' for ten years to ease potential legal troubles.<ref name=cnn-history/> As a result, Pajitnov could not sell ''Tetris'' for profit. Nonetheless, Pajitnov's manager Victor Brjabrin liked ''Tetris'' and sought opportunities for success beyond the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=301}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=90}}  In early 1986, Brjabrin sent a copy of ''Tetris'' to the SZKI Institute of Computer Studies in [[Budapest]].{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=301}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=90}} Robert Stein, founder of Andromeda Software who profited by licensing software from Hungary to UK companies, encountered ''Tetris'' during a visit to the SZKI Institute and found its gameplay compelling.{{sfn|Donovan|2010|pp=203–204}} Stein learned from the SZKI Institute director that they had managed to port ''Tetris'' to [[Commodore International|Commodore]] or [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] computers. He returned to [[London]] and contacted Dorodnitsyn Computing Center by [[telex]] to obtain the license rights, believing he could sell those rights to a larger UK publisher.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=95–97}}
+Brjabrin received the telex and, after translating it from English to Russian, disclosed it to Pajitnov, who spent days attempting to compose, translate to English, and send a favorable yet noncommittal response by telex to Stein. Despite this attempt, Stein interpreted the response as granting him the license and proceeded to find a publisher for ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=97–99}} Stein pitched ''Tetris'' to [[Jim Mackonochie]] of [[Mirrorsoft]], a UK software company founded by business magnate [[Robert Maxwell]] and Mackonochie. Though Mackonochie was skeptical about the commercial potential of ''Tetris'', he consulted Phil Adam, president of US sister company Spectrum HoloByte, for his input. During his overseas visit to Mirrorsoft, Adam played ''Tetris'' for hours and then encouraged Mackonochie to accept Stein's offer. Though still cautious, Mackonochie agreed to allow himself the licensing rights for Europe and Adam the rights for the United States and Japan.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=103–107}} Stein sold the rights to the two companies for £3,000 and royalties of 7.5–15% of sales, even though negotiations with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center were at a standstill, with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center being resistant to selling ''Tetris'' in the West.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=304–305}}
+[[Gilman Louie]], CEO of Spectrum HoloByte, sought to exoticize the game's Soviet origins, marketing it as the first Soviet product to be sold in North America, alongside implementing Soviet folk music and imagery during gameplay and using red packaging adorned with an illustration of [[Saint Basil's Cathedral]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=118–119}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=305–306}} ''Tetris'' was [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|first commercially released]] in the West for the IBM PC, with ports to other computer systems planned for release in the following weeks. Mirrorsoft released the game in the United Kingdom on January 27, 1988,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-fi-39274-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217174932/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-fi-39274-story.html |title=Soviets Play Capitalist Game with New Computer Puzzle |work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=January 28, 1988 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |access-date=November 17, 2024 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and Spectrum HoloByte released it in the United States on January 29, 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/business/new-software-game-it-comes-from-soviet.html |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |title=New Software Game: It Comes from Soviet |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 29, 1988 |access-date=November 17, 2024 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023171204/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/business/new-software-game-it-comes-from-soviet.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Mirrorsoft rewrote the code of the original IBM release for systems such as the [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], and [[Commodore 64]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=126}} Boosted by [[word of mouth]] and positive reviews,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=124}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=307–308}} this ''Tetris'' release was commercially successful, selling 100 thousand copies within a year.{{sfn|Donovan|2010|p=204}} At the [[Software and Information Industry Association|Software Publishers Association]]'s Excellence in Software Awards ceremony in 1989, ''Tetris'' won across three categories.<ref name="scisco198908"/>
+At the time, the only document certifying a license fee was the telex from Pajitnov and Brjabrin, meaning that Stein had sold the license for a game he did not yet own. Additionally, Alexander Alexinko, director of Elorg, discovered Stein's negotiations with Pajitnov and Dorodnitsyn Computing Center and assessed their communications with disapproval. In response, Elorg took over representing the Soviet Union in negotiations.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=130–131}} Through communications, Alexinko attempted to revoke any potential deal the Soviet Union might have had with Stein in favor of having Elorg itself sell ''Tetris'' internationally. Stein responded by threatening to create a scandal that would harm the Soviet Union's international standing, persuading Alexino to consider negotiating the rights to ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=308}} An agreement was drafted by the end of February 1988 and finalized by May, granting Stein the rights to ''Tetris'' on computers.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=132–133}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=308}}
-Stein approached publishers at the 1987 [[Consumer Electronics Show]] in Las Vegas, and signed two agreements: he sold the European rights to the publisher [[Mirrorsoft]]{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=90}}{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=479}} and the American rights to its sister company, [[Spectrum HoloByte]].{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=294,479}} Spectrum HoloByte obtained the rights after a visit to Mirrorsoft by the Spectrum HoloByte president, Phil Adam, when he played ''Tetris'' for two hours.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=90}}{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=15 min}} At that time, Stein had not yet signed a contract with the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=479}} Nevertheless, he sold the rights to the two companies for £3,000 and royalties of 7.5–15% of sales.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=304}} Before releasing ''Tetris'' in the United States, the Spectrum HoloByte CEO, [[Gilman Louie]], asked for an overhaul of the graphics and music.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=90}} The Soviet spirit was preserved, with fields illustrating Russian parks and buildings as well as melodies anchored in Russian folklore of the time. The company's goal was to make people want to buy a Russian product. The game came complete with a red package and Cyrillic text, an unusual approach in the West.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=16 min}}
+=== International negotiations (1988–1989) ===
+[[File:Henk Rogers face crop.png|thumb|upright|Henk Rogers (pictured in 2010), representing Nintendo, negotiated with Elorg for the rights to ''Tetris''.|alt=A man]]
-''Tetris'' was [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|first commercially released]] in the West on the IBM PC, with other computer systems planned for release in the following weeks. The Mirrorsoft version was released in Europe on January 27, 1988,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-fi-39274-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217174932/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-fi-39274-story.html |title=Soviets Play Capitalist Game With New Computer Puzzle |work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=January 28, 1988 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |access-date=November 17, 2024 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and the Spectrum HoloByte version on January 29, 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/business/new-software-game-it-comes-from-soviet.html |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |title=New Software Game: It Comes From Soviet |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 29, 1988 |access-date=November 17, 2024 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023171204/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/business/new-software-game-it-comes-from-soviet.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Mirrorsoft versions for systems such as the [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], and [[Commodore 64]] rewrote the code of the original IBM version.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=126}} Boosted by [[word of mouth]] and positive reviews,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=124}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=307–308}} Mirrorsoft sold tens of thousands of copies in two months,{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=91}} and Spectrum HoloByte sold over 100,000 units in the space of a year.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=18 min}} According to Spectrum HoloByte, the average ''Tetris'' player was between 25 and 45 years old and was a manager or engineer. At the [[Software and Information Industry Association|Software Publishers Association]]'s Excellence in Software Awards ceremony in March 1988, ''Tetris'' won Best Entertainment Software, Best Original Game, Best Strategy Program, and Best Consumer Software.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=91}}
+Following the commercial release of ''Tetris'', Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft started licensing the game to other companies for platforms that were not covered by the contract that Stein and Elorg had agreed to.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=378–379}} At the time, [[Henk Rogers]] had been seeking video games across the world to sell in Japan through his company [[Bullet-Proof Software]]; he discovered ''Tetris'' as a publicly displayed video game at the 1988 Winter [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES).{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=138–142}} Mirrorsoft sold [[Atari Games]] subsidiary [[Tengen (company)|Tengen]] the rights to sell non-computer releases of ''Tetris'' in Japan in exchange for the rights to sell computer ports of ''[[Blasteroids]]'' worldwide.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=143–145}} Afterward, Tengen sold the Japanese arcade rights to [[Sega]] and the console rights to Rogers, who received the Japanese computer rights from Spectrum HoloByte.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=163–165}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=310–312}} Bullet-Proof Software released ''Tetris'' for Japanese computers in November 1988 and [[Nintendo]]'s [[Family Computer]] (Famicom) in December 1988, the latter of which became commercially successful, selling two million copies in Japan.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=312}} Despite this, Elorg was unaware of the Famicom version and was receiving no royalties from ''Tetris''{{'s}} worldwide success.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=166}}{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=22:09–23:03}}
-The only document certifying a license fee was the fax from Pajitnov and Brjabrin, meaning that Stein had sold the license for a game he did not yet own. He contacted Pajitnov and asked for a contract for the rights. Stein began negotiations via fax, offering 75% of the revenue generated by Stein from the license.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=304}} Elorg was unconvinced and requested 80%. Stein made several trips to Moscow and held long discussions with Elorg representatives.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=305}} He came to an agreement with Elorg on February 24, 1988.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=308}} On May 10,{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=22 min}} he signed a contract for a ten-year worldwide ''Tetris'' license for all current and future computer systems.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=92}} Pajitnov and Brjabrin were unaware that the game was already on sale and that Stein had claimed to own the rights prior to the agreement.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=479}} Although Pajitnov did not receive a percentage of these sales,{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=92}} he said that "the fact that so many people enjoy my game is enough for me".{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=96}}
+Around the time of ''Tetris''{{'s}} Famicom version, Nintendo developed the [[Game Boy]], an economical handheld game console that interested Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] and [[Nintendo of America]] president [[Minoru Arakawa]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=167–169}} Arakawa, aided by Nintendo of America vice president [[Howard Lincoln]], sought to port ''Tetris'' to the Game Boy, believing that it would be a commercial success. They were both discouraged by the convoluted nature of the game's legal rights, leading Arakawa to enlist Rogers in getting the handheld rights to ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=173–175}} Rogers contacted Stein by [[fax]] in November 15, 1988, for the handheld rights, with Stein responding that he was negotiating them with Elorg. At the time, Alexinko had been replaced by the more adversarial Evgeni Belikov as director of Elorg. After failing to get the rights after multiple attempts at contacting Stein, Rogers abandoned him in favor of negotiating directly with the Soviet government.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=313}} In February 1989, Rogers traveled to the Soviet Union and arrived at the Elorg offices uninvited to negotiate the rights. Discussions with Rogers were scheduled the next day.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=181–184}}
-===Legal battles (1988–1989)===
+While trying to persuade Elorg to grant him the handheld rights, Rogers displayed a Famicom ''Tetris'' [[Game cartridge|cartridge]] to demonstrate the game's success.  Belikov did not recognize the cartridge, believing that the rights to ''Tetris'' had only been signed for computer systems per the contract with Stein, and accused Rogers of illegal publication.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=185–187}}{{sfn|Donovan|2010|pp=206–207}} Though surprised, Rogers provided a check of over $40,000 to Elorg as to remedy this breach of contract and discussed granting him the console rights. Afterward, Belikov recognized the potential financial benefits of allying with Rogers over the other incoming negotiators: Stein and Robert's son [[Kevin Maxwell]].{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=189–190}} While Rogers was consulting Nintendo for a potential offer to Elorg, Belikov implicitly diminished Stein and Kevin's standing in subsequent meetings by coercing the former into signing an updated contract with an exclusionary definition of computers and baiting the latter into admitting that Mirrosoft did not have the console rights, unaware of the commercial Famicom release.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=318–320}} Rogers, alongside Arakawa and Lincoln, returned to Moscow, and after a few days of negotiation, Nintendo received both the handheld and console rights to ''Tetris'' from Elorg.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=208–210, 215}}
-[[File:Henk Rogers face crop.png|thumb|upright|Henk Rogers (pictured in 2010), representing Nintendo, negotiated with Elorg for the rights to ''Tetris''.]]
-Following the commercial release of ''Tetris'', Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft started licensing the game to other companies. In 1988, Spectrum HoloByte sold the Japanese rights to its computer games to [[Bullet-Proof Software]]'s [[Henk Rogers]], who was searching for games for the Japanese market.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=22 min}} Mirrorsoft sold arcade rights to the [[Atari Games]] subsidiary [[Tengen (company)|Tengen]], which sold the Japanese arcade rights to [[Sega]] and the console rights to Bullet-Proof Software, which published versions for Japanese computers, including the [[MSX2]], [[PC-88]] and [[X68000]], along with a console port for the Nintendo [[Family Computer]] (Famicom).{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|page=480}} ''Tetris'' was commercially successful worldwide;{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=22 min}} the Famicon version sold two million copies in Japan.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=312}} Elorg was unaware of the deals Stein had negotiated and received no royalties.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=22 min}}
-Nintendo was attracted to ''Tetris'' for its simplicity and its established success on the Famicom; they considered porting it to their first handheld console, the [[Game Boy]].{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=92}}{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|page=480}} Rogers, who was close to the Nintendo president, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], sought the handheld rights.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=92}} After a failed negotiation with Atari,{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=93}} Rogers contacted Stein in November 1988. Stein agreed to sign a contract, but explained that he had to consult Elorg before returning to negotiations with Rogers.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=24 min}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=313}} After contacting Stein several times, Rogers began to suspect a breach of contract on Stein's part.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=93}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=313}}
+=== Legal battles and aftermath (1989–1996) ===
+[[File:Tetris on Game Boy.jpg|thumb|upright|''Tetris'' running on a Nintendo [[Game&nbsp;Boy]]|alt=Refer to caption]]
+On March 31, 1989, taking advantage of the new agreement, Lincoln sent a [[cease and desist]] fax to Hideyuki Nakajima, president of Atari Games, concerning their subsidiary [[Tengen (company)|Tengen]]'s production of ''Tetris'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the North American equivalent to the Famicom.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=220}} Believing themselves to own the console rights to ''Tetris'', Tengen filed copyright applications for the game in the United States and preemptively sued Nintendo.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=330–331}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=220}} Meanwhile, after being informed by Kevin, Robert pressured Elorg for sidestepping prior agreements with his companies by contacting ministers from both the Soviet and UK governments.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=331–333}} In an in-person meeting, Robert informed Soviet General Secretary [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] of his situation regarding ''Tetris'', to which he responded that Robert "should no longer worry about the Japanese company".{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=333–334}}{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=220–221}} Despite pressure from both Robert and the Soviet government, Belikov stated his refusal to concede in a conversation with Lincoln.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=219}}
-In February 1989, Rogers traveled to the Soviet Union and arrived at the Elorg offices uninvited to negotiate the rights. Discussions resulted the next day, when Stein and the Mirrorsoft manager [[Kevin Maxwell]] made an appointment with Elorg without consulting each other.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=29 min}} Rogers befriended Pajitnov over a game of [[Go (game)|Go]], and Pajitnov in turn supported Rogers throughout the discussions.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=93}} Rogers explained that he wanted to obtain the rights to ''Tetris'' for the Game Boy.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=95}} After quickly obtaining an agreement with the Elorg president, Nikolai Belikov,{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=316}} Rogers showed Belikov a Famicom ''Tetris'' [[Game cartridge|cartridge]].{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=94}} Belikov believed that the rights to ''Tetris'' had only been signed for computer systems{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=31 min}} so the Soviets accused Rogers of illegal publication. He explained that he had obtained the rights via Atari Games, which had itself signed an agreement with Stein.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=94}}
+After a marketing campaign ordered by Nakajima, Tengen released [[Tetris (Tengen)|their version of ''Tetris'']] on the NES on May 17, 1989, selling tens of thousands of copies within a few weeks.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=223}} The next month, Judge [[Fern M. Smith]] of the [[US District Court for the Northern District of California]] presided over competing lawsuits from Atari Games and Nintendo over their console rights to ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=224}} Both companies motioned for preliminary injunctions that would prohibit the other company from selling ''Tetris''. On June 15, 1989, in defense of its motion for injunction, Atari Games argued that the NES fell under the definition of computers under the original contract and that Elorg only excluded consoles from its definition of computers to take advantage of higher profits from Nintendo. Based on contradicting evidence, Smith rejected this argument and declared that Mirrorsoft and Spectrum HoloByte had never received explicit authorization for marketing on consoles, granting a preliminary injunction against Atari Games on June 22.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=224}}
-Sympathetic to Rogers' plight, Belikov constructed a strategy to regain possession of the rights and obtain better commercial agreements. At that point, Elorg was faced with three different companies seeking to buy the rights.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=35 min}} Belikov proposed canceling Stein's rights and granting them instead to Nintendo for both home and handheld consoles.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=94}} Rogers flew to the US to convince Nintendo's American branch to sign up for the rights. The contract with Elorg was signed by [[Minoru Arakawa]] of Nintendo for $500,000, plus 50 cents per cartridge sold.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=95}}{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=42 min}} Elorg then sent an updated contract to Stein which he signed without carefully reading it.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=95}} One of the clauses defined a computer as a machine with a screen and keyboard, and thus Stein's rights to console versions were withdrawn.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=37 min}} Stein later realized that all the contract's other clauses, notably on payments, were a "smokescreen" to deceive him.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=37 min}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=319}}
