Microsoft Solitaire Marks 30th Anniversary! 35 Million People are Still Playing it Every Month

May 22,2020
McMurphy

If you are familiar with this scene, I’m sorry but you are no longer considered “young”. 

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This is the classic picture after you win the Microsoft Solitaire, originally known as Windows Solitaire. In 1990, Windows Solitaire was included as part of Windows system. Believe it or not, the game is turning 30 years old this year. 

Over the past 30 years, the Solitaire has enriched plenty of people’s boring time. You can see people playing it during network interruption, loafing on the job, or when they don’t know what to do, but you can never stop them because you are playing it as well! 

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The Solitaire has no longer been within Windows system since Windows 8. Users have to download it in Microsoft Store. It is said that Microsoft makes the change to cultivate the habit of using the Store. Similarly, the game at first was aimed at helping people learn how to drag and drop items on their computer screens using a mouse, which was novel at the time. 

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Microsoft intern Wes Cherry is one of the developers of this game. Interestingly, he initially programmed a “boss mode” into Windows Solitaire with a fake spreadsheet designed to fool bosses and coworkers, while Microsoft made Cherry remove the boss mode from the game before its release. 

The National Solitaire Day (May 22nd) of this year marks the 30th anniversary of Microsoft Solitaire. Even after 30 years, Microsoft Solitaire is still one of the most played games on the planet every day! With a worldwide appeal, Microsoft Solitaire Collection, as it is known today, hosts over 35 million players each month, from more than 200+ countries and territories. 

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Because of its broad appeal, it was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame last year. No idea of how great it is? Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat were inducted in the same period. 

Microsoft Solitaire Collection has been available across IOS and Android since 2017. The latest version of the 30th anniversary also brings new background image for users to choose. You can enjoy the classic game on your PC, laptop, tablet or cell phone at any time. 

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It is commented as special by Microsoft that a game of solitaire can bring so many people together for so many years. It is also worth mentioning that the other three of the classic four Window games are Minesweeper, Hearts and FreeCell. If you haven’t ever played or heard about these, it is safe to say you are in the minority. 

Like the Solitaire, they were not actually designed for entertainment. Minesweeper was introduced to Windows to make the idea of left and right clicking second nature for Windows users, and to foster speed and precision in mouse movement. Hearts was designed to get people interested in the networking capabilities of their new system. 

FreeCell was bundled with the Win32s package that allowed 32-bit applications to run on the 16-bit Windows 3.1. Its purpose was actually to test the 32-bit thunking layer (a data processing subsystem), which had been introduced as part of Win32s. If the thunking layer was improperly installed, FreeCell wouldn't run. 



Download Microsoft Solitaire Collection: 




Go to App Store




> Go to Google Play