And, since Pajitnov was working for the Russian government at the time, they were up for selling the rights as well… It all became a giant legal mess, one Pajitnov got nothing from until 1996, when he set up The Tetris Company, acquired the rights from the Russian government and relocated to Hawaii.
Its simplicity appealed to gamers and non-gamers alike, kickstarting the puzzle game genre, without which the modern mobile gaming market would be a barren place.
Never before has there been a more entertaining or addictive way of avoiding human interaction.