+The next day, Atari Games withdrew its NES version from sale, and thousands of cartridges remained unsold in its warehouses. Preference for this release over Nintendo's led to Atari Games cartridges selling for up to $300 on the [[video game collecting|secondary market]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-26/page/n43/mode/2up |title=From Russia with Litigation |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26 |date=February 1997 |page=42 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> [[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|The Game Boy version of ''Tetris'']] was released in Japan on June 14, 1989,<ref name="GameBoyJP">{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲームボーイ |trans-title=Game Boy |language=ja |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/index.html |website=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317065341/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/index.html |archive-date=March 17, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and as a [[pack-in game]] in the United States on July 31, 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |last=Fahs |first=Travis |title=''IGN'' Presents the History of Game Boy |website=[[IGN]] |date=July 27, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2024 |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528083411/http://retro.ign.com/articles/100/1007864p3.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=226}} [[Tetris (NES video game)|Nintendo's NES version]] was released the same year. Both releases achieved commercial success.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=379–380}} The Game Boy version was the primary game promoted for the Game Boy, becoming its [[killer app]],<ref name=polygon_gameboy/> generating $80 million in revenue,{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=343}} and popularizing both the Game Boy and the ''Tetris'' game.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=226–227}}{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=10:58–11:06}} The NES version quickly sold three million copies and appeared on Nintendo's most popular games list for over a year.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=226}}{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=339}}
-In March 1989, Nintendo sent a [[cease and desist]] to Atari Games concerning their production of ''Tetris'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the North American version of the Famicom.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=47 min}} In response, the Mirrorsoft owner, [[Robert Maxwell]], pressured the Soviet Union leader, [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], to cancel the contract between Elorg and Nintendo.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|pp=332–334}} Despite the threats to Belikov, Elorg refused to concede, highlighting the financial advantages of their contract compared to those signed with Stein and Mirrorsoft.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=95}}{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=45 min}} On June 15, 1989, Nintendo and Atari Games began a legal battle in the courts of San Francisco. Atari Games sought to prove that the NES was a computer, which would make Atari Games's port authorized by their license. They argued that the NES's Japanese counterpart, the Famicom, could be converted into a computer with a [[Family BASIC]] peripheral.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=96}} Judge [[Fern M. Smith]] rejected this argument and declared that Mirrorsoft and Spectrum HoloByte had never received explicit authorization for marketing on consoles. On June 21, 1989, he ruled in Nintendo's favor, granting them a preliminary injunction against Atari Games.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=96}} The next day, Atari Games withdrew its NES version from sale, and thousands of cartridges remained unsold in its warehouses. Preference for this version over Nintendo's led to Atari Games cartridges selling for up to $300 on the [[video game collecting|secondary market]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-26/page/n43/mode/2up |title=From Russia with Litigation |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26 |date=February 1997 |page=42 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
+On November 13, 1989, Smith ended the legal battle between Nintendo and Atari Games regarding ''Tetris'' by [[summary judgment]], granting Nintendo the console rights to ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=227}} In 1991, with Rogers' help, Pajitnov and his family emigrated to [[Seattle]], where he worked as a freelance game designer.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=241}}<ref name=entertainmentweekly>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_entertainment-weekly_1991-05-03_64/page/12/mode/2up |last=Givens |first=Ron |title=Soviet Blocks Invade America |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=May 3, 1991 |issue=64 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref> During this time, Pajitnov worked on several sequels to ''Tetris''. ''[[Welltris]]'' (1990) involved adjusting geometrical pieces descending down one of four walls of a three-dimensional well, and ''[[Hatris]]'' (1990) and ''[[Faces...tris III]]'' (1991) replaced descending tetrominoes with hats and faces respectively.<ref name=retrogamer/> Though they generally received positive reviews and commercial success,<ref name=entertainmentweekly/> with ''Faces...Tris III'' winning "Best Action/Arcade Program" in the 1991 Excellence in Software Awards,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_83/page/n65/ |title=Celebrating Software |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |date=June 1991 |issue=83 |page=66 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> none replicated ''Tetris''{{'}} success.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-tetris-inventor-gets-a-turn-at/164431581/ |last=Wlsosoczyn |first=Susan |title=''Tetris'' Inventor Gets a Turn at the Profit Game |work=[[USA Today]] |date=May 9, 1996 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/why-tetris-creator-never-made-tetris-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331184224/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/why-tetris-creator-never-made-tetris-2/ |last=Byrd |first=Matthew |title=Why ''Tetris''{{'}} Creator Never Made ''Tetris 2'' |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=March 31, 2023 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Other early versions and sequels of ''Tetris'' were developed without Pajitnov's involvement, including Spectrum Holobyte's ''[[Super Tetris]]'' (1991), Bullet-Proof Software's ''[[Tetris 2 + BomBliss]]'' (1991) and ''[[Tetris Battle Gaiden]]'' (1993), and Nintendo's ''[[Tetris 2 (1993 video game)|Tetris 2]]'' (1993).<ref name=retrogamer>{{cite magazine |last=Crookes |first=David |title=The History of ''Tetris'' |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=September 2018 |issue=183 |pages=20–29}}</ref>
-===Game Boy and NES (1989–1996)===
+=== The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014) ===
-[[File:Tetris on Game Boy.jpg|thumb|upright|Tetris on a Nintendo [[Game&nbsp;Boy]]]]
+[[File:Tetris on an iPod.jpg|250px|thumb|A [[iPod classic|5th generation iPod]] running ''Tetris'' (2006)|alt=Refer to caption]]
-[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|The Game Boy version of ''Tetris'']] was released in Japan on June 14, 1989,<ref name="GameBoyJP">{{cite web|script-title=ja:ゲームボーイ |trans-title=Game Boy |language=ja |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/index.html |website=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317065341/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/index.html |archive-date=March 17, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and as a [[pack-in game]] in the United States on July 31, 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |last=Fahs |first=Travis |title=''IGN'' Presents the History of Game Boy |website=[[IGN]] |date=July 27, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2024 |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528083411/http://retro.ign.com/articles/100/1007864p3.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=226}} [[Tetris (NES video game)|The NES version]] was released the same year. Both versions achieved commercial success.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=379–380}} The Game Boy version was the primary game promoted for the Game Boy, becoming its [[killer app]],<ref name=polygon_gameboy/> generating $80 million in revenue,{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=343}} and popularizing both the Game Boy and ''Tetris''.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=226}}{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=10:58–11:06}} The Game Boy version is the most commercially successful and considered by many to be the best version of ''Tetris''.<ref name=cnn-history>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/tetris-video-game-history/index.html |last=Prisco |first=Jacopo |title=''Tetris'': The Soviet 'Mind Game' that Took Over the World |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2025 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101023959/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/tetris-video-game-history/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The NES version appeared on Nintendo's most popular games list for over a year.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|p=339}} To date, the Game Boy version has sold 35 million copies,<ref name=tetris-numbers/> and the NES version has sold 8 million copies.{{sfn|Temple|2004|loc=51:23}}
-Through the legal history of the license, Pajitnov gained a reputation in the West. He was regularly invited by journalists and publishers, through which he discovered that ''Tetris'' had sold millions of copies, from which he had not made any money. He took pride in the game, which he considered "an electronic ambassador of benevolence".{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=96}} In January 1990, Pajitnov was invited by Spectrum HoloByte to the Consumer Electronics Show, and he was immersed in American life for the first time.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=97}} After a period of adaptation, he explored American culture in several cities, including Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York City, and Boston. He engaged in interviews with several hosts, including the directors of Nintendo of America.{{sfn|Sheff|Eddy|1999|page=347}} He marveled at the freedom and the advantages of Western society and, upon returning to the Soviet Union, spoke often of his travels to his colleagues. He realized that there was no market in Russia for their programs.{{sfn|Ichbiah|2009|page=97}}
+The Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights to ''Tetris'' expired at the end of 1995, reverting back to Pajitnov.<ref name=cnn-history>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/tetris-video-game-history/index.html |last=Prisco |first=Jacopo |title=''Tetris'': The Soviet 'Mind Game' that Took Over the World |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2025 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101023959/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/tetris-video-game-history/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Worried that Elorg, which had become a private company under Belikov following the 1991 [[collapse of the Soviet Union]],{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=241}} would try to claim the rights, Pajitnov recruited Rogers to secure them. Rogers formed [[The Tetris Company]] as an equal partnership between Elorg and Rogers' new company, [[Blue Planet Software]]. Rogers acquired Elorg and renamed it [[Tetris Holding]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://time.com/2837390/tetris-at-30-pajitnov-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606141137/https://time.com/2837390/tetris-at-30-pajitnov-interview/ |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |interviewer=Matt Peckham |title=Tetris at 30: An Interview with the Historic Puzzle Game's Creator |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 6, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2014 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-man-who-won-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830150307/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-man-who-won-tetris |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title=The Man Who Won ''Tetris'' |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |date=September 9, 2009 |archive-date=August 30, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> Since its formation, the Tetris Company has maintained guidelines for authorized versions of ''Tetris'', and Blue Planet Software has served as an agent for the ''Tetris'' brand.<ref name=retrogamer/> The Tetris Company has also enforced its copyright of the ''Tetris'' game against unauthorized clones,<ref name="iphonePurge">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/tetris-co-strikes-again-another-iphone-app-clone-is-pulled/ |title=Tetris Co. Strikes Again: Another iPhone App Clone is Pulled |website=[[Ars Technica]] |last=Chartier |first=David |date=October 8, 2008 |access-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808232640/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/tetris-co-strikes-again-another-iphone-app-clone-is-pulled/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="androidPurge">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/google-blocks-tetris-clones-from-android-market/ |title=Google Blocks ''Tetris'' Clones from Android Market |website=[[Ars Technica]] |last=Ryan |first=Paul |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=June 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202210616/http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/google-blocks-tetris-clones-from-android-market/ |archive-date=December 2, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> such as in the 2012 case ''[[Tetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc.]]'', where a judge ruled that the iOS game ''Mino'' violated ''Tetris''{{'s}} copyright based on [[look and feel]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Mark |author-link=Game Maker's Toolkit |date=June 21, 2012 |title=Judge Declares iOS Tetris Clone 'Infringing' |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/wireduk-tetris-clone/ |access-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019163633/https://www.wired.com/2012/06/wireduk-tetris-clone/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-In 1991, with Rogers' help, Pajitnov and his family emigrated to Seattle, United States, where he worked as a freelance game designer.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=241}}<ref name=entertainmentweekly>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_entertainment-weekly_1991-05-03_64/page/12/mode/2up |last=Givens |first=Ron |title=Soviet Blocks Invade America |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=May 3, 1991 |issue=64 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref> During this time, Pajitnov worked on several sequels to ''Tetris''. ''[[Welltris]]'' (1990) involved adjusting geometrical pieces descending down one of four walls of a three-dimensional well, and ''[[Hatris]]'' (1990) and ''[[Faces...tris III]]'' (1991) replaced descending tetrominoes with hats and faces respectively.<ref name=retrogamer/> Though they generally received positive reviews and commercial success,<ref name=entertainmentweekly/> with ''Faces...Tris III'' winning "Best Action/Arcade Program" in the 1991 Excellence in Software Awards,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_83/page/n65/ |title=Celebrating Software |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |date=June 1991 |issue=83 |page=66 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> none replicated ''Tetris''{{'s}} success.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-tetris-inventor-gets-a-turn-at/164431581/ |last=Wlsosoczyn |first=Susan |title=''Tetris'' inventor gets a turn at the profit game |work=[[USA Today]] |date=May 9, 1996 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/why-tetris-creator-never-made-tetris-2/ |last=Byrd |first=Matthew |title=Why ''Tetris''{{'}} Creator Never Made Tetris 2 |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=February 4, 2025}}</ref> Other early variants of ''Tetris'' were developed without Pajitnov's involvement, including Spectrum Holobyte's ''[[Super Tetris]]'' (1991), Bullet-Proof Software's ''[[Tetris 2 + BomBliss]]'' (1991) and ''[[Tetris Battle Gaiden]]'' (1993), and Nintendo's ''[[Tetris 2 (1993 video game)|Tetris 2]]'' (1993).<ref name=retrogamer>{{cite magazine |last=Crookes |first=David |title=The History of ''Tetris'' |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=September 2018 |issue=183 |pages=20–29}}</ref>
+Pajitnov and Rogers sought to keep ''Tetris'' versions fresh, and innovated in new directions. ''[[Tetrisphere]]'', developed by H2O Entertainment and released on August 11, 1997, was an example of this innovation.<ref name=retrogamer/><ref>{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Helen |date=July 2, 1997 |title=''Tetrisphere'' Gets Rolling |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/02_tetris/index.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990504104718/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/02_tetris/index.html |archivedate=May 4, 1999 |accessdate=February 8, 2025 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> Gameplay involved rotating a three-dimensional sphere to place pieces on its surface. It was the first puzzle video game on the [[Nintendo 64]] and garnered a [[cult following]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/22/the-3dss-n64-encores |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831072220/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/22/the-3dss-n64-encores |last=Thomas |first=Lucas M. |title=The 3DS's N64 Encores |website=[[IGN]] |date=September 21, 2010 |archive-date=August 31, 2025 |access-date=February 10, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/tetris-game-spin-offs |last=Scullion |first=Chris |title=The ''Tetris'' Games No One Remembers |website=[[Red Bull Games]] |date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=February 10, 2025}}</ref> David Crookes of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' called ''Tetrisphere'' "proof that the concept could be modernised and tweaked, while still being faithful to the original".<ref name=retrogamer/> Another version on the Nintendo 64, the Japan-exclusive ''[[Tetris 64]]'' (1998), allowed for four players and was the only game to utilize the Nintendo 64's Bio Sensor, which detected a player's pulse.<ref name=retrogamer/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/06/nintendo-vitality-sensor/ |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=Nintendo 'Vitality Sensor' Already Appeared on N64 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=June 8, 2009 |access-date=February 10, 2025 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324012445/https://www.wired.com/2009/06/nintendo-vitality-sensor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On other platforms around this time, ''[[Tetris Plus]]'' (1996), ''[[Tetris DX]]'' (1998), and ''[[The Next Tetris]]'' (1999) added new game modes, and ''[[Tetris: The Grand Master]]'' (1998) was an arcade game targeted toward experienced players.<ref name=retrogamer/>
-===The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014)===
+According to Rogers, in order to appeal to beginner players, the Tetris Company started to incorporate features not in the original releases into the ''Tetris'' guidelines.<ref name="tftt"/> These features included the hold feature and ability to perform both soft drops and hard drops in ''[[The New Tetris]]'' in 1999,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=31:11–31:34}} the easy spin and super rotation system in ''[[Tetris Worlds]]'' in 2001,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=37:42–38:07}} and the scoring system introduced in ''Tetris DS'' in 2006.<ref name="polygon-tips" /> Critics panned ''Tetris Worlds'' for the easy spin mechanic, which allowed players to delay a piece's descent by continually rotating it. Despite the controversy and Pajitnov's reluctance, the mechanic was implemented into the ''Tetris'' guidelines.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Grannel |first=Craig |date=2021 |title=Queasy Spin |url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-100-playstation-games-to-play-before-you-die-3nd-edition/page/78/mode/2up |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |via=[[Internet Archive]] |page=78}}</ref><ref name="tftt" /> ''Tetris Worlds'' also introduced the super rotation system, defining how pieces are to rotate,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=37:42–38:07}} which most ''Tetris'' games have since used.<ref name="polygon-tips" />
-[[File:Tetris on an iPod.jpg|250px|thumb|A [[iPod classic|5th generation]] [[iPod]] running ''Tetris'' (2006)]]
-The Academy of Sciences' rights to ''Tetris'' expired at the end of 1995, reverting them back to Pajitnov. Worried that Elorg, which had become a private company under Belikov following the 1991 [[collapse of the Soviet Union]],{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=241}} would try to claim the rights, Pajitnov recruited Rogers to secure them. Rogers formed [[The Tetris Company]] as an equal partnership between Elorg and Rogers' new company, [[Blue Planet Software]]. Rogers acquired Elorg and renamed it [[Tetris Holding]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://time.com/2837390/tetris-at-30-pajitnov-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606141137/https://time.com/2837390/tetris-at-30-pajitnov-interview/ |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |interviewer=Matt Peckham |title=Tetris at 30: An Interview with the Historic Puzzle Game's Creator |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 6, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2014 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-man-who-won-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830150307/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-man-who-won-tetris |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title=The Man Who Won ''Tetris'' |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |date=September 9, 2009 |archive-date=August 30, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> Since formation, the Tetris Company has maintained guidelines for authorized versions of ''Tetris'', and Blue Planet Software has served as an agent for the ''Tetris'' brand.<ref name=retrogamer/> The Tetris Company has also enforced its copyright of ''Tetris'' against unauthorized clones,<ref name="iphonePurge">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/tetris-co-strikes-again-another-iphone-app-clone-is-pulled/ |title=Tetris Co. Strikes Again: Another iPhone App Clone is Pulled |website=[[Ars Technica]] |last=Chartier |first=David |date=October 8, 2008 |access-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808232640/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/tetris-co-strikes-again-another-iphone-app-clone-is-pulled/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="androidPurge">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/google-blocks-tetris-clones-from-android-market/ |title=Google Blocks ''Tetris'' Clones from Android Market |website=[[Ars Technica]] |last=Ryan |first=Paul |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=June 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202210616/http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/google-blocks-tetris-clones-from-android-market/ |archive-date=December 2, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> such as the 2012 case, ''[[Tetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc.]]'', where a judge ruled that ''Mino'' violated ''Tetris''{{'s}} copyright based on [[look and feel]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Mark |author-link=Game Maker's Toolkit |date=June 21, 2012 |title=Judge Declares iOS Tetris Clone 'Infringing' |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/wireduk-tetris-clone/ |access-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019163633/https://www.wired.com/2012/06/wireduk-tetris-clone/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Pajitnov and Rogers sought to keep ''Tetris'' fresh and innovated in new directions. ''[[Tetrisphere]]'', developed by H2O Entertainment and released on August 11, 1997, was an example of this innovation.<ref name=retrogamer/><ref>{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Helen |date=July 2, 1997 |title=''Tetrisphere'' Gets Rolling |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/02_tetris/index.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990504104718/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/02_tetris/index.html |archivedate=May 4, 1999 |accessdate=February 8, 2025 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> Gameplay involved rotating a three-dimensional sphere to place pieces on its surface. It was the first puzzle video game on the [[Nintendo 64]] and garnered a [[cult following]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/22/the-3dss-n64-encores |last=Thomas |first=Lucas M. |title=The 3DS's N64 Encores |website=[[IGN]] |date=September 21, 2010 |access-date=February 10, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/tetris-game-spin-offs |last=Scullion |first=Chris |title=The ''Tetris'' Games No One Remembers |website=[[Red Bull Games]] |date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=February 10, 2025}}</ref> David Crookes of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' called ''Tetrisphere'' "proof that the concept could be modernised and tweaked, while still being faithful to the original".<ref name=retrogamer/> Another game on the Nintendo 64, the Japan-exclusive ''[[Tetris 64]]'' (1998), allowed for four players and was the only game to utilize the Nintendo 64's Bio Sensor, which detected a player's pulse.<ref name=retrogamer/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/06/nintendo-vitality-sensor/ |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=Nintendo 'Vitality Sensor' Already Appeared on N64 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=June 8, 2009 |access-date=February 10, 2025 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324012445/https://www.wired.com/2009/06/nintendo-vitality-sensor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On other platforms around this time, ''[[Tetris Plus]]'' (1996), ''[[Tetris DX]]'' (1998), and ''[[The Next Tetris]]'' added new game modes, and ''[[Tetris: The Grand Master]]'' (1998) was an arcade game targeted toward experienced players.<ref name=retrogamer/>
