The Murky History of Soviet-Born Tetris

Tetris was created in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet computer engineer, but its true story is filled with controversy and disputed ownership. The game was initially called 'Tetris' and was created as a pastime for colleagues at the Soviet Academy of Sciences. It was later taken by Robert Stein and Bob Jacob, who formed Andromeda Software, and they attempted to market it in the US. However, they were unable to secure a deal, and the game was eventually licensed to Robert Stein's new company, Andromeda, which partnered with Mirrorsoft, a British company. The game was released in 1986 and became a huge success. Alexey Pajitnov retained the rights to the game and eventually sold them to Henk Rogers, a Dutch video game designer, for a reported $1.5 million in 1986. Rogers then sold the rights to the Tetris Company, Ltd., a Japanese company, for $1 million in 1986. The Tetris Company, Ltd. has retained the rights to the game ever since.