Tetris reaches milestone 30th anniversary

THE immensely popular tile stacking game has had people hooked for 30 years and experts say that the reason it is so addictive is because we all love tidying up.

The game was launched in 1984 and has had fans young and old totally hooked for the last three decades. June 6 has become known as World Tetris Day for gamers around the globe.

Dr Tom Stafford, of Sheffield University, has celebrated the anniversary by analysing the timeless nature of the game; he commented that the tidying and puzzle solving aspects of the game gave users the same sort of psychological satisfaction as scratching an itch and this has played a large part in the game remaining on top for so long. In a video posted on YouTube Dr Stafford goes on to call the game “pharmatronic” which he explains as an electronic with all the “mind altering” properties of a drug.

A version of the Tetris is available for all types of gaming devices produced since its launch and the Soviet Union-developed game has been named “The Greatest Game” on many occasions.

Many people around the world will be giving their thanks to Aleksei Pazhitnov, the original designer, as they reach for their console controls to get their fix of Tetris.