+''Tetris'' was first released on mobile devices in 2001 by [[G-Mode]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jan/21/games-casual-gaming |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250110013147/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jan/21/games-casual-gaming |last=Stuart |first=Keith |title=''Tetris'' and ''Snake'' - The Biggest Games in the World |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 21, 2010 |archive-date=January 10, 2025 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> In 2002, Rogers formed Blue Lava Wireless to develop ''Tetris'' games for mobile platforms.<ref name="retrogamer" /> JAMDAT acquired Blue Lava Wireless in April 2005, granting the former a 15-year license of ''Tetris'' for mobile platforms.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jamdat-acquires-blue-lava-wireless |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525145218/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jamdat-acquires-blue-lava-wireless |last=Gibson |first=Ellie |title=Jamdat Acquires Blue Lava Wireless |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=April 22, 2005 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> By December 2005, when [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) started its acquisition of JAMDAT, ''Tetris'' had been consistently selling well on American carrier phones.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/08/ea-buys-jamdat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201043628/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/08/ea-buys-jamdat |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |title=EA Buys JAMDAT |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 8, 2005 |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> EA completed its acquisition in February 2006, granting it the mobile license for ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/ea-officially-completes-jamdat-acquisition |last=Carless |first=Simon |title=EA Officially Completes Jamdat Acquisition |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |date=February 14, 2006 |access-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926062612/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/ea-officially-completes-jamdat-acquisition |url-status=live }}</ref> [[EA Mobile]] released their [[Tetris (Electronic Arts)|mobile version of ''Tetris'']] as a launch game for the [[iTunes store]] on [[iPod 5G]] on September 11, 2006,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/16/ipod-game-review-central |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |title=iPod Game Review Central |website=[[IGN]] |date=September 15, 2006 |access-date=September 23, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923064816/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/16/ipod-game-review-central |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/185577/ea-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075859/https://www.macworld.com/article/185577/ea-2.html |last=Cohen |first=Peter |title=EA Has Four New iPod Games in the Pipeline |magazine=[[MacWorld]] |date=May 8, 2007 |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> and on the [[Apple App Store]] on [[iOS]] on July 10, 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/191429/eagames-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205233221/https://www.macworld.com/article/191429/eagames-2.html |last=Cohen |first=Peter |title=EA Announces iPhone Game Lineup |website=[[MacWorld]] |date=July 10, 2008 |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> By January 2010, EA's mobile releases reached 100 million paid downloads, making ''Tetris'' the most popular mobile game at the time.<ref name="wired-ea" />
-According to Rogers, in order to appeal to beginner players, the Tetris Company started to standardize features that were not in the original versions.<ref name="tftt"/> These features included the hold feature in ''[[The New Tetris]]'' in 1999, the easy spin and the super rotation system in ''[[Tetris Worlds]]'' in 2001, and the scoring system introduced in ''Tetris DS'' in 2006.<ref name="polygon-tips" /> Critics panned ''Tetris Worlds'' for the easy spin mechanic, which allowed players to delay a piece's descent by continually rotating it. Despite the controversy and Pajitnov's reluctance, the mechanic was implemented into the ''Tetris'' guidelines.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Grannel |first=Craig |date=2021 |title=Queasy Spin |url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-100-playstation-games-to-play-before-you-die-3nd-edition/page/78/mode/2up |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |via=[[Internet Archive]] |page=78}}</ref><ref name="tftt" /> Alongside the easy spin, ''Tetris Worlds'' introduced the super rotation system which defines how pieces rotate,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=37:42–38:07}} which most versions have used since.<ref name="polygon-tips" />
+=== Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present) ===
+[[File:Maya Rogers.jpg|thumb|upright|Maya Rogers (pictured in 2022) succeeded her father as CEO of Blue Planet Software in January 2014.|alt=A woman]]
-''Tetris'' was first ported to mobile devices in 2001 by [[G-Mode]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jan/21/games-casual-gaming |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250110013147/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jan/21/games-casual-gaming |last=Stuart |first=Keith |title=Tetris and Snake - The Biggest Games in the World |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 21, 2010 |archive-date=January 10, 2025 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> In 2002, Rogers formed Blue Lava Wireless to develop ''Tetris'' games for mobile platforms.<ref name="retrogamer" /> JAMDAT acquired Blue Lava Wireless in April 2005, granting them a 15-year license of ''Tetris'' for mobile platforms.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jamdat-acquires-blue-lava-wireless |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525145218/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jamdat-acquires-blue-lava-wireless |last=Gibson |first=Ellie |title=Jamdat Acquires Blue Lava Wireless |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=April 22, 2005 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> By December 2005 when [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) started its acquisition of JAMDAT, ''Tetris'' had been consistently selling well on American carrier phones.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/08/ea-buys-jamdat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201043628/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/08/ea-buys-jamdat |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |title=EA Buys JAMDAT |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 8, 2005 |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> EA completed its acquisition in February 2006, granting it the mobile license for ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/ea-officially-completes-jamdat-acquisition |last=Carless |first=Simon |title=EA Officially Completes Jamdat Acquisition |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |date=February 14, 2006 |access-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926062612/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/ea-officially-completes-jamdat-acquisition |url-status=live }}</ref> [[EA Mobile]] released their [[Tetris (Electronic Arts)|versions of ''Tetris'']] as a launch game for the [[iTunes store]] on [[iPod 5G]] on September 11, 2006,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/16/ipod-game-review-central |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |title=iPod Game Review Central |website=[[IGN]] |date=September 15, 2006 |access-date=September 23, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923064816/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/16/ipod-game-review-central |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/185577/ea-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075859/https://www.macworld.com/article/185577/ea-2.html |last=Cohen |first=Peter |title=EA Has Four New iPod Games in the Pipeline |magazine=[[MacWorld]] |date=May 8, 2007 |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> and on the [[Apple App Store]] on [[iOS]] on July 10, 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/191429/eagames-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205233221/https://www.macworld.com/article/191429/eagames-2.html |last=Cohen |first=Peter |title=EA announces iPhone game lineup |website=[[MacWorld]] |date=July 10, 2008 |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |access-date=February 7, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> By January 2010, EA's mobile versions reached 100 million paid downloads, making ''Tetris'' the most popular mobile game of all time.<ref name="wired-ea" /> EA's license expired on April 21, 2020, and the game became inoperable.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-22-ea-tetris-mobile-game.html |title=EA is Shutting Down its Mobile ''Tetris'' Games |last=Fisher |first=Christine |website=[[Engadget]] |date=January 22, 2020 |access-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123144654/https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-22-ea-tetris-mobile-game.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In January 2014, after eight years of involvement, Henk Rogers' daughter [[Maya Rogers|Maya]] succeeded him as the CEO of Blue Planet Software.{{efn|An October 2020 press release announced that Blue Planet Software was renamed to Tetris.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://tetris.com/article/241/call-us-tetris-blue-planet-software-the-sole-agent-for-the-tetris-brand-gets-new-name |title=Call Us Tetris! Blue Planet Software, the Sole Agent for the ''Tetris'' Brand Gets New Name |website=[[The Tetris Company]] |date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826205845/https://tetris.com/article/241/call-us-tetris-blue-planet-software-the-sole-agent-for-the-tetris-brand-gets-new-name |url-status=live }}</ref> To date, Henk is officially the president of the Tetris Company, while Maya is the president and CEO of Tetris, Inc.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tetris.com/bios |title=Corporate Bios |website=[[The Tetris Company]] |access-date=February 4, 2025 |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314123813/https://tetris.com/bios |url-status=live }}</ref>}} She began by planning activities for ''Tetris''{{'s}} 30th anniversary. In an interview with ''[[VentureBeat]]'' in June 2014, Maya spoke of her desire to expand ''Tetris''{{'s}} brand, such as through merchandising, and keeping the game fresh.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/after-three-decades-tetris-becomes-a-multigenerational-game/view-all/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928064546/https://venturebeat.com/games/after-three-decades-tetris-becomes-a-multigenerational-game/view-all/ |last=Rogers |first=Maya |author-link=Maya Rogers |title=After Three Decades, ''Tetris'' Becomes a Multigenerational Game |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=June 20, 2014 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sega]] released ''[[Puyo Puyo Tetris]]'', a crossover between ''Tetris'' and ''[[Puyo Puyo]]'', in Japan on February 6, 2014, for multiple platforms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://puyo.sega.jp/topics/2014/0206_02/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214180013/https://puyo.sega.jp/topics/2014/0206_02/index.html |title=『ぷよぷよテトリス』ダウンロードコンテンツ配信開始！ |trans-title=''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' Downloadable Content Now Available! |website=[[Sega]] |date=February 6, 2014 |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |language=Japanese}}</ref> ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' sold over 60,000 copies within a week, with the [[Nintendo 3DS]] port being the second-highest-selling game of the week according to ''[[4Gamer.net]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/117/G011794/20140212058/ |title=「ドラゴンクエストモンスターズ2 イルとルカの不思議なふしぎな鍵」が初登場44万3000本の「ゲームソフト週間販売ランキング＋」 |trans-title=''Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luka's Mysterious Key'' Debuts in the "Game Software Weekly Sales Ranking+" with 443,000 Copies Sold |website=[[4Gamer.net]] |date=February 12, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |archive-date=December 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241206040547/https://www.4gamer.net/games/117/G011794/20140212058/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Tetris Ultimate]]'' was released on the [[Nintendo 3DS]] in November 2014 and the [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] in December 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/87463/tetris-ultimate-stacks-onto-playstation-4-and-xbox-one-next-week |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225044044/http://www.shacknews.com/article/87463/tetris-ultimate-stacks-onto-playstation-4-and-xbox-one-next-week |last=Perez |first=Daniel |title=''Tetris Ultimate'' Stacks onto PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Next Week |website=[[Shacknews]] |date=December 12, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tetris Ultimate'' received mixed reviews, though the online multiplayer was generally seen favorably.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216030828/https://www.metacritic.com/game/tetris-ultimate/|id=tetris-ultimate|type=game|vgtype=3ds|title=Tetris Ultimate|archive-date=December 16, 2024|access-date=January 31, 2025|publisher_hide=y}}</ref><ref name=retrogamer/>
-===Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present)===
+In the late 2010s, the ''Tetris'' series had a resurgence in popularity with the release of ''[[Tetris Effect]]'' and ''[[Tetris 99]]''.{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name=gamesindustry-35th>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-rise-of-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006130012/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-rise-of-tetris |last=Dring |first=Christopher |title=How Everything Has Fallen into Place for ''Tetris'' |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=May 29, 2019 |archive-date=October 6, 2024 |access-date=February 3, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=pcmag-renaissance>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-tetris-renaissance-this-console-generations-most-unexpected-blessing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121121400/https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-tetris-renaissance-this-console-generations-most-unexpected-blessing |last=Wilson |first=Jeffrey L. |title=The ''Tetris'' Renaissance: This Console Generation's Most Unexpected Blessing |magazine=[[PCMag]] |date=February 25, 2019 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=February 3, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/110392/ctwc-pros-offer-tips-for-getting-better-at-tetris-99 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818112735/https://www.shacknews.com/article/110392/ctwc-pros-offer-tips-for-getting-better-at-tetris-99 |last=Singletary |first=Charles |title=CTWC Pros Offer Tips for Getting Better at ''Tetris 99'' |website=[[Shacknews]] |date=March 8, 2019 |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2019/2/13/18224042/tetris-99-nintendo-switch-free-download-release-battle-royale/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250827200300/https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2019/2/13/18224042/tetris-99-nintendo-switch-free-download-release-battle-royale/ |last=Miller |first=Ross |title=''Tetris'' Battle Royale Is Real and Free on Nintendo Switch Today |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=February 13, 2019 |archive-date=August 27, 2025 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/tetris-effect-pc-release-epic-games-store-vr-support/ |last=Singletary |first=Charles |title=''Tetris Effect'', No Longer a PS4 Exclusive, Hits Epic Games Store with VR support |website=[[Digital Trends]] |date=July 16, 2019 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |archive-date=July 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250722062726/https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/tetris-effect-pc-release-epic-games-store-vr-support/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vg247.com/tetris-99s-biggest-fan-is-the-father-of-tetris-himself-alexey-pajitnov |last=Oxford |first=Nadia |title=''Tetris 99''{{'s}} Biggest Fan Is The Father of Tetris Himself, Alexey Pajitnov |website=[[USGamer]] |date=January 10, 2020 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |via=[[VG247]] |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907001323/https://www.vg247.com/tetris-99s-biggest-fan-is-the-father-of-tetris-himself-alexey-pajitnov |url-status=live }}</ref>}} ''[[PCMag]]'' credited the resurgence to the 2017 release of ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' in the Western world,<ref name="pcmag-renaissance" /> where it received positive reviews and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide by November 2020.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208032731/https://www.metacritic.com/game/puyo-puyo-tetris/ |id=puyo-puyo-tetris |type=game |vgtype=nintendo-switch |title=Puyo Puyo Tetris |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |publisher_hide=y |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=siliconera-interview/> ''Tetris Effect'', developed by Monstars and Resonair and published by Enhance Games,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/28/tetris-becomes-even-more-addictive-tetris-effect/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128203707/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/28/tetris-becomes-even-more-addictive-tetris-effect/ |last=Byrd |first=Christopher |title=''Tetris'' Becomes Even More Addictive in ''Tetris Effect'' |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=November 28, 2018 |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> was released on the [[PlayStation 4]] on November 9, 2018,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-09-17-tetris-effect-release-date.html |last=Holt |first=Kris |title=''Tetris Effect'' Drops a Color Bomb on Your PS4 November 9th |website=[[Engadget]] |date=September 17, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109013555/https://www.engadget.com/2018-09-17-tetris-effect-release-date.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and on Windows on July 23, 2019,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/ps4/2019/7/23/20707102/tetris-effect-ps4-discount-price-sale |last=Hall |first=Charlie |title=''Tetris Effect'' for PS4 Discounted, Out Now on PC |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=July 23, 2019 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |archive-date=July 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723160441/https://www.polygon.com/ps4/2019/7/23/20707102/tetris-effect-ps4-discount-price-sale |url-status=live }}</ref> receiving widespread critical acclaim for its visuals and emotional impact.<ref name=gamesindustry-35th/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-effect-connected-coming-to-nintendo-switch-on-october-8/1100-6495048/ |last=Knezevic |first=Kevin |title=''Tetris Effect'': Connected Coming to Nintendo Switch on October 8 |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=August 11, 2021 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927010039/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-effect-connected-coming-to-nintendo-switch-on-october-8/1100-6495048/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/news/tetris-effect-connected-comes-to-ps5-with-psvr2-compatibility/436098/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126014128/https://hardcoregamer.com/news/tetris-effect-connected-comes-to-ps5-with-psvr2-compatibility/436098/ |last=Soto |first=Fran |title=''Tetris Effect'': Connected Comes to PS5 with PSVR2 Compatibility |website=[[Valnet|Hardcore Gamer]] |date=January 20, 2023 |archive-date=January 26, 2025 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tetris 99'' is a [[battle royale game|battle royale]] version of ''Tetris'' made available to subscribers of [[Nintendo Switch Online]] on February 13, 2019, upon its surprise announcement during [[Nintendo Direct]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18224020/tetris-99-battle-royale-nintendo-switch-fortnite |last=Alexander |first=Julia |title=''Tetris'' is Now a Battle Royale Game with ''Tetris 99'' |website=[[The Verge]] |date=February 13, 2019 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |archive-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214123830/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18224020/tetris-99-battle-royale-nintendo-switch-fortnite |url-status=live }}</ref> It received positive reviews and became Nintendo Switch Online's killer app;<ref name=gamesindustry-35th/><ref name=pcmag-renaissance/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/tetris_99_will_soon_have_a_tetris_battle_royale_rival |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603100705/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/tetris_99_will_soon_have_a_tetris_battle_royale_rival |last=Craddock |first=Ryan |title=''Tetris 99'' Will Soon Have a Tetris Battle Royale Rival |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=June 28, 2019 |archive-date=June 3, 2024 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> according to President of Nintendo [[Shuntaro Furukawa]], 2.8 million Nintendo Switch Online users played ''Tetris 99'' within a few months of release.<ref name=nintendolife-tetris99>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/9_8_million_switch_owners_have_signed_up_to_the_online_service_and_2_8_million_have_played_tetris_99 |last=Doolan |first=Liam |title=9.8 Million Switch Owners Have Signed Up to the Online Service and 2.8 Million Have Played ''Tetris 99'' |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=April 25, 2019 |access-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217213015/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/9_8_million_switch_owners_have_signed_up_to_the_online_service_and_2_8_million_have_played_tetris_99 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-[[File:Maya Rogers.jpg|thumb|upright|Maya Rogers (pictured in 2022) succeeded her father as CEO of Blue Planet Software in January 2014.]]
