7 ms·

Microsoft Solitaire Inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame

132 points by Yuval_Halevi 7y ago

mcfunk 7y ago
Very disappointing, clearly they used the wrong deck back, it was all about that palm tree with the sun that had the easter egg smiley face. ;-)
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  The robots were the best! They were animated!
- jsgo 7y ago
  I was always fond of the castle at night back. The backs were pretty awesome though.
joezydeco 7y ago
The artwork on the cards was drawn by Susan Kare, a legend in the industry starting with her work on the original Macintosh. https://www.aiga.org/medalist-susan-kare https://www.aiga.org/medalist-susan-kare You can buy a set of playing cards with her original Solitaire art on the backs. https://www.areaware.com/products/solitaire-cards?variant=14622412804 https://www.areaware.com/products/solitaire-cards?variant=14...
- ducttape12 7y ago
  Oh man those cards are awesome!
  - icebraining 7y ago
    Yeah, I was really tempted to get it as a gift. Pity the EU version is much more expensive, for some reason.
    - deadmetheny 7y ago
      After shipping they cost $22 USD - that's mental for a deck of playing cards.
      - icebraining 7y ago
        It's almost $40 for my EU country!
  - mozkito 7y ago
    Yeah, they look like these ones released back on 2012: http://www.evan-roth.com/work/solitaire-exe/ http://www.evan-roth.com/work/solitaire-exe/
- SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
  I'd heard of Susan Kare due to her work on the Mac icons but wasn't aware of this. Great fact!
- estomagordo 7y ago
  Getting DNS errors for areaware.com
- ChrisArchitect 7y ago
  In Conversation With Susan Kare: On Windows 3.0 Solitaire, Iconography, and Nostalgia https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074155/http://thisisstory.com/susan-kare-discusses-windows-3-solitaire-iconography-nostalgia/ https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074155/http://thisisstor...
7j 7y ago
"Microsoft Solitaire has likely been installed on more than a million devices." Probably billion, not million.
- aussieguy1234 7y ago
  Correct. They say a billion later on in the article. That's a typo
- esrauch 7y ago
  It's likely been installed on more than a million devices too.
  - maxxxxx 7y ago
    Even on more than a dozen devices when you think about it.
    - gatesphere 7y ago
      At least two!
- King-Aaron 7y ago
  "Microsoft Solitaire has likely been installed on more than one device."
  - estomagordo 7y ago
    An optimal implementation of Dijkstra's algorithm i O(nⁿ) in the number of vertices.
- mozkito 7y ago
  Just like Doom as well
aasasd 7y ago
In my country, the Gamos' “Lines” game was a strong contender for mass killing of office drones' time―if not the top butcher. It held strong from '92 until around 2000. (Known also as “Five or more” in Gnome games.)
sudeepj 7y ago
I still remember the blue deck (the one showed in the article) had black birds who flap their wings. Nostalgic!
- FartyMcFarter 7y ago
  I remember them as bats! Haven't checked though.
- MisterTea 7y ago
  That was the spooky castle deck complete with flapping bats. My favorite theme.
Insanity 7y ago
The win screen with the jumping cards is my main memory of the game to be honest :) pretty sure that's been parodied in movies as well.
- neetodavid 7y ago
  For anyone who needs a little dose of that https://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/effects/solitaire/ https://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/effects/solitaire/
scandox 7y ago
They might have credited the intern: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/3zfadv/til_that_microsoft_solitaire_was_developed_by_a/t3_3zfadv/ https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/3zfadv/til_t...
- zyx321 7y ago
  They might even credit Wes Cherry by name, and not just as "the intern"
imgabe 7y ago
I wish Microsoft hadn't ruined solitaire. It's now "Microsoft Solitaire Collection" with a whole online component and it's crippled if you're using it without an internet connection. It also drains the battery like nothing else. Sometimes you just want to kill some time on a plane without having to buy the overpriced crappy wifi!
- Foivos 7y ago
  So you need a book then?
  - acct1771 7y ago
    Actually, a pack of playing cards, but that's a weird response to a common complaint here, which is big companies sunsetting user loved stuff for no visibly valid reason, besides IAP.
  - criley2 7y ago
    People being condescending about books needs to stop. I'll just say it: only reading certain non-fiction has any real intellectual or health value over meditation, a walk, reading an article, etc. The rest is just entertainment and relaxation, same as everything else.
    - badpun 7y ago
      I presume you haven't read any great novelists (Dostoyevski, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn etc.) yet.
      - kaybe 7y ago
        I think you need to meet those in the right state of mind and circumstances. Some of them go deep into the human condition and our innermost beings, and if you haven't been close to that specific part you might not get it. Then they are just somewhat boring entertainment. (generic you)
      - criley2 7y ago
pbhjpbhj 7y ago
I once put a red card on a red playing MS "solitaire" (ie patience). It was either Win98 or XP. That was a wtf moment, like how could they get _that_ wrong. Would have loved to have known what was going on there. Edit: I misremembered, it was black on black; on WinXP. I have an image, but of course it doesn't prove anything as it could easily have been photoshopped.
- sangnoir 7y ago
  Did you have ECC memory? Might have been a flipped bit induced by a cosmic ray...
  - pbhjpbhj 7y ago
    Yes, non-ECC. The possibility of that depends on the internal format used for cards, I guess if it were a binary format then a environmentally flipped bit is a possibility?
inoplanium 7y ago
PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch: how to pick the right video game console: https://infotolium.com/diffs/1223-ps4-xbox-one-or-nintendo-switch-how-to-pick-the-right-video-game-console.html https://infotolium.com/diffs/1223-ps4-xbox-one-or-nintendo-s... PlayStation 4. How much does it cost? The standard model costs $299.99, while the PS4 Pro model costs $399.99. Why should I choose this console? Right video game consoleAlthough the overwhelming majority of top console games are available across multiple platforms, PlayStation still hosts a diverse selection of titles strictly for its console, ranging from fantasy to racing games. Plus, for baseball fans, it’s the only one with a true official baseball simulation in its MLB: The Show series. Both models support HDR (high-dynamic resolution) and let you use PlayStation VR, which is currently the most affordable high-end option for virtual reality.
todd8 7y ago
On the iPhone, my favorite version of FreeCell solitaire is Solitaire City on the App Store. It supports the standard rules, many optional forms/games, lets you play head to head with friends, accepts the standard game number initialization “seeds” if you want to work on a particular game, etc. It’s the perfect game to pass a few minutes when stuck in a line/queue.

