Tetris, the iconic and addictive tile-matching puzzle video game, was shut down recently after over 30 years of activity. There are a few key reasons why the Tetris Company decided to discontinue online services for the game.
Expiring Licensing Deals
One of the main reasons Tetris was discontinued was because licensing deals with partners like Electronic Arts (EA) expired. EA published popular mobile and console versions of Tetris under license from the Tetris Company. But with those deals ending, the Tetris Company opted not to renew agreements and instead pull the plug on official versions of the game.
Shift Away from Paid Games
The video game industry has shifted dramatically away from paid games and towards free-to-play titles supported by ads and in-app purchases. Tetris’ business model relied primarily on selling the game, which is increasingly outdated. Rather than try to shift to a free-to-play structure, the Tetris Company decided to back away from the market altogether.
Competition from Copycats
Tetris faced massive competition from copycat games that replicated its gameplay and concepts without license. With so many free, ad-supported Tetris clones available, continuing to invest in the official game became less appealing. Discontinuing the game allows the Tetris Company to potentially pursue legal action against unlicensed clones.
Difficulty Monetizing Mobile Apps
Although Tetris remained popular across mobile devices, turning that usage into profits proved challenging. The ubiquity of the gameplay meant users would often download free or cloned versions rather than paying for the official app. And the minimalist nature of Tetris made it difficult to integrate lucrative in-app purchases.
Focus on Licensing the Brand
Rather than managing games and apps itself, the Tetris Company now aims to license the strong Tetris brand. By shutting down official titles, it can focus exclusively on earning revenue from Tetris licensing deals spanning movies, TV, merchandising, and more. The company will avoid the difficulties of directly monetizing game usage.
Technical Issues and Costs
Maintaining online services for Tetris also came with significant technical complications and costs. From server fees to customer support, continuing to operate Tetris was resource-intensive. Lacking strong monetization, those costs likely exceeded potential earnings from the aging game.
Conclusion
The decision to shut down Tetris came down to economics. Between expiring licenses, the shift to free-to-play games, competition from clones, and the costs of maintenance, continuing to support the official title no longer made financial sense. By discontinuing the game, the Tetris Company can focus on more lucrative licensing deals. And while the iconic puzzle game will be missed by many, imitation versions live on across mobile app stores.
| Year | Significant Tetris Events |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Tetris created by Alexey Pajitnov in Soviet Russia |
| 1985 | Rights to Tetris acquired by Bullet-Proof Software |
| 1989 | Nintendo releases Tetris on Game Boy |
| 1996 | Tetris Company founded to manage Tetris licensing |
| 2006 | Tetris reaches 100 million paid mobile game downloads |
| 2014 | Tetris Ultimate released on modern consoles |
| 2020 | Tetris mobile app has over 500 million downloads |
| 2022 | Licensing deals expire and Tetris Company shuts down official game |
The history of Tetris traces back to the 1980s in the Soviet Union. Over the following decades, Tetris exploded in popularity across arcades, consoles, computers, and eventually mobile devices. But in recent years, the iconic puzzle game struggled to remain profitable amid shifts in the gaming industry. With major licensing deals expiring and the costs of maintaining the game mounting, the Tetris Company decided in 2022 to stop supporting the official title. Even with the official version gone, Tetris lives on through countless free clones and the strength of its brand recognition.
Tetris retains a strong nostalgic appeal over 30 years after its creation. The game’s simple but endlessly compelling gameplay established it as one of the most famous video games ever made. But nostalgia wasn’t enough to keep the official version going in the modern gaming landscape. Without being able to effectively monetize mobile and online versions, the classic paid model of selling Tetris became difficult to sustain. Competition from free-to-play clones only heightened the financial pressures.
So for now, the Tetris Company seems content earning profits from licensing deals rather than directly operating Tetris products and services. Of course, if the realities of the video game industry shift again, there’s always the possibility Tetris could return in official form. But until then, the iconic puzzler joins other classics like Mahjong and Minesweeper as games that once defined casual gaming but eventually failed to make the leap into the mobile age.
The Tetris story highlights the continual evolution happening in the gaming industry. It’s not enough for a game to be beloved – it also needs a strong business model suited to current trends. Tetris’ paid model thrived in the 1980s and 90s but became a liability in the free-to-play mobile era. Just being a timeless classic couldn’t sustain its run. So for now, players will have to settle for unofficial versions of the iconic puzzler, until the right conditions maybe allow Tetris to be reborn once again.