-In January 2014, after eight years of involvement, Henk Rogers' daughter [[Maya Rogers|Maya]] succeeded him as the CEO of Blue Planet Software.{{efn|An October 2020 press release announced that Blue Planet Software was renamed to Tetris.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://tetris.com/article/241/call-us-tetris-blue-planet-software-the-sole-agent-for-the-tetris-brand-gets-new-name |title=Call Us Tetris! Blue Planet Software, the Sole Agent for the Tetris Brand Gets New Name |website=[[The Tetris Company]] |date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826205845/https://tetris.com/article/241/call-us-tetris-blue-planet-software-the-sole-agent-for-the-tetris-brand-gets-new-name |url-status=live }}</ref> To date, Henk is officially the president of the Tetris Company, while Maya is the president and CEO of Tetris, Inc.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tetris.com/bios |title=Corporate Bios |website=[[The Tetris Company]] |access-date=February 4, 2025 |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314123813/https://tetris.com/bios |url-status=live }}</ref>}} She began by planning activities for ''Tetris''{{'s}} 30th anniversary. In an interview with ''[[VentureBeat]]'' in June 2014, Maya spoke of her desire to expand ''Tetris''{{'s}} brand, such as through merchandising, and keeping the game fresh.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/after-three-decades-tetris-becomes-a-multigenerational-game/view-all/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928064546/https://venturebeat.com/games/after-three-decades-tetris-becomes-a-multigenerational-game/view-all/ |last=Rogers |first=Maya |author-link=Maya Rogers |title=After Three Decades, ''Tetris'' Becomes a Multigenerational Game |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=June 20, 2014 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Her theme for the 30th anniversary was "We All Fit Together".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217234941/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/ |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |title=''Tetris'' Turns 30, Creator Says He Still Plays Every Week |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=June 6, 2014 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sega]] released ''[[Puyo Puyo Tetris]]'', a crossover between ''Tetris'' and ''[[Puyo Puyo]]'', in Japan on February 6, 2014, for multiple platforms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://puyo.sega.jp/topics/2014/0206_02/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214180013/https://puyo.sega.jp/topics/2014/0206_02/index.html |title=『ぷよぷよテトリス』ダウンロードコンテンツ配信開始！ |trans-title=''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' Downloadable Content Now Available! |website=[[Sega]] |date=February 6, 2014 |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |language=Japanese}}</ref> ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' sold over 60,000 copies within a week, with the [[Nintendo 3DS]] version being the second-highest-selling game of the week according to ''[[4Gamer.net]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/117/G011794/20140212058/ |title=「ドラゴンクエストモンスターズ2 イルとルカの不思議なふしぎな鍵」が初登場44万3000本の「ゲームソフト週間販売ランキング＋」 |trans-title=''Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luka's Mysterious Key'' Debuts in the "Game Software Weekly Sales Ranking+" with 443,000 Copies Sold |website=[[4Gamer.net]] |date=February 12, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |archive-date=December 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241206040547/https://www.4gamer.net/games/117/G011794/20140212058/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Tetris Ultimate]]'' was released on the [[Nintendo 3DS]] in November 2014 and the [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] in December 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/87463/tetris-ultimate-stacks-onto-playstation-4-and-xbox-one-next-week |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225044044/http://www.shacknews.com/article/87463/tetris-ultimate-stacks-onto-playstation-4-and-xbox-one-next-week |last=Perez |first=Daniel |title=''Tetris Ultimate'' Stacks onto PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Next Week |website=[[Shacknews]] |date=December 12, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> A PC port was released on December 2015, although initial user reviews reported frequent crashes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tetris-ultimate-pc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529080716/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tetris-ultimate-pc |last=O'Conner |first=Alice |title=Tetrominos To The Max! ''Tetris Ultimate'' Spins Onto PC |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |date=December 11, 2015 |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tetris Ultimate'' received mixed reviews but the online multiplayer was generally seen favorably.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216030828/https://www.metacritic.com/game/tetris-ultimate/|id=tetris-ultimate|type=game|vgtype=3ds|title=Tetris Ultimate|archive-date=December 16, 2024|access-date=January 31, 2025|publisher_hide=y}}</ref><ref name=retrogamer/>
-In the late 2010s, ''Tetris'' had a resurgence in popularity with the release of ''[[Tetris Effect]]'' and ''[[Tetris 99]]''.<ref name=gamesindustry-35th>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-rise-of-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006130012/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-rise-of-tetris |last=Dring |first=Christopher |title=How Everything has Fallen into Place for ''Tetris'' |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=May 29, 2019 |archive-date=October 6, 2024 |access-date=February 3, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=pcmag-renaissance>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-tetris-renaissance-this-console-generations-most-unexpected-blessing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121121400/https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-tetris-renaissance-this-console-generations-most-unexpected-blessing |last=Wilson |first=Jeffrey L. |title=The Tetris Renaissance: This Console Generation's Most Unexpected Blessing |magazine=[[PCMag]] |date=February 25, 2019 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=February 3, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/110392/ctwc-pros-offer-tips-for-getting-better-at-tetris-99 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818112735/https://www.shacknews.com/article/110392/ctwc-pros-offer-tips-for-getting-better-at-tetris-99 |last=Singletary |first=Charles |title=CTWC Pros Offer Tips for Getting Better at ''Tetris 99'' |website=[[Shacknews]] |date=March 8, 2019 |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[PCMag]]'' credited the resurgence to the 2017 release of ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' in the Western world where it received positive reviews and sold 1.4 copies worldwide by November 2020.<ref name="pcmag-renaissance" /><ref>{{Cite Metacritic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208032731/https://www.metacritic.com/game/puyo-puyo-tetris/ |id=puyo-puyo-tetris |type=game |vgtype=nintendo-switch |title=Puyo Puyo Tetris |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |access-date=January 31, 2025 |publisher_hide=y |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=siliconera-interview/> ''Tetris Effect'' was developed by Monstars and Resonair and published by Enhance Games.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/28/tetris-becomes-even-more-addictive-tetris-effect/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128203707/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/28/tetris-becomes-even-more-addictive-tetris-effect/ |last=Byrd |first=Christopher |title=''Tetris'' Becomes Even More Addictive in ''Tetris Effect'' |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=November 28, 2018 |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Development began around 2012 following a discussion between Henk and Enhance CEO [[Tetsuya Mizuguchi]] about creating a ''Tetris'' game set to music using [[virtual reality]] to reflect the feeling of being "in the zone" while playing ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/15/17465364/tetris-effect-preview-enhance-games-e3 |last=Stark |first=Chelsea |title=Tetris Effect Has Been in Development for 6 Years |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=June 15, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |archive-date=June 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615214308/https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/15/17465364/tetris-effect-preview-enhance-games-e3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2019/gaming/features/tetris-effects-development-was-anything-but-zen-like-1203169014/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724215337/https://variety.com/2019/gaming/features/tetris-effects-development-was-anything-but-zen-like-1203169014/ |last=Valdes |first=Giancarlo |title=''Tetris Effect''{{'s}} Development Was Anything but Zen-Like |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=March 21, 2019 |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tetris Effect'' was released on the [[PlayStation 4]] on November 9, 2018,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-09-17-tetris-effect-release-date.html |last=Holt |first=Kris |title=''Tetris Effect'' Drops a Color Bomb on Your PS4 November 9th |website=[[Engadget]] |date=September 17, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109013555/https://www.engadget.com/2018-09-17-tetris-effect-release-date.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and on Windows on July 23, 2019,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/ps4/2019/7/23/20707102/tetris-effect-ps4-discount-price-sale |last=Hall |first=Charlie |title=Tetris Effect for PS4 Discounted, Out Now on PC |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=July 23, 2019 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |archive-date=July 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723160441/https://www.polygon.com/ps4/2019/7/23/20707102/tetris-effect-ps4-discount-price-sale |url-status=live }}</ref> receiving widespread critical acclaim for its visuals and emotional impact.<ref name=gamesindustry-35th/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-effect-connected-coming-to-nintendo-switch-on-october-8/1100-6495048/ |last=Knezevic |first=Kevin |title=''Tetris Effect'': Connected Coming To Nintendo Switch On October 8 |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=August 11, 2021 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927010039/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-effect-connected-coming-to-nintendo-switch-on-october-8/1100-6495048/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/news/tetris-effect-connected-comes-to-ps5-with-psvr2-compatibility/436098/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126014128/https://hardcoregamer.com/news/tetris-effect-connected-comes-to-ps5-with-psvr2-compatibility/436098/ |last=Soto |first=Fran |title=''Tetris Effect'': Connected Comes to PS5 with PSVR2 Compatibility |website=[[Valnet|Hardcore Gamer]] |date=January 20, 2023 |archive-date=January 26, 2025 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tetris 99'' is a [[battle royale game|battle royale]] variant of ''Tetris'' made available to subscribers of [[Nintendo Switch Online]] on February 13, 2019, upon its surprise announcement during [[Nintendo Direct]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18224020/tetris-99-battle-royale-nintendo-switch-fortnite |last=Alexander |first=Julia |title=''Tetris'' is Now a Battle Royale Game with Tetris 99 |website=[[The Verge]] |date=February 13, 2019 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |archive-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214123830/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18224020/tetris-99-battle-royale-nintendo-switch-fortnite |url-status=live }}</ref> It received positive reviews and became Nintendo Switch Online's killer app;<ref name=gamesindustry-35th/><ref name=pcmag-renaissance/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/tetris_99_will_soon_have_a_tetris_battle_royale_rival |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603100705/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/tetris_99_will_soon_have_a_tetris_battle_royale_rival |last=Craddock |first=Ryan |title=''Tetris 99'' Will Soon Have A Tetris Battle Royale Rival |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=June 28, 2019 |archive-date=June 3, 2024 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> according to President of Nintendo [[Shuntaro Furukawa]], 2.8 million Nintendo Switch Online users played ''Tetris 99'' within a few months of release.<ref name=nintendolife-tetris99>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/9_8_million_switch_owners_have_signed_up_to_the_online_service_and_2_8_million_have_played_tetris_99 |last=Doolan |first=Liam |title=9.8 Million Switch Owners Have Signed Up To The Online Service And 2.8 Million Have Played ''Tetris 99'' |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=April 25, 2019 |access-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217213015/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/9_8_million_switch_owners_have_signed_up_to_the_online_service_and_2_8_million_have_played_tetris_99 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+EA announced in January 2020 that its license for mobile releases of ''Tetris'' would expire on April 21, 2020, with the game becoming inoperable as a result.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-22-ea-tetris-mobile-game.html |title=EA is Shutting Down its Mobile ''Tetris'' Games |last=Fisher |first=Christine |website=[[Engadget]] |date=January 22, 2020 |access-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123144654/https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-22-ea-tetris-mobile-game.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Video game developer N3twork subsequently released authorized mobile releases on the iOS and Android on January 23, 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/23/21078481/tetris-n3twork-android-ios-new-apps-ea-shutdown-puzzle-game |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250830183729/https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/23/21078481/tetris-n3twork-android-ios-new-apps-ea-shutdown-puzzle-game |last=Gartenberg |first=Chalm |title=''Tetris'' Returns to Android and iOS after EA's Version Shuts Down |website=[[The Verge]] |date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=August 30, 2025 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> These accumulated 30 million downloads before [[Social network game|social casino]] company PlayStudios acquired the rights to them in November 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/playstudios-exclusive-rightstetris-mobile-games/ |last=Orr |first=Aaron |title=Playstudios Acquires Exclusive Rights to Develop ''Tetris'' Mobile Games |website=[[PocketGamer.biz]] |date=November 30, 2021 |access-date=August 3, 2025 }}</ref> On March 28, 2023, Playstudios incorporated a playAwards [[loyalty program]] onto the ''Tetris'' mobile apps, allowing players to win points for playing ''Tetris'' that can be redeemed for real-life awards.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2023/03/28/playstudios-tetris-mobile-game-rewards-program/81162939007/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250901064424/https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2023/03/28/playstudios-tetris-mobile-game-rewards-program/81162939007/ |last=Broadwell |first=Josh |title=Mobile Game Maker Wants to Give You Things for Playing ''Tetris'' |work=[[USA Today]] |date=March 28, 2023 |archive-date=September 1, 2025 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Tetris Forever]]'', a compilation of ''Tetris'' games and [[interactive documentary]] developed by [[Digital Eclipse]], was released on November 12, 2024,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/11/24291537/tetris-forever-review-ps5-switch-pc-xbox |last=Webster |first=Andrew |title=Video Game History Falls into Place in ''Tetris Forever'' |website=[[The Verge]] |date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=August 9, 2025 |archive-date=July 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725073054/https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/11/24291537/tetris-forever-review-ps5-switch-pc-xbox |url-status=live }}</ref> to positive reviews for chronicling the history of ''Tetris''.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic|id=tetris-forever|type=game|title=Tetris Forever|access-date=August 9, 2025|publisher_hide=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/11/round-up-the-reviews-are-in-for-tetris-forever |last=Doolan |first=Liam |title=Round Up: The Reviews Are In for ''Tetris Forever'' |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=August 9, 2025 |archive-date=June 5, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250605062300/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/11/round-up-the-reviews-are-in-for-tetris-forever |url-status=live}}</ref>
-==Versions==
+== Versions ==
 {{main|List of Tetris variants|l1=List of ''Tetris'' variants}}
-''Tetris'' has been released on a multitude of platforms since the creation of the original version on the [[Elektronika 60]]. It is available on most game consoles, as well as personal computers, smartphones, and [[iPod]]s. ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' recognized ''Tetris'' as the most ported video game in history, with over 200 variants having appeared on over 65 different platforms as of October 2010.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 1, 2010 |title=Most Ported Computer Game |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/most-ported-computer-game/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223258/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/most-ported-computer-game/ |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |access-date=June 7, 2013 |website=[[Guinness World Records]]}}</ref> By 2017, this number had increased to 220 official variants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Most Variants of a Videogame|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86503-most-official-and-unofficial-variants-in-a-videogame|website=[[Guinness World Records]]|access-date=January 15, 2024|archive-date=January 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115121829/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86503-most-official-and-unofficial-variants-in-a-videogame|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Across its multiple versions, ''Tetris''{{'s}} core gameplay has remained consistent.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=268}} Since 1996, the Tetris Company has maintained annual standard specifications for authorized versions of ''Tetris''.<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref name="tftt">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/11267/tetris-from-the-top-an-interview-with-henk-rogers |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title=''Tetris'' from the Top: An Interview with Henk Rogers |interviewer=Jonathan Mett |website=Nintendo World Report |date=April 6, 2006 |access-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-date=March 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311043518/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/11267/tetris-from-the-top-an-interview-with-henk-rogers |url-status=live }}</ref> Pajitnov considers these guidelines a baseline for different versions and not "set in stone".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/a/e3-2014/tetris-ultimate |last=Leone |first=Matt |title=''Tetris Ultimate'': Making Tetris into a Virtual Sport |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=2014 |access-date=December 29, 2024 |archive-date=December 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229231003/https://www.polygon.com/a/e3-2014/tetris-ultimate |url-status=live }}</ref> Several game mechanics of ''Tetris'' have been changed over time. For example, the distribution of tetrominoes was completely randomized in early versions, while modern versions opt for a "bag system", in which each tetromino is guaranteed to appear in a set of seven.{{sfn|Plank|2022|pp=271–272}}{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=6:19–6:48}} Other mechanics that have become standardized in modern versions include the ability to hold tetrominoes to swap with later pieces, introduced in ''[[The New Tetris]]'' (1999),{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=31:24–31:34}} and the super rotation system and infinite spin, introduced in ''[[Tetris Worlds]]'' (2001).{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=37:42–38:07}}
+''Tetris'' has been released on a multitude of platforms since its initial creation. It is available on many game consoles, personal computers, smartphones, among other platforms. To date, ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' recognizes ''Tetris'' as the video game with the most ports, totaling over 220 versions across over 70 platforms.<ref>{{cite web|title=Most Variants of a Videogame|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86503-most-official-and-unofficial-variants-in-a-videogame|website=[[Guinness World Records]]|access-date=January 15, 2024|archive-date=January 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115121829/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/86503-most-official-and-unofficial-variants-in-a-videogame|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Most Ported Computer Game |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-ported-computer-game |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829084832/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-ported-computer-game |access-date=July 15, 2025 |website=[[Guinness World Records]] |archive-date=August 29, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Across its multiple versions, ''Tetris''{{'s}} core gameplay has remained consistent.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=268}} Since 1996, the Tetris Company has maintained annual standard specifications for authorized versions of ''Tetris''.<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref name="tftt">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/11267/tetris-from-the-top-an-interview-with-henk-rogers |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title=''Tetris'' from the Top: An Interview with Henk Rogers |interviewer=Jonathan Mett |website=Nintendo World Report |date=April 6, 2006 |access-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-date=March 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311043518/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/11267/tetris-from-the-top-an-interview-with-henk-rogers |url-status=live }}</ref> Pajitnov considers these guidelines a baseline for different versions and not "set in stone".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/a/e3-2014/tetris-ultimate |last=Leone |first=Matt |title=''Tetris Ultimate'': Making ''Tetris'' into a Virtual Sport |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=2014 |access-date=December 29, 2024 |archive-date=December 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229231003/https://www.polygon.com/a/e3-2014/tetris-ultimate |url-status=live }}</ref> Several game mechanics of ''Tetris'' have been changed over time. For example, the distribution of tetrominoes was completely randomized in early versions, while modern versions use a "bag system", in which each tetromino is guaranteed to appear once in a set of seven.{{sfn|Plank|2022|pp=271–272}}{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=6:19–6:48}} Other mechanics that have become standardized in modern versions include the ability to hold tetrominoes to swap with later pieces, introduced in ''[[The New Tetris]]'' (1999),{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=31:24–31:34}} and the super rotation system and infinite spin, introduced in ''[[Tetris Worlds]]'' (2001).{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=37:42–38:07}}
+The original Elektronica 60 version of ''Tetris'' had no music.{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=3:10}} Spectrum Holobyte's version of ''Tetris'' in the United States exoticized the Soviet origins through elements such as Russian music, including [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]'s "[[Trepak (The Nutcracker)|Trepak]]" from ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' and [[Reinhold Glière]]'s "[[Russian Sailor Dance]]" from ''[[The Red Poppy]]''. This approach differed from other versions of ''Tetris'' from other countries at the time: Mirrorsoft's Commodore 64 versions in Europe used an atmospheric soundtrack, and Sega's arcade version in Japan used a synthesized pop-influenced soundtrack.<ref name=soundtrack>{{cite journal |url=https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |last=Plank-Blasko |first=Dana |title='From Russia with Fun!': ''Tetris'', Korobeiniki and the Ludic Soviet |journal=The Soundtrack |volume=8 |issue=1–2 |date=October 2015 |pages=7–24 |doi=10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |access-date=November 15, 2024 |archive-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710081002/https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Nintendo's versions for NES and Game Boy continued the pattern of using Russian music. The NES version uses Tchaikovsky's "[[Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy]]" from ''The Nutcracker'' as Music A, with the Russian-influenced Music B and the mellow Music C having unclear origins.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |last=Gibbons |first=William |title=Blip, Bloop, Bach? Some Uses of Classical Music on the Nintendo Entertainment System |journal=Music and the Moving Image |date=Spring 2009 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=40–52 |doi=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |jstor=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |access-date=November 15, 2024 |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107053446/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The Game Boy version has the 1860s Russian folk tune "[[Korobeiniki]]" for Music A, an original composition by [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] for Music B, and the Menuet of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s ''[[French Suites (Bach)|French Suite no. 3]]'' for Music C.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=269}} "Korobeiniki" has become primarily associated with ''Tetris'' as its main theme and would be used in most significant versions within the series,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=97}}<ref name=soundtrack/> as mandated by the Tetris Company guidelines.<ref name=guardian020609/>