132 points by Yuval_Halevi 7y ago

Very disappointing, clearly they used the wrong deck back, it was all about that palm tree with the sun that had the easter egg smiley face. ;-)

TeMPOraL 7y ago
The robots were the best! They were animated!
jsgo 7y ago
I was always fond of the castle at night back. The backs were pretty awesome though.

joezydeco 7y ago

The artwork on the cards was drawn by Susan Kare, a legend in the industry starting with her work on the original Macintosh. https://www.aiga.org/medalist-susan-kare https://www.aiga.org/medalist-susan-kare You can buy a set of playing cards with her original Solitaire art on the backs. https://www.areaware.com/products/solitaire-cards?variant=14622412804 https://www.areaware.com/products/solitaire-cards?variant=14...

ducttape12 7y ago
Oh man those cards are awesome!
- icebraining 7y ago
  Yeah, I was really tempted to get it as a gift. Pity the EU version is much more expensive, for some reason.
  - deadmetheny 7y ago
    After shipping they cost $22 USD - that's mental for a deck of playing cards.
    - icebraining 7y ago
      It's almost $40 for my EU country!
- mozkito 7y ago
  Yeah, they look like these ones released back on 2012: http://www.evan-roth.com/work/solitaire-exe/ http://www.evan-roth.com/work/solitaire-exe/
SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
I'd heard of Susan Kare due to her work on the Mac icons but wasn't aware of this. Great fact!
estomagordo 7y ago
Getting DNS errors for areaware.com
ChrisArchitect 7y ago
In Conversation With Susan Kare: On Windows 3.0 Solitaire, Iconography, and Nostalgia https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074155/http://thisisstory.com/susan-kare-discusses-windows-3-solitaire-iconography-nostalgia/ https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074155/http://thisisstor...

