Microsoft Solitaire Inducted into Global Video Game Hall of Fame

When selecting new entries for the Hall of Fame worldwide video game, judges take into account a number of criteria. Is the game widely known and remembered? Has its popularity lasted over the years? And has this influenced not only other video games, but society in general?

Microsoft Solitary, supplied with the Windows operating system since 1990, may seem like a modest example of video game culture, but it easily meets the aforementioned criteria. This month, he is now an official member of the Hall of Fame worldwide video game, joining classic titles like Doom, Tetris, World of Warcraft, and Halo: Combat Evolved.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame is a relatively new institution, created in 2015 and overseen by The Strong teaching institute. His official home is at the National Game Museum in Rochester, New York, and every year he selects a handful of new members.

Credit: Global Video Game Hall of Fame / The Strong Museum

Solitary may be a video game for ages, but its inclusion in Windows had a higher purpose. The operating system developers felt that the familiar game was the perfect way to introduce users to relatively new computer concepts, such as the use of the mouse and drag and drop. Playing Solitary, users have perfected more than their card skills: a win-win for all.

Solitary was first provided with Windows 3.0 and appeared in all later versions of the software until Windows 8.1. It was removed from the base operating system, but was returned in Windows 10 after Microsoft admitted that Solitary, in the same way Minesweeper and Hearts, still have "dedicated subscribers".

Because of its inclusion in the world's most popular PC operating system, the weakest Solitary According to the Strong Museum, it has probably been installed on more than a billion devices, making it one of the most popular video games of all time. "Microsoft Solitary have demonstrated that there is a vast attractive gaming market for all types of people, paving the way for growth in the casual gaming market, "said the institute in a press release.

In a blog post, Paul Jensen, head of the Microsoft Casual Games studio, said that the introduction of Microsoft Solitaire was historic. "We are very honored to have the opportunity to work on such an engaging game, located in 65 languages ​​and used in over 200 markets around the world, including Antarctica," said Jensen.