-The earliest versions of ''Tetris'' had no music.{{sfn|Pajitnov|Rogers|2023|loc=3:10}} Spectrum Holobyte's version of ''Tetris'' in the United States exoticized the Soviet origins through elements such as Russian music, including [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]'s "[[Trepak (The Nutcracker)|Trepak]]" from ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' and [[Reinhold Glière]]'s "[[Russian Sailor Dance]]" from ''[[The Red Poppy]]''. This approached differed from other versions of ''Tetris'' from other countries at the time: Mirrorsoft's Commodore 64 version in Europe used an atmospheric soundtrack, and Sega's arcade version in Japan used a synthesized pop-influenced soundtrack.<ref name=soundtrack>{{cite journal |url=https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |last=Plank-Blasko |first=Dana |title='From Russia with Fun!': Tetris, Korobeiniki and the Ludic Soviet |journal=The Soundtrack |volume=8 |issue=1–2 |date=October 2015 |pages=7–24 |doi=10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |access-date=November 15, 2024 |archive-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710081002/https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/st.8.1-2.7_1 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Nintendo's versions for NES and Game Boy continued the pattern of using Russian music. The NES version uses Tchaikovsky's "[[Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy]]" from ''The Nutcracker'' as Music A, with the Russian-influenced Music B and the mellow Music C having unclear origins.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |last=Gibbons |first=William |title=Blip, Bloop, Bach? Some Uses of Classical Music on the Nintendo Entertainment System |journal=Music and the Moving Image |date=Spring 2009 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=40–52 |doi=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |jstor=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |access-date=November 15, 2024 |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107053446/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The Game Boy version has the 1860s Russian folk tune "[[Korobeiniki]]" for Music A, an original composition by [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] for Music B, and the Menuet of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s ''[[French Suites (Bach)|French Suite no. 3]]'' for Music C.{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=269}} "Korobeiniki" has become primarily associated with ''Tetris'' as its main theme and would be used in most significant versions,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=97}}<ref name=soundtrack/> as mandated by the Tetris Company guidelines.<ref name=guardian020609/>
+== Reception ==
-== Reception and legacy==
 === Sales ===
 {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders mw-collapsible floatright"
@@ Line 160: / Line 163: @@
 |}
-In January 2010, EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software announced that the mobile versions of ''Tetris'' since 2005 had reached 100 million paid downloads, making it most-downloaded mobile game at the time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/tetris-is-the-most-popular-mobile-game-ever-100-million-paid-downloads-since-2005/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121002046/https://www.pocketgamer.biz/tetris-is-the-most-popular-mobile-game-ever-100-million-paid-downloads-since-2005/ |last=Spencer |first=Spanner |title=Tetris is the Most Popular Mobile Game Ever: 100 million Paid Downloads since 2005 |work=[[PocketGamer.biz]] |date=January 21, 2010 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=wired-ea>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/01/tetris-100-million-sold/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121003903/https://www.wired.com/2010/01/tetris-100-million-sold/ |last=Meyer |first=John |title=With 100M Downloads, Tetris is World's Hottest Mobile Game |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 22, 2010 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2014, Rogers announced in an interview with ''[[VentureBeat]]'' that ''Tetris'' totaled 425 million paid mobile downloads and 70 million physical copies.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/mr-tetris-explains-why-the-puzzle-game-is-still-popular-after-three-decades-interview/ |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title='Mr. Tetris' Explains Why the Puzzle Game is Still Popular after Three Decades |interviewer=Dean Takahashi |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=April 7, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026020856/https://venturebeat.com/games/mr-tetris-explains-why-the-puzzle-game-is-still-popular-after-three-decades-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=polygon-sales/> To date, the versions of ''Tetris'' collectively serve as the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|second-best-selling video game series of all time]], totaling 520 million sales according to The Tetris Company.<ref name=bbc-sales>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67105983 |last=Gerken |first=Tom |title=''Minecraft'' Becomes First Video Game to Hit 300m Sales |work=[[BBC]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823203213/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67105983 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=forbes-sales>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/10/16/minecraft-just-surpassed-300-million-sales-heres-the-only-video-game-still-beating-it/ |last=Nguyen |first=Britney |title=''Minecraft'' Just Surpassed 300 Million Sales—Here's the Only Video Game Still Beating it |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826003655/https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/10/16/minecraft-just-surpassed-300-million-sales-heres-the-only-video-game-still-beating-it/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The majority originate from paid mobile downloads, based on Rogers' figure from the 2014 interview.<ref name=polygon-sales>{{cite news |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5594314/tetris-has-passed-425-million-downloads-on-mobile-not-including-free |last=Corriea |first=Alexa Ray |title=''Tetris'' has Passed 425 Million Downloads on Mobile, Not Including Free-to-Play |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=April 8, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308145726/https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5594314/tetris-has-passed-425-million-downloads-on-mobile-not-including-free |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://gizmodo.com/minecraft-highest-selling-game-all-time-behind-tetris-1850929214 |last=Barr |first=Kyle |title=''Minecraft'' is the Highest-Selling Game of All Time, Behind ''Tetris'' |website=[[Gizmondo]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007222403/https://gizmodo.com/minecraft-highest-selling-game-all-time-behind-tetris-1850929214 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, some publications consider ''Tetris'' the [[best-selling video game of all time]].<ref name=bbc-sales/><ref name=forbes-sales/> The most successful version is the Game Boy version,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=11:10–11:13}} which at 35 million copies is among the best-selling video games of all time.<ref name=tetris-numbers/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-the-most-famous-version-of-tetris-is-35-today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241218204612/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-the-most-famous-version-of-tetris-is-35-today |last=McFerran |first=Damien |title=The Most Famous Version of ''Tetris'' Is 35 Today |website=TimeExtension |date=June 14, 2024 |archive-date=December 18, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024}}</ref>
+In January 2010, EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software announced that the mobile versions of ''Tetris'' released 2005 had reached 100 million paid downloads, making it most-downloaded mobile game at the time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/tetris-is-the-most-popular-mobile-game-ever-100-million-paid-downloads-since-2005/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121002046/https://www.pocketgamer.biz/tetris-is-the-most-popular-mobile-game-ever-100-million-paid-downloads-since-2005/ |last=Spencer |first=Spanner |title=''Tetris'' is the Most Popular Mobile Game Ever: 100 million Paid Downloads since 2005 |work=[[PocketGamer.biz]] |date=January 21, 2010 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=wired-ea>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/01/tetris-100-million-sold/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121003903/https://www.wired.com/2010/01/tetris-100-million-sold/ |last=Meyer |first=John |title=With 100M Downloads, ''Tetris'' is World's Hottest Mobile Game |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 22, 2010 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2014, Rogers announced in an interview with ''[[VentureBeat]]'' that ''Tetris'' totaled 425 million paid mobile downloads and 70 million physical copies.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/mr-tetris-explains-why-the-puzzle-game-is-still-popular-after-three-decades-interview/ |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title='Mr. Tetris' Explains Why the Puzzle Game is Still Popular after Three Decades |interviewer=Dean Takahashi |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=April 7, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026020856/https://venturebeat.com/games/mr-tetris-explains-why-the-puzzle-game-is-still-popular-after-three-decades-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=polygon-sales/> To date, all versions of ''Tetris'' collectively serve as the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|second-best-selling video game series of all time]], totaling 520 million sales according to The Tetris Company.<ref name=bbc-sales>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67105983 |last=Gerken |first=Tom |title=''Minecraft'' Becomes First Video Game to Hit 300m Sales |work=[[BBC]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823203213/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67105983 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=forbes-sales>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/10/16/minecraft-just-surpassed-300-million-sales-heres-the-only-video-game-still-beating-it/ |last=Nguyen |first=Britney |title=''Minecraft'' Just Surpassed 300 Million Sales—Here's the Only Video Game Still Beating it |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826003655/https://www.forbes.com/sites/britneynguyen/2023/10/16/minecraft-just-surpassed-300-million-sales-heres-the-only-video-game-still-beating-it/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The majority originate from paid mobile downloads, based on Rogers' figure from the 2014 interview.<ref name=polygon-sales>{{cite news |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5594314/tetris-has-passed-425-million-downloads-on-mobile-not-including-free |last=Corriea |first=Alexa Ray |title=''Tetris'' has Passed 425 Million Downloads on Mobile, Not Including Free-to-Play |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=April 8, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308145726/https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5594314/tetris-has-passed-425-million-downloads-on-mobile-not-including-free |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://gizmodo.com/minecraft-highest-selling-game-all-time-behind-tetris-1850929214 |last=Barr |first=Kyle |title=''Minecraft'' is the Highest-Selling Game of All Time, Behind ''Tetris'' |website=[[Gizmondo]] |date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007222403/https://gizmodo.com/minecraft-highest-selling-game-all-time-behind-tetris-1850929214 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some publications consider ''Tetris'' the [[best-selling video game of all time]] due to these figures,<ref name=forbes-sales/> though [[BBC]] disputes this claim due to differences between the versions, including on mobile platforms.<ref name=bbc-sales/> The most commercially successful version is the Game Boy version,{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=11:10–11:13}} which at 35 million copies is among the best-selling video games of all time.<ref name=tetris-numbers/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-the-most-famous-version-of-tetris-is-35-today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241218204612/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/06/anniversary-the-most-famous-version-of-tetris-is-35-today |last=McFerran |first=Damien |title=The Most Famous Version of ''Tetris'' Is 35 Today |website=TimeExtension |date=June 14, 2024 |archive-date=December 18, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024}}</ref> By 1996, the original had sold nearly 40 million copies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lynch |first=Stephen |date=14 April 1996 |title=A bevy of new video games follow an old lesson: Keep it simple, stupid. |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-apr-14-1996-p-216/ |work=Santa Ana Orange County Register |pages=216}}</ref>
 === Accolades ===
-''Tetris'' quickly began winning awards once it was released in the West. The Spectrum HoloByte version won three [[Software Publishers Association]] Excellence in Software Awards in 1989, including Best Entertainment Program and the Critic's Choice Award for consumers.<ref name="scisco198908">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/1989-08-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_111_1989_Aug#page/n7/mode/2up | title=the Envelope, Please | work=Compute! | date=August 1989 | access-date=November 11, 2013 | author=Scisco, Peter | page=6 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316211940/https://archive.org/stream/1989-08-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_111_1989_Aug#page/n7/mode/2up | archive-date=March 16, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''Macworld'' inducted ''Tetris'' into the 1988 [[Macworld#Game Hall of Fame|''Macworld'' Game Hall of Fame]] in the Best Strategy Game category. ''Macworld'' praised "the addictive quality" and said its "simplicity is bewitching."<ref>{{cite magazine| last = Levy| first = Steven | date = December 1988 | title = The Game Hall of Fame | url = https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8812_December_1988/page/n127/mode/2up | magazine = Macworld| location = San Francisco, CA | volume = 5 | number = 12 | page = 124 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' gave ''Tetris'' the 1989 Compute! Choice Award for Arcade Game, describing it as "by far, the most addictive game ever".<ref name="compute198901">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/1989-01-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_104_1989_Jan#page/n25/mode/2up | title=The 189 Compute! Choice Awards | work=Compute! | date=January 1989 | access-date=November 10, 2013 | page=24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316200847/https://archive.org/stream/1989-01-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_104_1989_Jan#page/n25/mode/2up | archive-date=March 16, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named it the eighth-greatest game available in 1991, saying: "Thanks to Nintendo's endless promotion, ''Tetris'' has become one of the most popular video games."<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ | title=Video Games Guide | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | access-date=September 9, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219184932/http://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ | archive-date=February 19, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref>
+''Tetris'' has garnered accolades and awards since its initial commercial release. The Spectrum HoloByte version won three [[Software Publishers Association]] Excellence in Software awards in 1989, including Best Entertainment Program and the Critic's Choice Award for consumers.<ref name="scisco198908">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/1989-08-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_111_1989_Aug#page/n7/mode/2up | title=The Envelope, Please | work=[[Compute!]] | date=August 1989 | access-date=November 11, 2013 | author=Scisco, Peter | page=6 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316211940/https://archive.org/stream/1989-08-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_111_1989_Aug#page/n7/mode/2up | archive-date=March 16, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''Macworld'' inducted ''Tetris'' into the 1988 [[Macworld#Game Hall of Fame|''Macworld'' Game Hall of Fame]] in the Best Strategy Game category. ''Macworld'' praised "the addictive quality" and said its "simplicity is bewitching",<ref>{{cite magazine| last = Levy| first = Steven | date = December 1988 | title = The Game Hall of Fame | url = https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8812_December_1988/page/n127/mode/2up | magazine = [[Macworld]] | volume = 5 | number = 12 | page = 124 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and ''[[Compute!]]'' gave ''Tetris'' the 1989 Choice Award for Arcade Game, describing it as "by far, the most addictive game ever".<ref name="compute198901">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/1989-01-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_104_1989_Jan#page/n25/mode/2up | title=The 1989 ''Compute!'' Choice Awards | work=[[Compute!]] | date=January 1989 | access-date=November 10, 2013 | page=24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316200847/https://archive.org/stream/1989-01-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_104_1989_Jan#page/n25/mode/2up | archive-date=March 16, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named the NES version the eighth-greatest game available for sale in 1991, saying: "Thanks to Nintendo's endless promotion, ''Tetris'' has become one of the most popular video games."<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ |last=Strauss |first=Bob |title=Video Games Guide |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 22, 1991 |access-date=September 9, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219184932/http://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ | archive-date=February 19, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref>
-''Tetris'' has been widely ranked as among the [[greatest video games of all time]] by ''[[Flux (magazine)|Flux]]'' (1995),<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n27/mode/2up |magazine=Flux |issue=4 |pages=28 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' (1996 and 1999),<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1996|page=71}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 50 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=50 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1999|page=81}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' (1997),<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=100 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=November 1997|page=160}} Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article (on page 100) explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]'' (2000),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/39.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000612005703/http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/39.html |title=The 100 Games of the Millennium - 39. ''Tetris'' |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=January 2, 2000 |archive-date=June 12, 2000 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' (2001 and 2009),<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Informer's Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100) |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |last=Cork |first=Jeff |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=December 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408113757/http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |archive-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="gi_best">{{cite magazine|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|pages=44–79|issue= 200|date=December 2009|magazine=Game Informer|issn=1067-6392|oclc=27315596}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' (2007 and 2021),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_2.html |title=IGN Top 100 Games of All Time – 2007 |publisher=Top100.ign.com |access-date=November 22, 2012|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107133844/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_2.html|archive-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time |last=Sullivan |first=Meghan |title=The Top 100 Video Games of All Time - 28. ''Tetris'' |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 31, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=December 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231162533/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (2012 and 2016),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/tetris-1984/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221840/http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/tetris-1984/ |title=All-TIME 100 Video Games - ''Tetris'' |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=November 15, 2012 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |title=The 50 Best Video Games of All Time |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=August 23, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924045255/http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' (2015 and 2021),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-ever/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319223433/http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-ever/ |title=The 100 best games ever |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=February 25, 2015 |archive-date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-of-all-time/ |title=The 50 best games of all time |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=November 23, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=November 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001852/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-of-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' (2017),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/12/1/16707720/the-500-best-games-of-all-time-100-1 |title=The 500 best games of all time: 100-1 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=December 1, 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201191206/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/12/1/16707720/the-500-best-games-of-all-time-100-1 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'' (2022 and 2024),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games |title=The 100 best video games of all time, ranked |work=[[USA Today]] |date=September 10, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910130936/https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games-all-time-list-zelda-mario |title=A definitive ranking of the top 30 video games of all time |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 26, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128103906/https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games-all-time-list-zelda-mario |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Times]]'' (2023),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/20-best-video-games-of-all-time-ranked-by-an-expert-jury-l5zgrxmw8 |last=Pebble |first=Lucy |title=20 best video games of all time — 4. ''Tetris'' |work=[[The Times]] |date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=October 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009184503/https://www.thetimes.com/article/20-best-video-games-of-all-time-ranked-by-an-expert-jury-l5zgrxmw8 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[GQ]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-10 |title=The 100 greatest video games of all time, ranked by experts |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=British GQ |language=en-GB |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510142624/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Tetris'' has also been ranked as among the best computer games by ''[[PC Format]]'' (1991)<ref name=pcformat50>{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=[[PC Format]] | title=The 50 best games EVER! |date=October 1991 | issue=1 | pages=109–111 }}</ref> and ''Computer Gaming World'' (1996),<ref name="cgw199611mostinnovative">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 | title=The 15 Most Innovative Computer Games | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1996 | access-date=March 25, 2016 | pages=102 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408023915/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 | archive-date=April 8, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> among the best video game franchises by ''IGN'' (2006)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/05/the-top-25-videogame-franchises |title=The Top 25 Videogame Franchises |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 4, 2006 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226223358/http://ps3.ign.com/articles/749/749069p4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Den of Geek]]'' (2024),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/35-best-video-game-franchises-ever/ |last=Jasper |first=Gavin |title=35 Best Video Game Franchises Ever: 22. ''Tetris'' |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=May 27, 2024 |access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref> and among the most influential games of all time by ''[[GamePro]]'' (2007),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110068/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-4-of-8/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913085022/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110068/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-4-of-8/ |last=Fatt |first=Boba |title=The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 4 of 8) |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=April 25, 2007 |archive-date=September 13, 2008 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''IGN'' (2007),<ref name=ign-importance>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/11/igns-top-10-most-influential-games |last1=Geddes |first1=Ryan |last2=Hatfield |first2=Daemon |title=IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 10, 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''[[1Up.com]]'' (2010),<ref name=1up-importance>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104160239/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tetris  |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |title=Essential 50: ''Tetris'' |website=[[1Up.com]] |date=2010 |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''GamesRadar+'' (2013),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/3/ |last=Loveridge |first=Sam |title=The 50 most important games of all time |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=April 12, 2013 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204102214/https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[The Guardian]]'' (2017).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gallery/2017/may/16/the-10-most-influential-video-games-of-all-time |last=Stuart |first=Keith |title=The 10 most influential video games of all time – in pictures |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref>
