Bill Gates’ addiction toMinesweeperin the 90s helped convinceMicrosoftto ship video games and eventually led to the creation of Xbox, a recent report revealed. WhileMicrosoftwas originally a technology company creating operating systems for computers, it is now a major actor in the gaming industry thanks to its Xbox division.
The first ever gaming experience for many computer users was withMinesweeperandSolitaire, two games included in the Windows OS. Thesegames had an almost infinite replay value, being easy enough to play but with the ultimate goal to win the game and beat its high score. Microsoft was the only company to ship games with its OS, mainly to serve as a way for consumers to learn how to use a mouse in an era dominated by keyboard interfaces. To help them differentiate a left from a right click,Minesweeperincluded a feature letting players flag a mine with the right click, while they had to click on the left button to reveal an empty location - or destroy a mine and lose the game.
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IfMinesweeperandSolitaireare now staples in PC gaming, their existence and the future creation of Xbox were caused by Bill Gates’ addiction toMinesweeperwhen the game was still an internal project. In his book about the history ofMinesweeper, Kyle Orland revealed the origins of this game and how it shaped thefuture of gaming at Microsoft.Minesweeperwas such a hit at Microsoft’s offices that it proved video games were an added value for their operating system, at a time when consumers favored the cheaper macOS.
When it was released on Microsoft’s internal network in 1990,Minesweeperbecame widely popular among employees.Minesweeperespecially appealed to players who enjoyed mathand logic, as it put their skills to the test and required them to act fast if they wanted to beat the current high score. The most notable player was Bill Gates, the co-founder of the company, who spent hours trying to beatMinesweeper’s high score.
Solitairealso had a major impact on Microsoft to prove that their customers were interested in video games.Solitairecame out 30 years ago, as pre-installed software on Windows 3.0. It quickly became a hit, with millions of players trying to win the game to see the cascading cards flooding the screen. According to former Microsoft Casual Games Design Director Kevin Lambert, Windows users spent more time onSolitairethan almost all other Microsoft software, as the game was more popular than apps such as Word and Excel.
The success ofSolitaireandMinesweepertaught Microsoft that their customers had an appetite for games and that they could help make Windows more attractive. Thirty years later, Microsoft understood that lesson as the company is now a major actor in the gaming industry, with theXboxbeing one of the most popular consoles and the currentActivision Blizzard acquisition threatening Microsoft’s competitors.