7j 7y ago

"Microsoft Solitaire has likely been installed on more than a million devices." Probably billion, not million.

aussieguy1234 7y ago
Correct. They say a billion later on in the article. That's a typo
esrauch 7y ago
It's likely been installed on more than a million devices too.
- maxxxxx 7y ago
  Even on more than a dozen devices when you think about it.
  - gatesphere 7y ago
    At least two!
King-Aaron 7y ago
"Microsoft Solitaire has likely been installed on more than one device."
- estomagordo 7y ago
  An optimal implementation of Dijkstra's algorithm i O(nⁿ) in the number of vertices.
mozkito 7y ago
Just like Doom as well

aasasd 7y ago

In my country, the Gamos' “Lines” game was a strong contender for mass killing of office drones' time―if not the top butcher. It held strong from '92 until around 2000. (Known also as “Five or more” in Gnome games.)

sudeepj 7y ago

I still remember the blue deck (the one showed in the article) had black birds who flap their wings. Nostalgic!

FartyMcFarter 7y ago
I remember them as bats! Haven't checked though.
MisterTea 7y ago
That was the spooky castle deck complete with flapping bats. My favorite theme.

Insanity 7y ago

The win screen with the jumping cards is my main memory of the game to be honest :) pretty sure that's been parodied in movies as well.

neetodavid 7y ago
For anyone who needs a little dose of that https://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/effects/solitaire/ https://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/effects/solitaire/

scandox 7y ago

They might have credited the intern: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/3zfadv/til_that_microsoft_solitaire_was_developed_by_a/t3_3zfadv/ https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/3zfadv/til_t...

zyx321 7y ago
They might even credit Wes Cherry by name, and not just as "the intern"

imgabe 7y ago

I wish Microsoft hadn't ruined solitaire. It's now "Microsoft Solitaire Collection" with a whole online component and it's crippled if you're using it without an internet connection. It also drains the battery like nothing else. Sometimes you just want to kill some time on a plane without having to buy the overpriced crappy wifi!

Foivos 7y ago
So you need a book then?
- acct1771 7y ago
  Actually, a pack of playing cards, but that's a weird response to a common complaint here, which is big companies sunsetting user loved stuff for no visibly valid reason, besides IAP.
- criley2 7y ago
  People being condescending about books needs to stop. I'll just say it: only reading certain non-fiction has any real intellectual or health value over meditation, a walk, reading an article, etc. The rest is just entertainment and relaxation, same as everything else.
  - badpun 7y ago
    I presume you haven't read any great novelists (Dostoyevski, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn etc.) yet.
    - kaybe 7y ago
      I think you need to meet those in the right state of mind and circumstances. Some of them go deep into the human condition and our innermost beings, and if you haven't been close to that specific part you might not get it. Then they are just somewhat boring entertainment. (generic you)
    - criley2 7y ago

pbhjpbhj 7y ago

I once put a red card on a red playing MS "solitaire" (ie patience). It was either Win98 or XP. That was a wtf moment, like how could they get _that_ wrong. Would have loved to have known what was going on there. Edit: I misremembered, it was black on black; on WinXP. I have an image, but of course it doesn't prove anything as it could easily have been photoshopped.

sangnoir 7y ago
Did you have ECC memory? Might have been a flipped bit induced by a cosmic ray...
- pbhjpbhj 7y ago
  Yes, non-ECC. The possibility of that depends on the internal format used for cards, I guess if it were a binary format then a environmentally flipped bit is a possibility?

inoplanium 7y ago

PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch: how to pick the right video game console: https://infotolium.com/diffs/1223-ps4-xbox-one-or-nintendo-switch-how-to-pick-the-right-video-game-console.html https://infotolium.com/diffs/1223-ps4-xbox-one-or-nintendo-s... PlayStation 4. How much does it cost? The standard model costs $299.99, while the PS4 Pro model costs $399.99. Why should I choose this console? Right video game consoleAlthough the overwhelming majority of top console games are available across multiple platforms, PlayStation still hosts a diverse selection of titles strictly for its console, ranging from fantasy to racing games. Plus, for baseball fans, it’s the only one with a true official baseball simulation in its MLB: The Show series. Both models support HDR (high-dynamic resolution) and let you use PlayStation VR, which is currently the most affordable high-end option for virtual reality.

todd8 7y ago

On the iPhone, my favorite version of FreeCell solitaire is Solitaire City on the App Store. It supports the standard rules, many optional forms/games, lets you play head to head with friends, accepts the standard game number initialization “seeds” if you want to work on a particular game, etc. It’s the perfect game to pass a few minutes when stuck in a line/queue.