Tetris has been around for quite some time. In fact, it has been there for decades now. Thanks to the popularity of mobile applications and social media the kids from the nineties and the eighties are seeing the resurgence of this very popular game from their childhood.
You can easily see them in different mobile application stores. They may have different themes. They may have different lay-outs. They may include different functions or may have varied scoring systems. However, the simple goal of neatly stacking the bricks to form and let the completed line disappear so as not to reach the ceiling remains the same.
This game may have a simple concept but it is still challenging. Before you only have the option to play a puzzle mode or a time challenge one. Now, Tetris comes in different forms and different developers have created modifications and additions in this simple game. These are made readily available to the public through the numerous social networking sites out there.
A few days ago, something happened that forever changed the history of this game. A record was made for the largest Tetris Game ever played in the world. This happened in a Philadelphia skyscraper. Lights from the rooms of the building with visible windows were used as graphics for the giant Tetris Game. Because of this, it is probably the largest Tetris game ever made if not the world’s largest videogame overall.
The team from Drexel University lead by the computer science professor, Frank Lee was responsible for this feat. What they did was to hack the LED lighting system of the Cira Centre building downtown to create the biggest Tetris platform ever used. Perhaps, they did this to make statement and to be able to showcase an amazing technological feat while Tech week is happening.
The New York Times even reported that Lee and his team made a video about the project where they included a detailed report about how it was done and how they were successful in doing it.
During an interview, Lee actually told reporters that they wanted to tell everyone that although Tetris is just a game it could be used as a public ornament. He said that even when technology may seem to create a gap between people it can still be used for unity like playing a game like Tetris together.
Interestingly, this is already the second time in a row that the team of Lee hacked into the LED lighting system of the Cira Centre. Just last year, they created and played the biggest pong which was recognized by Guinness Record as the largest videogame architectural display. The Tetris that was flaunted and played on the same building a few days ago was twice as big as last year’s Pong though.
Creating such a massive display may not be as difficult as rocket science. However, what’s good about it is that it gave an opportunity for people to appreciate the technology even at its simplest form.