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Microsoft

The man who wrote Windows Solitaire was an intern who never made royalties from it

Despite it being one of the most popular games on Microsoft’s software.

SINCE IT WAS first included with Windows 3.0 back in 1990, Solitaire has been an integral part of Microsoft’s software.

Many were introduced to it through Windows 95 and would have spent much of their time playing it as it was easy to understand. Its inclusion was even a way for people to learn the basic actions needed to use Windows without realising it (remember this was more than 25 years ago when PCs weren’t commonplace).

What you might not know is the game was designed by a then 25-year-old intern named Wes Cherry. He originally wrote it for Windows 2.1 back in 1988 before a program manager on the Windows team decided to include it with Windows 3.0.

Despite it being featured on every version of Windows (with the exception of 8), Cherry didn’t receive any royalties from it, a story that pops up regularly.

After a Reddit thread resurrected the piece of trivia, Cherry joined in after receiving a Facebook message about it – his cider production website went down after those on the thread started visiting it – and decided to tell the story again.

“I wrote it for Windows 2.1 in my own time while an intern at Microsoft during the summer of 1988,” explained Cherry. “I had played a similar solitaire game on the Mac instead of studying for finals at college and wanted a version for myself on Windows”.

At the time there was an internal “company within a company” called Bogus software. It was really just a server where bunch of guys having fun hacking Windows to learn about the API tossed their games.
A program manager on the Windows team saw it and decided to include it in Windows 3.0. It was made clear that they wouldn’t pay me other than supplying me with an IBM XT to fix some bugs during the school year – I was perfectly fine with it and I am to this day.

solitaire-gif musicianhayd / YouTube musicianhayd / YouTube / YouTube

He did make a version of Pipe Dream which was included in one of the Windows Entertainment packs, and was paid ” a few thousand bucks in stock” for it.

Today, the only programming he does is for embedded controllers for brewing cider, although he is reminded about a joke he made that if everyone who played the game sent him one cent, he would be rich.

A few people have paid me “a penny” as a joke. I’d get them in the mail, or in person if someone introduced me as the author of Solitaire and the obligatory no royalties conversation came up. I think I’m up to about eight cents now.

Read: There’s a secret reason why Solitaire was included with Windows 25 years ago >

Read: VR is arriving soon but only 1% of PCs will be able to run it >

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10 Comments
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:39 AM

    Great game, but the curse of employers worldwide for the last quarter century!
    :0)

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    Mute Tom Colgan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:25 AM

    This is a brilliant game. When it was first introduced into Windows OS the graphics for its time was nice even though it was very basic.
    Myself and my Dad got lots of hours of fun playing this game on windows 3.1 and windows 95

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:17 AM

    the Gates were slammed on Wes

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    Mute James Delaney
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:26 AM

    Wow. Did u have to wait till 1995 – ever hear of a pack of cards or us that ‘too manual’ 4u.

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    Mute jane
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:55 AM

    You’d think Gates would have thrown him a few bob.

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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:56 AM

    Jeez, I LOVED this game. He may not have got the royalties but talk about making an impact on your world (probably would have preferred to the money to be fair :) )

    Used to play it for HOURS to see how quickly I could complete it. I know I got down to below 55 secs but I honestly can’t remember what my final “record” was. Think I still have the screenshots on my old laptop…… hhhhmmmm, project for tonight then so.

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    Mute Tom Colgan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:27 AM

    This is a brilliant game. Even though the design was basic the graphics were top quality for its time

    Myself and my dad got hours of fun playing this on Windows 3.1 and Windows 95

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    Mute Lily
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:39 PM

    Thing is if you work for a company even as an intern all work you do for the company is classed as theirs. Not yours.

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    Mute Colm A. Corcoran
    Favourite Colm A. Corcoran
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    Jan 5th 2016, 10:29 AM

    Cider production? So that’s what happens to Software Developers after forty. Meh… wouldn’t mind I guess.

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    Mute James Delaney
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:25 AM

    Wes cut a lonely figure

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