+''Tetris'' is widely considered among the [[greatest video games of all time]],{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=6}} being ranked as such by ''[[Flux (magazine)|Flux]]'' (1995),<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n27/mode/2up |magazine=[[Flux (magazine)|Flux]] |issue=4 |pages=28 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' (1996 and 1999),<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=21 |date=September 1996|page=71}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 50 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=50 |date=February 1999|page=81}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' (1997),<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=100 |date=November 1997 |page=160}}</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]'' (2000),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/39.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000612005703/http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/39.html |title=The 100 Games of the Millennium - 39. ''Tetris'' |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=January 2, 2000 |archive-date=June 12, 2000 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' (2001 and 2009),<ref>{{cite magazine |title=''Game Informer''{{'s}} Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100) |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |last=Cork |first=Jeff |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=December 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408113757/http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |archive-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="gi_best">{{cite magazine|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|pages=44–79|issue=200|date=December 2009|magazine=Game Informer}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' (2007 and 2021),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_2.html |title=''IGN'' Top 100 Games of All Time|website=[[IGN]] |access-date=November 22, 2012|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107133844/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_2.html|archive-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time |last=Sullivan |first=Meghan |title=The Top 100 Video Games of All Time - 28. ''Tetris'' |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 31, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=December 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231162533/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (2012 and 2016),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/tetris-1984/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221840/http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/tetris-1984/ |title=All-Time 100 Video Games - ''Tetris'' |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=November 15, 2012 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |title=The 50 Best Video Games of All Time |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=August 23, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924045255/http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' (2015 and 2021),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-ever/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319223433/http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-ever/ |title=The 100 Best Games Ever |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=February 25, 2015 |archive-date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-of-all-time/ |title=The 50 Best Games of All Time |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=November 23, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=November 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001852/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-of-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' (2017),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/12/1/16707720/the-500-best-games-of-all-time-100-1 |title=The 500 Best Games of All Time: 100–1 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=December 1, 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201191206/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/12/1/16707720/the-500-best-games-of-all-time-100-1 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'' (2022 and 2024),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games |title=The 100 Best Video Games of All Time, Ranked |work=[[USA Today]] |date=September 10, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910130936/https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games-all-time-list-zelda-mario |title=A Definitive Ranking of the Top 30 Video Games of All Time |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 26, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128103906/https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-games-all-time-list-zelda-mario |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Times]]'' (2023),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/20-best-video-games-of-all-time-ranked-by-an-expert-jury-l5zgrxmw8 |last=Pebble |first=Lucy |title=20 Best Video Games of All Time — 4. ''Tetris'' |work=[[The Times]] |date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=October 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009184503/https://www.thetimes.com/article/20-best-video-games-of-all-time-ranked-by-an-expert-jury-l5zgrxmw8 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[GQ]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 10, 2023 |title=The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time, Ranked by Experts |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=[[GQ]] |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510142624/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Tetris'' has also been ranked as among the best computer games by ''[[PC Format]]'' (1991)<ref name=pcformat50>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PC Format]] | title=The 50 Best Games Ever! |date=October 1991 | issue=1 | pages=109–111 }}</ref> and ''Computer Gaming World'' (1996),<ref name="cgw199611mostinnovative">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 | title=The 15 Most Innovative Computer Games | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | date=November 1996 | access-date=March 25, 2016 | pages=102 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408023915/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 | archive-date=April 8, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> among the best video game franchises by ''IGN'' (2006)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/05/the-top-25-videogame-franchises |title=The Top 25 Videogame Franchises |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 4, 2006 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226223358/http://ps3.ign.com/articles/749/749069p4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Den of Geek]]'' (2024),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/35-best-video-game-franchises-ever/ |last=Jasper |first=Gavin |title=35 Best Video Game Franchises Ever: 22. ''Tetris'' |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=May 27, 2024 |access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref> and among the most influential games of all time by ''[[GamePro]]'' (2007),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110068/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-4-of-8/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913085022/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110068/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-4-of-8/ |last=Fatt |first=Boba |title=The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (Page 4 of 8) |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=April 25, 2007 |archive-date=September 13, 2008 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''IGN'' (2007),<ref name=ign-importance>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/11/igns-top-10-most-influential-games |last1=Geddes |first1=Ryan |last2=Hatfield |first2=Daemon |title=''IGN''{{'s}} Top 10 Most Influential Games |website=[[IGN]] |date=December 10, 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''[[1Up.com]]'' (2010),<ref name=1up-importance>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tetris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104160239/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tetris  |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |title=Essential 50: ''Tetris'' |website=[[1Up.com]] |date=2010 |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref> ''GamesRadar+'' (2013),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/3/ |last=Loveridge |first=Sam |title=The 50 Most Important Games of All Time |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=April 12, 2013 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204102214/https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[The Guardian]]'' (2017).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gallery/2017/may/16/the-10-most-influential-video-games-of-all-time |last=Stuart |first=Keith |title=The 10 Most Influential Video Games of All Time – In Pictures |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref>
-''Tetris'' has been inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of the following publications: ''Computer Gaming World'' (1999),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_177/ |title=Hall of Fame — New Inductees - ''Tetris'' (Spectrum Holobyte 1988) |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |date=April 1999 |issue=177 |page=237 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[GameSpy]]'' (2000),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/tetris_a.shtm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040706010318/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/tetris_a.shtm |title=The ''Gamespy'' Hall of Fame - ''Tetris'' |website=[[Gamespy]] |date=July 2000 |archive-date=July 6, 2004 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> ''GameSpot'' (2003),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209081517/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-8.html |title=They'll Keep Playing It Long After All of Us Are Dead |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=July 2, 2003 |archive-date=December 9, 2008 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> and ''IGN'' (2007).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://games.ign.com/halloffame/tetris.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506042038/http://games.ign.com/halloffame/tetris.html |title=''IGN'' Hall of Fame - ''Tetris'' |date=2007 |archive-date=May 6, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> ''Tetris'' was listed as part of the [[game canon]], announced at the 2007 [[Game Developers Conference]] by Henry Lowood of [[Stanford University]] as a list of ten games to be considered for preservation by the [[Library of Congress]], modeled after the [[National Film Preservation Board]] .<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink|title=Is That Just Some Game? No, It's a Cultural Artifact|newspaper=[[nytimes.com]]|first=HEATHER|last=CHAPLIN|date=March 12, 2007|access-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204212137/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink|archive-date=December 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Joystiq">{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |title=10 most important video games of all time, as judged by 2 designers, 2 academics, and 1 lowly blogger |last=Ransom-Wiley |first=James |publisher=Joystiq |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422035847/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |archive-date=April 22, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2012/09/yes-the-library-of-congress-has-video-games-an-interview-with-david-gibson/ |title=Yes, The Library of Congress Has Video Games: An Interview with David Gibson |date=September 26, 2012 |access-date=January 18, 2013 |publisher=blogs.loc.gov |first=Trevor |last=Owens |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205100245/http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2012/09/yes-the-library-of-congress-has-video-games-an-interview-with-david-gibson/ |archive-date=December 5, 2013 }}</ref> In November 2012, the [[Museum of Modern Art]] acquired ''Tetris'', along with thirteen other video games, to display.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/05/moma-video-games/ |last=Moore |first=Bo |title='All Hell Broke Loose': Why MoMA Is Exhibiting Tetris and Pac-Man |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=May 30, 2013 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908160501/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/mar/01/video-games-art-moma-exhibition |url-status=live }}</ref> As part of the 2015 inaugural class, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Tetris'' into the [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]] for its iconic nature.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33005297 |title=Pong and Doom enter first video game Hall of Fame |work=[[BBC]] |date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=July 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703135721/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33005297 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+''Tetris'' has been inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of the following publications: ''Computer Gaming World'' (1999),<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_177/ |title=Hall of Fame — New Inductees: ''Tetris'' (Spectrum Holobyte 1988) |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |date=April 1999 |issue=177 |page=237 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[GameSpy]]'' (2000),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/tetris_a.shtm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040706010318/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/tetris_a.shtm |title=The ''Gamespy'' Hall of Fame - ''Tetris'' |website=[[Gamespy]] |date=July 2000 |archive-date=July 6, 2004 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> ''GameSpot'' (2003),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209081517/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-8.html |title=They'll Keep Playing It Long After All of Us Are Dead |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=July 2, 2003 |archive-date=December 9, 2008 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> and ''IGN'' (2007).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://games.ign.com/halloffame/tetris.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506042038/http://games.ign.com/halloffame/tetris.html |title=''IGN'' Hall of Fame - ''Tetris'' |date=2007 |archive-date=May 6, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> At the 2007 [[Game Developers Choice Awards]], Pajitnov won the First Penguin Award, known afterward as the Pioneer Award, for pioneering casual gaming through ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/45731/gdca-to-honor-miyamoto-pajitnov |last=Remo |first=Chris |title=GDCA to Honor Miyamoto, Pajitnov, 'The Fat Man' Sanger, Costikyan |website=[[Shacknews]] |date=February 13, 2007 |access-date=August 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamechoiceawards.com/archive-gdca-2007/ |title=Archive: 7th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards |website=[[Game Developers Choice Award]] |access-date=August 1, 2025 |archive-date=June 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622181021/https://gamechoiceawards.com/archive-gdca-2007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Tetris'' was listed as part of the [[game canon]], announced at the 2007 [[Game Developers Conference]] by Henry Lowood of [[Stanford University]] as a list of ten games to be considered for preservation by the [[Library of Congress]], modeled after the [[National Film Preservation Board]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink|title=Is That Just Some Game? No, It's a Cultural Artifact|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Heather|last=Chaplin|date=March 12, 2007|access-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204212137/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink|archive-date=December 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Joystiq">{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |title=10 Most Important Video Games of All Time, As Judged By 2 Designers, 2 Academics, and 1 Lowly Blogger |last=Ransom-Wiley |first=James |website=[[Joystiq]] |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422035847/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ |archive-date=April 22, 2014 }}</ref> In November 2012, the [[Museum of Modern Art]] acquired ''Tetris'', along with thirteen other video games, to display.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/05/moma-video-games/ |last=Moore |first=Bo |title='All Hell Broke Loose': Why MoMA Is Exhibiting ''Tetris'' and ''Pac-Man'' |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=May 30, 2013 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908160501/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/mar/01/video-games-art-moma-exhibition |url-status=live }}</ref> As part of the 2015 inaugural class, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Tetris'' into the [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]] for its iconic nature.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33005297 |title=''Pong'' and ''Doom'' Enter First Video Game Hall of Fame |work=[[BBC]] |date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=July 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703135721/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33005297 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-===Industry impact===
+== Legacy ==
-Due to Rogers and Nintendo's belief in its potential for mass appeal, ''Tetris'' was the pack-in game and the primary game promoted for the Game Boy in the United States. The resulting public anticipation led ''Tetris'' to become the Game Boy's main draw,<ref name=polygon_gameboy>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/19/18295061/game-boy-history-timeline-tetris-pokemon-nintendo |last=Moss |first=Richard |title=How Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, Tetris, and Pokémon to the West |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419200933/https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/19/18295061/game-boy-history-timeline-tetris-pokemon-nintendo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thirty-years-ago-game-boy-changed-way-america-played-video-games-180972743/ |last=Kindy |first=David |title=Thirty Years Ago, Game Boy Changed the Way America Played Video Games |website=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] |date=July 29, 2019 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203235816/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thirty-years-ago-game-boy-changed-way-america-played-video-games-180972743/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with many, including non-gamers, buying the Game Boy specifically to play ''Tetris''. This release simultaneously contributed to both the popularity of ''Tetris'' and the Game Boy,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=226–228}}{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=10:58–11:06}} with the bundle selling out in its initial run of a million copies shortly after release.<ref name=polygon_gameboy/> This success established Nintendo's dominant position in the [[handheld gaming]] market, setting a standard that competitors struggled to replicate.<ref name=1up-importance/><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/goldenageofvideo0000dill/ |last=Dillon |first=Roberto |title=The Golden Age of Video Games: The Birth of a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |date=2011 |pages=164–165|isbn=978-1-4398-7323-6 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name=venturebeat-125>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |author-link=Dean Takahashi |title=After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies |website=[[Venture Beat]] |date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-''Tetris'' is influential in the genre of [[puzzle video games]].<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=retrogamer-2013>{{cite magazine |last=Crookes |first=David |title=Brain Strain: A Bluffler's Guide to Puzzle Games |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=119 |date=September 2013 |pages=38–45}}</ref> Commentators have considered ''Tetris'' an early example of a [[casual game]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=financialtimes>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3c6d8cae-d22b-465d-982d-981c6477582f |last=Faber |first=Tom |title=Tetris — how a game of logic took over our minds |magazine=[[Financial Times]] |date=September 7, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name=wired-addictive>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/06/tetris/ |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=<cite>Tetris</cite> Turns 25, and It's Still an Addictive Pleasure |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=June 4, 2009 |access-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430061158/https://www.wired.com/2009/06/tetris/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/casualrevolution0000juul/ |last=Juul |first=Jesper |title=A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |date=2010 |isbn=9780262013376 |pages=27 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=291}}}} ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' deemed ''Tetris'' unique for its time given its appeal to players regardless of gender and age,<ref name=wired-addictive/> and ''1Up.com'' credits ''Tetris'' for establishing a market for puzzle video games with universal appeal.<ref name=1up-importance/> Various common elements of puzzle games, such as managing pieces over a fixed screen, originated from ''Tetris'',<ref name=ign-importance/> and multiple clones have been created to replicate ''Tetris''{{'s}} popularity.{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=296}} Video games influenced by ''Tetris'' include Nintendo's ''[[Dr. Mario]]'' (1990), Sega's ''[[Columns (video game)|Columns]]'' (1990), [[Compile (company)|Compile]]'s ''[[Puyo Puyo (video game)|Puyo Puyo]]'' (1991), [[Taito]]'s ''[[Puzzle Bobble]]'' (1994), and [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo]]'' (1996).{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=1up-importance/><ref name=retrogamer-2013/>{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=296–297}}}}
+=== Industry impact ===
+Due to Rogers and Nintendo's belief in its potential for mass appeal, ''Tetris'' was the pack-in game and the primary game promoted for the Game Boy in the United States. The resulting public anticipation led ''Tetris'' to become the Game Boy's main draw,<ref name=polygon_gameboy>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/19/18295061/game-boy-history-timeline-tetris-pokemon-nintendo |last=Moss |first=Richard |title=How Nintendo Introduced the Game Boy, ''Tetris'', and ''Pokémon'' to the West |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419200933/https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/19/18295061/game-boy-history-timeline-tetris-pokemon-nintendo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thirty-years-ago-game-boy-changed-way-america-played-video-games-180972743/ |last=Kindy |first=David |title=Thirty Years Ago, Game Boy Changed the Way America Played Video Games |website=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] |date=July 29, 2019 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203235816/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thirty-years-ago-game-boy-changed-way-america-played-video-games-180972743/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Goldberg|2011|p=87}} with many, including non-gamers, buying the Game Boy specifically to play ''Tetris''. This release simultaneously contributed to both the popularity of the ''Tetris'' game and the Game Boy,{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=226–228}}{{sfn|Linneman|2018|loc=10:58–11:06}}<ref name=latimes-expert>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-31/tetris-apple-tv-movie-game-perfect-addictive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250830003735/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-31/tetris-apple-tv-movie-game-perfect-addictive |last=Brown |first=Tracy |title=What Makes ''Tetris'' 'The Perfect Game'? Experts Break Down an Addictive Classic |work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=August 30, 2025}}</ref> with the bundle selling out its initial run of a million copies shortly after release.<ref name=polygon_gameboy/> This success established Nintendo's dominant position in the [[handheld gaming]] market, setting a standard that competitors struggled to replicate.<ref name=1up-importance/><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/goldenageofvideo0000dill/ |last=Dillon |first=Roberto |title=The Golden Age of Video Games: The Birth of a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |date=2011 |pages=164–165|isbn=978-1-4398-7323-6 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name=venturebeat-125>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |author-link=Dean Takahashi |title=After 25 Years, ''Tetris'' Has Sold 125 million Copies |website=[[Venture Beat]] |date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Several writers credit ''Tetris'' and ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]'' (1996) for the Game Boy's longevity, as it would not be discontinued until 2003.<ref name=latimes-expert/><ref name=polygon_gameboy/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/games-that-defined-the-nintendo-game-boy/ |last=Byrd |first=Matthew |title=The Games That Defined the Nintendo Game Boy |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=April 26, 2024 |access-date=July 30, 2025 |archive-date=July 23, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250723112023/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/games-that-defined-the-nintendo-game-boy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-===Cultural impact===
+''Tetris'' is influential in the genre of [[puzzle video games]].<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=retrogamer-2013>{{cite magazine |last=Crookes |first=David |title=Brain Strain: A Bluffler's Guide to Puzzle Games |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=119 |date=September 2013 |pages=38–45}}</ref> Commentators have considered ''Tetris'' an early example of a [[casual game]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=financialtimes>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3c6d8cae-d22b-465d-982d-981c6477582f |last=Faber |first=Tom |title=Tetris — How a Game of Logic Took Over Our Minds |magazine=[[Financial Times]] |date=September 7, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name=wired-addictive>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/06/tetris/ |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=''Tetris'' Turns 25, and It's Still an Addictive Pleasure |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=June 4, 2009 |access-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430061158/https://www.wired.com/2009/06/tetris/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/casualrevolution0000juul/ |last=Juul |first=Jesper |title=A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |date=2010 |isbn=9780262013376 |pages=27 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=291}}}} ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' deemed ''Tetris'' unique for its time, given its appeal to players regardless of gender and age,<ref name=wired-addictive/> and ''1Up.com'' credits ''Tetris'' for establishing a market for puzzle video games with universal appeal.<ref name=1up-importance/> Various common elements of puzzle games, such as managing pieces over a fixed screen, originated from ''Tetris'',<ref name=ign-importance/> and multiple clones have been created to replicate ''Tetris''{{'s}} popularity.{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=296}} Video games influenced by ''Tetris'' include Nintendo's ''[[Dr. Mario]]'' (1990), Sega's ''[[Columns (video game)|Columns]]'' (1990), [[Compile (company)|Compile]]'s ''[[Puyo Puyo (video game)|Puyo Puyo]]'' (1991), [[Taito]]'s ''[[Puzzle Bobble]]'' (1994), and [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo]]'' (1996).{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name=ign-importance/><ref name=1up-importance/><ref name=retrogamer-2013/>{{sfn|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=296–297}}}}
-[[File:Jonas Neubauer crop 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Jonas Neubauer (pictured in 2010) won the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship.]]
