Why did the Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows have a special sticker announcing that it also had Tetris?

This article discusses the unique marketing decision behind the first Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows, which included a sticker announcing the addition of Tetris due to licensing negotiations. It highlights the rarity of copies with the sticker.

From the article

The first Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows didn’t have a number after its name because it was the first one, and nobody knew that there were going to be any sequels.¹

It may not have had a big number 1 on the box, but initial runs did have a bright red sticker that said, “Now includes TETRIS for Windows!” There was no mention of Tetris anywhere else on the box. Why did it announce the inclusion of Tetris only with a sticker?

Because at the time the first run of boxes were being printed, the negotiations to license Tetris hadn’t yet concluded. There was a chance that the negotiations would fall through, and the Entertainment Pack would have to be released without Tetris.

Share this resource