-''Tetris''{{'s}} cultural impact and recognition is widespread with representation in a vast array of media such as architecture, art, and merchandise.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=242–243}}<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref name=retrogamer/> ''Tetris'' has earned other Guinness records, such as the record for "largest architectural video game display", granted to a version hosted on the side of the 29-story [[Cira Center]] in April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/tetris-back-in-the-record-books-for-29-story-game/ |last=Minotti |first=Mike |title=Tetris back in the record books for 29-story game |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=June 24, 2014 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref> "Korobeiniki", a Russian folk song, has become widely associated with ''Tetris'' following its inclusion in the Game Boy version.<ref name=soundtrack/> A 1992 [[Tetris (Doctor Spin song)|Eurodance cover of "Korobeiniki"]] by Doctor Spin peaked at number six in the UK single charts.<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/revisiting-nintendos-novelty-pop-hit |last=Diver |first=Mike |title=Revisiting Nintendo's novelty pop hit |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=November 12, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111224706/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-12-revisiting-nintendos-novelty-pop-hit |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Tetris'' is widely seen as a " simple but addictive" game,<ref name="MarkWolf2012"/> and has been the subject of academic research in psychology and mathematics.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-31/tetris-apple-tv-movie-game-perfect-addictive |last=Brown |first=Tracy |title=What makes Tetris 'the perfect game'? Experts break down an addictive classic |work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/tetris-movie-why-the-story-of-the-games-origins-is-legendary-203082 |last=Scarle |first=Simon |title=Tetris movie: why the story of the game's origins is legendary |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |date=April 12, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/anyone-can-play-tetris-but-architects-engineers-and-animators-alike-use-the-math-concepts-underlying-the-game-220915 |last=McCoy |first=Leah |title=Anyone can play Tetris, but architects, engineers and animators alike use the math concepts underlying the game |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |date=February 28, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113014633/https://theconversation.com/anyone-can-play-tetris-but-architects-engineers-and-animators-alike-use-the-math-concepts-underlying-the-game-220915 |url-status=live }}</ref> Writers such as [[Dan Ackerman]] have attributed the enduring success of ''Tetris'' to its appeal to casual gamers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230329-why-tetris-is-the-perfect-video-game |last=Hobbs |first=Thomas |title=Why Tetris is the 'perfect' video game |work=[[BBC News]] |date=March 29, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109030051/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230329-why-tetris-is-the-perfect-video-game |url-status=live }}</ref>
-''Tetris'' has a competitive scene, especially around the [[Tetris (NES video game)|NES version]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/489871/nes-tetris-nintendo-switch-online-announcement |last=Welsh |first=Oli |title=A missing piece of NES history is finally coming to Switch |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=December 3, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref> Competitor [[Jonas Neubauer]] and his victory in the inaugural [[Classic Tetris World Championship]] (CTWC) in 2010 were the subject of the 2011 documentary ''[[Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/sports/tetris-game.html |last=Schonbrun |first=Zach |title=A New Generation Stacks Up Championships in an Old Game: Tetris |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 28, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117023131/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/sports/tetris-game.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which helped popularized competitive gameplay of ''Tetris''.<ref name=financialtimes/> Competitors at the CTWC, typically adolescents, have used the CTWC to demonstrate advancements in the gameplay of the NES version. For example, gameplay techniques such as [[Tetris (NES video game)#Speed techniques|"hypertapping" and "rolling"]] have been used to help competitors to maximize their scores beyond level 29, which was previously deemed impossible to complete due to its speed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |last=Karnadi |first=Chris |title=Teens are rewriting what is possible in the world of competitive Tetris |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=June 21, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115233118/https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=nytimes-2023>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/movies/tetris-game-boy-nintendo.html |last=Shaver |first=Morgan |title=Why Tetris Consumed Your Brain |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409075702/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/movies/tetris-game-boy-nintendo.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Willis Gibson]] "beat" Tetris by playing NES ''Tetris'' [[Tetris (NES video game)#Technical problems at very high levels|until it crashed]] in a 40-minute livestream in January 2024, receiving significant media coverage for his achievement.<ref name="cnn-2024">{{cite news |last=Korn |first=Jennifer |date=January 3, 2024 |title=Oklahoma teenager finally defeats the unbeatable game: Tetris |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/tech/oklahoma-teenager-defeats-tetris/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709011234/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/tech/oklahoma-teenager-defeats-tetris/index.html |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-everyone-is-obsessed-with-the-kid-who-beat-tetris/ |last=Water cutter |first=Angela |title=Why Everyone Is Obsessed With the Kid Who Beat Tetris |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 5, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111042426/https://www.wired.com/story/why-everyone-is-obsessed-with-the-kid-who-beat-tetris/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+=== Cultural impact ===
+[[File:Jonas Neubauer crop 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Jonas Neubauer (pictured in 2010) won the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship.|alt=A man holding a trophy]]
-The [[DIC Entertainment]] animated series ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' incorporated elements of ''Tetris'', depicting "planet Tetris" in two different episodes as a distant, square-shaped world composed of angular humanoids.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/09/feature_10_strangest_moments_in_captain_n_the_game_master |last=Scullion |first=Chris |title=Feature: 10 Strangest Moments in ''Captain N: The Game Master'' |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=September 21, 2019 |access-date=January 25, 2024 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108170220/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/09/feature_10_strangest_moments_in_captain_n_the_game_master |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, it was announced that [[Threshold Entertainment]] had worked with the Tetris Company to develop a film adaptation. Threshold Entertainment CEO [[Larry Kasanoff]] called it an epic sci-fi adventure and the first part of a trilogy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/tetris-movie-story|title='Tetris' Movie Planned as an Epic Sci-Fi Adventure|work=Movieweb|date=September 30, 2014|access-date=September 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001011505/http://www.movieweb.com/tetris-movie-story|archive-date=October 1, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tetris-movie-be-80m-us-894779|title='Tetris' Movie to Be $80M U.S.-China Co-Production|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Brzeski|first=Patrick|date=May 17, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518095550/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tetris-movie-be-80m-us-894779|archive-date=May 18, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> A different film, ''[[Tetris (film)|Tetris]]'', about the ''Tetris'' legal battles in the late 1980s, starring [[Taron Egerton]] as Henk Rogers, premiered on [[Apple TV+]] on March 31, 2023,<ref name=time-movie/> to positive reviews according to [[Metacritic]] and a viewership of 88,000 people according to [[Samba TV]].<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |id=tetris |type=movie |title=Tetris |access-date=December 5, 2024 |publisher_hide=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/chris-evans-ana-de-armas-ghosted-viewership-apple-tv-record-1235338734/ |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |title=Chris Evans & Ana de Armas Skydance Spy Action Pic 'Ghosted' Earns Record Movie Debut For Apple TV+ |magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=April 26, 2023 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921103522/https://deadline.com/2023/04/chris-evans-ana-de-armas-ghosted-viewership-apple-tv-record-1235338734/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+''Tetris''{{'s}} cultural impact and recognition is widespread, being represented in a vast array of video game platforms, among other media such as architecture, art, and merchandise.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=242–243}}<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref name=retrogamer/> ''Tetris'' has been frequently referenced in pop culture, such as in ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'',<ref name=retrogamer/> ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[Futurama]]'', ''[[Office Space]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/tetris-is-30-years-old-today/372356/ |last=Garber |first=Megan |title=''Tetris'' Is 30 Years Old Today |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |date=June 6, 2014 |access-date=July 25, 2025 |archive-date=March 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327053620/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/tetris-is-30-years-old-today/372356/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Muppet Babies (1984 TV series)|Muppet Babies]]'', and [[Monty Python]].{{sfn|Goldberg|2011|p=88}} The game has also earned multiple Guinness records, such as the record for "largest architectural video game display", granted to a game of ''Tetris'' hosted on the side of the 29-story [[Cira Center]] in April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/tetris-back-in-the-record-books-for-29-story-game/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626013556/https://venturebeat.com/games/tetris-back-in-the-record-books-for-29-story-game/ |last=Minotti |first=Mike |title=''Tetris'' Back in the Record Books for 29-Story Game |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=June 24, 2014 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref> "Korobeiniki", a Russian folk song, has become widely associated with ''Tetris'' following its inclusion in the Game Boy version.<ref name=soundtrack/> A 1992 [[Tetris (Doctor Spin song)|Eurodance cover of "Korobeiniki"]] by Doctor Spin peaked at number six on the UK singles charts.<ref name="guardian020609"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/revisiting-nintendos-novelty-pop-hit |last=Diver |first=Mike |title=Revisiting Nintendo's Novelty Pop Hit |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=November 12, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111224706/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-12-revisiting-nintendos-novelty-pop-hit |url-status=live }}</ref>  The "[[Tetris effect|''Tetris'' effect]]" refers to the phenomena of perceiving certain patterns in dreams and mental images following engagement in a repetitive activity such as playing ''Tetris.''{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=73}}<ref name=time-movie>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/6266810/tetris-movie-apple-tv-true-story/ |last=McCluskey |first=Megan |title=The Complicated True Story Behind Apple TV+'s ''Tetris'' Movie |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227090730/https://time.com/6266810/tetris-movie-apple-tv-true-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The term was coined by Jeffrey Goldsmith in a 1994 article for ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'',<ref name="wired/1994/05/tetris">{{cite magazine |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Jeffrey |date=1994-05-01 |title=This Is Your Brain on ''Tetris'' |url=https://www.wired.com/1994/05/tetris-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122022558/https://www.wired.com/1994/05/tetris-2/ |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |access-date=22 November 2022 |magazine=Wired}}</ref> in which he compared ''Tetris'' to an "electronic drug".{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=77–78}}
-==Research==
+The background of ''Tetris'', including its creation and legal battles in the late 1980s, has been documented multiple times.<ref name=polygon-lawsuit>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/23825607/tetris-movie-apple-dan-ackerman-lawsuit |last=Welsh |first=Oli |title=Tech Writer Sues Apple, Claiming ''Tetris'' Movie Ripped Off His 'Cold War Thriller' Book |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=August 9, 2023 |access-date=July 21, 2025}}</ref> [[David Sheff]] provided a comprehensive overview in his influential Nintendo history book ''[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over]]'' (1994). Subsequent books that covered this topic include the non-fiction books [[Steven L. Kent]]'s ''[[The Ultimate History of Video Games]]'' (2001), Tristan Donovan's ''[[Replay: The History of Video Games]]'' (2010), [[Dan Ackerman]]'s ''The Tetris Effect'' (2016), and the graphic novel [[Box Brown]]'s ''[[Tetris: The Games People Play]]'' (2016).{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=247–249}}<ref name=polygon-lawsuit/> ''Tetris'' has also been the subject of documentaries including [[BBC]]'s ''Tetris: From Russia with Love'' (2004) and the independent ''[[Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters]]'' (2010).{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=247–249}}<ref name=polygon-lawsuit/> ''[[Tetris (film)|Tetris]]'', a film dramatization of the legal battles starring [[Taron Egerton]] as Rogers, premiered on [[Apple TV+]] on March 31, 2023,<ref name=time-movie/> to positive reviews, according to [[Metacritic]], and a viewership of 88,000 people, according to [[Samba TV]].<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |id=tetris |type=movie |title=Tetris |access-date=December 5, 2024 |publisher_hide=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/chris-evans-ana-de-armas-ghosted-viewership-apple-tv-record-1235338734/ |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |title=Chris Evans & Ana de Armas Skydance Spy Action Pic ''Ghosted'' Earns Record Movie Debut for Apple TV+ |magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=April 26, 2023 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921103522/https://deadline.com/2023/04/chris-evans-ana-de-armas-ghosted-viewership-apple-tv-record-1235338734/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Henk Rogers' memoir, ''The Perfect Game—Tetris: From Russia With Love'', was published on April 1, 2025, to provide his perspective on ''Tetris''{{'s}} history following the film's release.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-original-tetris-was-a-survival-game-the-man-who-prised-tetris-out-of-the-soviet-system-recalls-how-different-it-once-was/ |last=Stanton |first=Rich |title='The Original ''Tetris'' Was a Survival game': The Man who Prised ''Tetris'' Out of the Soviet System Recalls How Different It Once Was |magazine=[[PC Magazine]] |date=April 1, 2025 |access-date=July 21, 2025 |archive-date=April 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250419115229/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-original-tetris-was-a-survival-game-the-man-who-prised-tetris-out-of-the-soviet-system-recalls-how-different-it-once-was/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |url=https://gamesbeat.com/the-life-story-behind-tetris-the-perfect-game-henk-rogers-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401143047/https://venturebeat.com/games/the-life-story-behind-tetris-the-perfect-game-henk-rogers-interview/ |last=Rogers |first=Henk |author-link=Henk Rogers |title=The Life Story Behind ''Tetris, The Perfect Game'' |website=[[Venture Beat]] |date=April 1, 2025 |access-date=July 21, 2025 |archive-date=April 1, 2025}}</ref>
-=== Psychological research ===
+''Tetris'' is part of the competitive gaming scene, especially around the [[Tetris (NES video game)|NES version]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/489871/nes-tetris-nintendo-switch-online-announcement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811035308/https://www.polygon.com/news/489871/nes-tetris-nintendo-switch-online-announcement/ |last=Welsh |first=Oli |title=A Missing Piece of NES History Is Finally Coming to Switch |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=December 3, 2024 |archive-date=August 11, 2025 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref> Competitor [[Jonas Neubauer]] and his victory in the inaugural [[Classic Tetris World Championship]] (CTWC) in 2010 were the subjects of ''Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/sports/tetris-game.html |last=Schonbrun |first=Zach |title=A New Generation Stacks Up Championships in an Old Game: ''Tetris'' |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 28, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117023131/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/sports/tetris-game.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which helped popularized competitive gameplay of ''Tetris''.<ref name=financialtimes/> Competitors at the CTWC, typically adolescents, have used the CTWC to demonstrate advancements in the gameplay of the NES version. For example, gameplay techniques such as [[Tetris (NES video game)#Speed techniques|"hypertapping" and "rolling"]] have been used to help competitors to maximize their scores beyond level 29, which was previously deemed impossible to complete due to its speed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |last=Karnadi |first=Chris |title=Teens are Rewriting What is Possible in the World of Competitive ''Tetris'' |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=June 21, 2022 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115233118/https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=nytimes-2023>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/movies/tetris-game-boy-nintendo.html |last=Shaver |first=Morgan |title=Why ''Tetris'' Consumed Your Brain |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409075702/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/movies/tetris-game-boy-nintendo.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Willis Gibson]] "beat" Tetris by playing NES ''Tetris'' [[Tetris (NES video game)#Technical problems at very high levels|until it crashed]] in a 40-minute livestream in January 2024, receiving significant media coverage for his achievement.<ref name="cnn-2024">{{cite news |last=Korn |first=Jennifer |date=January 3, 2024 |title=Oklahoma Teenager Finally Defeats the Unbeatable Game: ''Tetris'' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/tech/oklahoma-teenager-defeats-tetris/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709011234/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/tech/oklahoma-teenager-defeats-tetris/index.html |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-everyone-is-obsessed-with-the-kid-who-beat-tetris/ |last=Water cutter |first=Angela |title=Why Everyone Is Obsessed with the Kid Who Beat ''Tetris'' |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=January 5, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111042426/https://www.wired.com/story/why-everyone-is-obsessed-with-the-kid-who-beat-tetris/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+=== Research ===
 {{See also|Tetris effect}}
-The psychological and addictive effects of ''Tetris'' were first scientifically recognized by Soviet clinical psychologist [[Vladimir Pokhilko]] {{circa}} 1985.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=73}}<ref name="MarkWolf2012">{{cite book |first=Mark J. P. |last=Wolf | title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming |chapter=Tetris |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780313379369_2/page/640/mode/2up | date=August 31, 2012 |location=Santa Barbara, CA| publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] | isbn=978-0-313-37936-9 | pages=640–642 | chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]] }}</ref> Pokhilko was a recipient of the IBM version of ''Tetris'' in [[Moscow]]. Interested in its potential psychological effects based on his experiences playing the game, Pokhilko distributed copies of ''Tetris'' to his colleagues at the Moscow Medical Center. Pokhilko regretted his decision after constant gameplay impaired medical research so he proceeded to destroy the distributed copies. After new copies were reintroduced to his facility, Pokhilko used ''Tetris'' while testing patients.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=69–70}}
-Starting with the research of American psychologist [[Richard J. Haier]] in 1992,<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Haier RJ, Siegel BV, MacLachlan A, Soderling E, Lottenberg S, Buchsbaum MS|title=Regional glucose metabolic changes after learning a complex visuospatial/motor task: a positron emission tomographic study|journal=Brain Res.|volume=570|issue=1–2|pages=134–43|date=January 1992|pmid=1617405|doi=10.1016/0006-8993(92)90573-R|s2cid=21725897}}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=81–82}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Latham |first1=Andrew J. |last2=Patson |first2=Lucy L. M. |last3=Tippette |first3=Lynette J. |title=The virtual brain: 30 years of video-game play and cognitive abilities |journal=[[Frontiers in Psychology]] |date=September 13, 2013 |volume=4 |page=629 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00629|doi-access=free |pmid=24062712 |pmc=3772618 }}</ref> ''Tetris'' has been frequently used as a form of cognitive assessment and neuroimaging.<ref name=currentpsychology-2021>{{cite journal |last1=Agren |first1=Thomas |last2=Hoppe |first2=Johanna M. |last3=Singh |first3=Laura |last4=Holmes |first4=Emily A. |last5=Rosén |first5=Jörgen |title=The neural basis of Tetris gameplay: implicating the role of visuospatial processing |journal=Current Psychology |date=August 2, 2021 |volume=42 |issue=10 |pages=8156–8163 |doi=10.1007/s12144-021-02081-z |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-014-0547-y#Fn3 |last1=Lindstedt |first1=John K. |last2=Gray |first2=Wayne D. |title=Meta-T: TetrisⓇ as an experimental paradigm for cognitive skills research |journal=[[Behavior Research Methods]] |date=March 12, 2015 |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=945–965 |doi=10.3758/s13428-014-0547-y |pmid=25761389 |access-date=November 14, 2024 |archive-date=January 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122090625/https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13428-014-0547-y#Fn3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Furthermore, ''Tetris'' has been studied as a potential form of psychological intervention such as for [[PTSD]] and [[wikt:craving|cravings]] with promising results.<ref name=currentpsychology-2021/>{{sfn|Plank|2022|p=271}} The "[[Tetris effect|''Tetris'' effect]]" refers to the phenomena of perceiving certain patterns in dreams and mental images following engagement in a repetitive activity such as playing ''Tetris.''{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=73}}<ref name=time-movie>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/6266810/tetris-movie-apple-tv-true-story/ |last=McCluskey |first=Megan |title=The Complicated True Story Behind Apple TV+'s Tetris Movie |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227090730/https://time.com/6266810/tetris-movie-apple-tv-true-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The term was coined by Jeffrey Goldsmith in a 1994 article for ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'',<ref name="wired/1994/05/tetris">{{cite magazine |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Jeffrey |date=1994-05-01 |title=This Is Your Brain on Tetris |url=https://www.wired.com/1994/05/tetris-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122022558/https://www.wired.com/1994/05/tetris-2/ |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |access-date=22 November 2022 |magazine=Wired}}</ref> in which he compared ''Tetris'' to an "electronic drug".{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=77–78}}
+The ''Tetris'' game has frequently been featured in academic research, including in [[psychology]], [[computer science]], and [[game studies]].<ref name="MarkWolf2012"/> By 2014, John K. Lindstedt and [[Wayne D. Gray]], cognitive scientists of the [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]], had traced 133 scholarly papers across a variety of academic fields that utilized ''Tetris'' in their research.<ref name=behaviorresearchmethods/> Soviet clinical psychologist [[Vladimir Pokhilko]] was the first to use ''Tetris'' in clinical experiments, conducting them {{circa}} 1985 at the Moscow Medical Center.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=73}}<ref name="MarkWolf2012">{{cite book |first=Mark J. P. |last=Wolf | title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming |chapter=''Tetris'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780313379369_2/page/640/mode/2up | date=August 31, 2012 |location=Santa Barbara, CA| publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] | isbn=978-0-313-37936-9 | pages=640–642 | chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]] }}</ref> Prior to studying them, Pokhilko observed that distributed copies of ''Tetris'' to his colleagues impaired medical research due to their constant gameplay. Although he initially destroyed these copies, after new copies were reintroduced to his facility, Pokhilko used ''Tetris'' in psychological tests of his patients.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=69–70}}
-=== Computer science research ===
+In psychology, starting with the research of American psychologist [[Richard J. Haier]] in 1992,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haier |first1=R.J. |last2=Siegel |first2=B.V. |last3=MacLachlan |first3=A. |last4=Soderling |first4=E. |last5=Lottenberg |first5=S. |last6=Buchsbaum |first6=M.S. |title=Regional Glucose Metabolic Changes after Learning a Complex Visuospatial/Motor Task: A Positron Emission Tomographic Study|journal=[[Brain Research]]|volume=570|issue=1–2|pages=134–43|date=January 1992|pmid=1617405|doi=10.1016/0006-8993(92)90573-R|s2cid=21725897}}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=81–82}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Latham |first1=Andrew J. |last2=Patson |first2=Lucy L. M. |last3=Tippette |first3=Lynette J. |title=The Virtual Brain: 30 Years of Video-game Play and Cognitive Abilities |journal=[[Frontiers in Psychology]] |date=September 13, 2013 |volume=4 |page=629 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00629|doi-access=free |pmid=24062712 |pmc=3772618 }}</ref> ''Tetris'' has been frequently used in [[neuroimaging]] studies testing how gameplay affects the human brain.<ref name=currentpsychology-2021>{{cite journal |last1=Agren |first1=Thomas |last2=Hoppe |first2=Johanna M. |last3=Singh |first3=Laura |last4=Holmes |first4=Emily A. |last5=Rosén |first5=Jörgen |title=The Neural Basis of ''Tetris'' Gameplay: Implicating the Role of Visuospatial Processing |journal=Current Psychology |date=August 2, 2021 |volume=42 |issue=10 |pages=8156–8163 |doi=10.1007/s12144-021-02081-z |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=behaviorresearchmethods>{{cite journal |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-014-0547-y#Fn3 |last1=Lindstedt |first1=John K. |last2=Gray |first2=Wayne D. |author-link2=Wayne D. Gray |title=Meta-T: ''Tetris'' as an Experimental Paradigm for Cognitive Skills Research |journal=[[Behavior Research Methods]] |date=March 12, 2015 |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=945–965 |doi=10.3758/s13428-014-0547-y |pmid=25761389 |access-date=November 14, 2024 |archive-date=January 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122090625/https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13428-014-0547-y#Fn3 |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, the [[cognitive training|near-transfer effects]] of ''Tetris'' on [[mental rotation]] is frequently researched, though research methods have varied widely and results have been contradictory.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Timm |first1=J. David |last2=Huff |first2=Markus |last3=Schwan |first3=Stephan |last4=Papenmeier |first4=Frank |title=Short-term Transfer Effects of ''Tetris'' on Mental Rotation: Review and Registered Report — A Bayesian Approach |journal=[[Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics]] |volume=86 |date=February 22, 2024 |issue=3 |pages=1056–1064 |doi=10.3758/s13414-024-02855-0 |pmid=38383915 |pmc=11062957 }}</ref> Furthermore, ''Tetris'' has been studied as a potential form of psychological intervention, particularly regarding [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD).<ref name=currentpsychology-2021/> To date, playing ''Tetris'' as a valid form of imagery treatment for symptoms of PTSD is in an experimental stage and in need of further research. Nonetheless, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies have demonstrated some evidence supporting its effectiveness in reducing intrusive memories, especially when combined with other interventions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Craig |first1=Victoria Elizabeth Mabel |last2=McLaughlin |first2=Derek Francis |last3=Devlin |first3=Karen P. |last4=Higgins |first4=Aiveen |last5=Boyle |first5=Breidge |title=Potential for Use of ''Tetris'' in the Neonatal Unit – A Scoping Review |journal=[[BioMed Central|BMC Digital Health]] |volume=2 |number=34 |date=June 11, 2024 |article-number=34 |doi=10.1186/s44247-024-00086-9 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Varma |first1=Mohith M. |last2=Zeng |first2=Shengzi |last3=Singh |first3=Laura |last4=Holmes |first4=Emily A. |author-link4=Emily A. Holmes |last5=Huang |first5=Jingyun |last6=Chiu |first6=Man Hey |last7=Hu |first7=Xiaoqing |title=A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Experimental Methods for Modulating Intrusive Memories following Lab-analogue Trauma Exposure in Non-clinical Populations |journal=[[Nature Human Behaviour]] |volume=8 |pages=1968–1987 |date=August 21, 2024 |issue=10 |doi=10.1038/s41562-024-01956-y |pmid=39169230 |pmc=11493681 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Highfield |first1=Julie |last2=Iyadurai |first2=Lalitha |last3=Holmes |first3=Emily A. |author-link3=Emily A. Holmes |title=A Summary Review of the Development of Using a Brief Imagery-competing Task Intervention (ICTI) for Reducing Intrusive Memories of Psychological Trauma: Applications in Healthcare Settings for Both Staff and Patients |journal=Discover Mental Health |volume=5 |issue=78 |date=May 27, 2025 |article-number=78 |doi=10.1007/s44192-025-00205-6 |pmid=40425895 |pmc=12116969 }}</ref>
-In 1992, John Brzustowski at the [[University of British Columbia]] wrote a thesis on the question of whether or not one could theoretically play ''Tetris'' forever.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Brzustowski |first=John |title=Can you win at Tetris? |date=March 1992 |degree=Master of Science |publisher=[[University of British Columbia]] |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/831/1.0079748 |format=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318064558/https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/831/1.0079748 |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=October 16, 2013 |url-status=live}} [https://archive.org/details/20220318_20220318_0433 Alt URL]</ref> He reached the conclusion that ''Tetris'' is statistically doomed to end. If a player receives a sufficiently large sequence of alternating S and Z tetrominoes, the naïve gravity used by the standard game eventually forces the player to leave holes on the board. The holes will necessarily stack to the top and end the game. If the pieces are distributed randomly, this sequence will eventually occur. Thus, if a game with, for example, an ideal, uniform, uncorrelated [[Random number generation|random number generator]] is played long enough, any player will [[almost surely]] top out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burgiel |first=Heidi |date=January 7, 1996 |title=Discussion of the Tetris Applet |url=http://www.math.uic.edu/~burgiel/Tetris/explanation.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209110731/http://www.math.uic.edu/~burgiel/Tetris/explanation.html |archive-date=December 9, 2006 |access-date=February 25, 2007 |website=Tetris Research Page}}</ref><ref>Heidi Burgiel. [http://www.geom.umn.edu/%7Eburgiel/Tetris/tetris.PS How to Lose at Tetris] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030513033006/http://www.geom.umn.edu/~burgiel/Tetris/tetris.PS |date=May 13, 2003 }}, Mathematical Gazette, vol. 81, pp. 194–200 1997</ref>
-In [[computer science]], it is common to analyze the [[Computational complexity theory|computational complexity]] of problems, including real-life problems and games. In 2001, a group of [[MIT]] researchers proved that for the "offline" version of ''Tetris'' (the player knows the complete sequence of pieces that will be dropped, i.e. there is no hidden information) the following objectives are [[NP-complete]]:
+In computer science, the ''Tetris'' game has been the subject of research papers analyzing how the tetrominoes affect gameplay.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=153}} Most analyze a traditional game of ''Tetris'' and do not account for features such as lookahead.{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=155–156}} In 1992, John Brzustowski argued in his [[master's thesis]] for the [[University of Waterloo]] that it is impossible to play a traditional game of ''Tetris'' indefinitely,<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Brzustowski |first=John |title=Can You Win at ''Tetris''? |date=March 1992 |degree=[[Master of Science]] |publisher=[[University of British Columbia]] |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/831/1.0079748 |format=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318064558/https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/831/1.0079748 |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=October 16, 2013 |url-status=live |doi=10.14288/1.0079748}} </ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=156}} a conclusion affirmed by Heidi Burgiel of the [[University of Minnesota]] in 1997, who attributed the inevitable end to the game's Z-shaped tetrominoes and calculated a hard cap of seventy thousand tetrominoes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burgiel |first1=Heidi |title=How to Lose at ''Tetris'' |journal=[[The Mathematical Gazette]] |date=July 1997 |volume=81 |issue=491 |pages=194–200 |doi=10.2307/3619195 |jstor=3619195 |url=http://www.geom.umn.edu/%7Eburgiel/Tetris/tetris.PS |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030513033006/http://www.geom.umn.edu/~burgiel/Tetris/tetris.PS |archivedate=May 13, 2003}}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|pp=153–154}} Partly accounting for the lookahead feature, in 2003 a trio of [[MIT]] students proved that the optimal strategy for playing a game of ''Tetris'' is [[NP-complete]], meaning it is difficult to be solved by an algorithm within a reasonable time due to the [[computational complexity theory|game's complexity]]. This is true even if the player knew the complete sequence of incoming pieces.<ref>{{cite conference|url=http://erikdemaine.org/papers/Tetris_COCOON2003/paper.pdf|title=''Tetris'' Is Hard, Even to Approximate|last1=Demaine|first1=Erik D.|last2=Hohenberger|first2=Susan|last3=Liben-Nowell|first3=David|date=July 25–28, 2003|conference=Proceedings of the 9th International Computing and Combinatorics Conference (COCOON 2003)|conference-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105042734/http://www.cs.montana.edu/bhz/cocoon03.html|location=Big Sky, Montana|access-date=December 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613201613/http://erikdemaine.org/papers/Tetris_COCOON2003/paper.pdf|archive-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/powerupunlocking0000lane/ |last=Lane |first=Matthew |title=Power-up: Unlocking the Hidden Mathematics in Video Games |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |date=2017 |pages=165–166 |isbn=9780691161518 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{sfn|Ackerman|2016|p=159}}
-# Maximizing the number of rows cleared while playing the given piece sequence.
-# Maximizing the number of pieces placed before a loss occurs.
-# Maximizing the number of simultaneous clearing of four rows.
-# Minimizing the height of the highest filled grid square over the course of the sequence.
-Also, it is [[Hardness of approximation|difficult to even approximately solve]] the first, second, and fourth problem. It is [[NP-hard]], given an initial field and a sequence of ''p'' pieces, to approximate the first two problems to within a factor of {{nowrap|''p''<sup>1 − ''ε''</sup>}} for any constant {{nowrap|''ε'' > 0}}. It is NP-hard to approximate the last problem within a factor of {{nowrap|2 − ''ε''}} for any constant {{nowrap|''ε'' > 0}}. To prove NP-completeness, it was shown that there is a polynomial [[Reduction (complexity)|reduction]] between the [[3-partition problem]], which is also NP-complete, and the ''Tetris'' problem.<ref>{{cite conference|url=http://erikdemaine.org/papers/Tetris_COCOON2003/paper.pdf|title=Tetris is Hard, Even to Approximate|last1=Demaine|first1=Erik D.|last2=Hohenberger|first2=Susan|last3=Liben-Nowell|first3=David|date=July 25–28, 2003|conference=Proceedings of the 9th International Computing and Combinatorics Conference (COCOON 2003)|conference-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105042734/http://www.cs.montana.edu/bhz/cocoon03.html|location=Big Sky, Montana|access-date=December 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613201613/http://erikdemaine.org/papers/Tetris_COCOON2003/paper.pdf|archive-date=June 13, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/powerupunlocking0000lane/ |last=Lane |first=Matthew |title=Power-up: Unlocking the Hidden Mathematics in Video Games |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |date=2017 |pages=165–166 |isbn=9780691161518 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref>
 == See also ==
 {{Portal|Video Games|1980s|1990s|Soviet Union|Russia}}
 * ''[[Brain Wall]]'' and ''[[Blokken]]'', game shows based on ''Tetris''
-* ''[[Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters]]'', a 2011 documentary about the 2010 [[Classic Tetris World Championship]], featuring interviews with Pajitnov and Richard Haier as well as ''Tetris'' players [[Thor Aackerlund]] and future seven-time Classic Tetris World Championship champion [[Jonas Neubauer]]
-* [[Game Over (Sheff book)|''Game Over'' (Sheff book)]], a 1993 book covering Nintendo history, including interviews with Pajitnov and others regarding ''Tetris'' licensing
 == Notes ==
@@ Line 212: / Line 207: @@
 {{Reflist}}
-==Bibliography==
+== Bibliography ==
-===Books===
+=== Books ===
 {{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?414688-1/the-tetris-effect Presentation by Dan Ackerman on ''The Tetris Effect'', September 12, 2016], [[C-SPAN]]}}
 * {{Cite book |last=Ackerman |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Ackerman |url=https://archive.org/details/tetriseffectgame0000acke |title=The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World |date=2016 |publisher=[[PublicAffairs]] |isbn=978-1-61039-611-0 |location=New York |oclc=943694339 |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
-* {{Cite book |last=Ichbiah |first=Daniel |title=La saga des jeux vidéo |publisher=Pix'n love éd |year=2009 |isbn=978-2-918272-02-1 |edition=Nouvelle |location=Triel-sur-Seine |pages=71–85 |language=fr |chapter=IV: Tetris |oclc=1194432922 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/lasagadesjeuxvid0000ichb/page/71 |chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
+* {{Cite book |last=Donovan |first=Tristan |chapter=A Plane to Moscow |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/replayhistoryofv0000dono/page/198/mode/2up |title=[[Replay: The History of Video Games]] |publisher=Yellow Ant |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-9565072-0-4 |location=East Sussex |pages=199–211 |chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
+* {{Cite book |last=Goldberg |first=Harold |chapter=Falling Blocks, Rising Fortunes |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/allyourbasearebe00gold_0/page/74/mode/2up |title=All Your Base are Belong to Us |date=2011 |location=New York |publisher=[[Three Rivers Press]] |pages=74–89 |isbn=978-0-307-46355-5 |chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
 * {{Cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |author-link=Steven L. Kent |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/ultimatehistoryo0000kent/page/377 |chapter=''Tetris'' |title=[[The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond—The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World]] |publisher=[[Three Rivers Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7615-3643-7 |location=New York |pages=377–381 |oclc=47254175 |chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
 * {{Cite book |last1=Loguidice |first1=Bill |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/vintagegamesinsi0000logu/page/290 |chapter=''Tetris'' (1985): Casual Gaming Falls Into Place |title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time |last2=Barton |first2=Matt |publisher=[[Focal Press]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-240-81146-8 |location=Amsterdam |pages=291–301 |chapter-url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
@@ Line 222: / Line 219: @@
 * {{Cite book |last1=Sheff |first1=David |author-link1=David Sheff |last2=Eddy |first2=Andy |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/0966961706/page/295 |chapter=From Russia With Love |title=[[Game Over: Press Start to Continue]]  |publisher=GamePress |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-966-96170-6 |location=Wilton, CT |pages=295–348 |oclc=1190934258 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
-===Video documentaries===
+=== Video documentaries ===
 * {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUeaanfiXmo&t=0 |last=Linneman |first=John |title=DF Retro: Tetris! |publisher=[[Digital Foundry]] |date=November 14, 2018 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=December 7, 2024}}
 * {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YhkkyXydNI&t=0 |last1=Pajitnov |first1=Alexey |author-link1=Alexey Pajitnov |last2=Rogers |first2=Henk |author-link2=Henk Rogers |title=Unsolved Tetris Mysteries With Creator Alexy Pajitnov & Designer Henk Rogers |publisher=[[Ars Technica]] |date=April 26, 2023 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=December 7, 2024}}
@@ Line 229: / Line 226: @@
 == Further reading ==
 * {{cite web | url = https://vadim.oversigma.com/Tetris.htm | title = Tetris Story | last = Gerasimov | first = Vadim | website = [[Vadim Gerasimov|OverSigma]]}}
-* {{cite web | url = https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mathematicians-prove-tetr/ | title = Mathematicians Prove Tetris Is Tough | last = Graham | first = Sarah | date = October 29, 2002 | website = [[Scientific American]]}}
+* {{cite AV media |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mdqf8 |title=The Creation of Tetris |date=December 29, 2012 |website=[[BBC World Service]] |publisher=[[BBC]]}}
-* {{cite AV media | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mdqf8 | title = The creation of Tetris | date = December 29, 2012 | website = [[BBC World Service]] | publisher = [[BBC]]}}
 == External links ==

Tetris: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:04, 19 November 2025

Gameplay

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Creation (1984–1985)

Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988)

International negotiations (1988–1989)

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The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014)

Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present)

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