Tetrinet 2 Shutdown forever

Yesterday was a sad day for the tetris community. A popular multiplayer tetris game, Tetrinet, was shutdown by The Tetris Company. Simultaneously the website and game servers were shutdown with little to no warning. The news is still circulating to game operators and players. This shutdown marks the end of a decade of free multiplayer tetris with unique and challenging game modes. Through the years there were various tetrinet tournaments which included some of the best tetris players in the world. It is believed that the latest attempts to shutdown multiplayer tetris clones is because of The Tetris Company’s first game release, Tetris Splash, which is available for download on Xbox Live Arcade (with a cost of $10).
It is unfortunate that the current owners of the tetris license are attempting these intimidation tactics again. In the 90’s they attempted to remove all free copies of tetris from the internet but were faced with the following challeneges. In the US a game can not be copyrighted. Only the name can be trademarked and the music can be copyrighted. This is effect means that the only thing that can be prevented is the use of a name like tetri* and the distribution of a clone of the original tetris music. I for one hope the tetrinet admins fight this shutdown through the use of a new name and stripping the included game music but at this time it looks doubtful. Lack of time and funding will likely spell the permanent demise of what was once regarded as the greatest multiplayer tetris game ever written.

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80 Responses to Tetrinet 2 Shutdown forever

  1. I miss Tnet 2 as well…the other tetris games out there just aren’t the same. I miss being bored and just thinking like “hey its time for a quick game on tnet” =(

    – A depressed Tnet fan

  2. Been playing Blockles lately over at omgpop.com

    At least you can use items that are similar to what Tnet2 had, but…it still doesn’t fill the void ='(

  3. japan0708,
    I just tried out monster trickles and I thought it was great. Seeing those trick icons pop up got me all warm and fuzzy. I see a ton of potential here and I hope to see development completed. Multiplayer tetris is my heroin and cultris, as fun as it is, only serves as methadone.
    Have you tried stopping by the forum @ tetrisconcept.com? I’m guessing that several of the blockheads there would be pretty excited about this. Are there any plans to add speed and delay adjustments to the controls section?

  4. Well i’ve been searching for interest around the web. it seems interest for an alternative tetris networking game is quite low right now.

    I’ll keep looking but without the people. My game can only go so far and i’ll just have to put the development on halt. I’ll just have to keep searching.

  5. I’m trying to revive the tetrinet community also. But I’m little concerned with these take down notices.

    Click on nick for game website. check it out.

  6. bignasty:
    I’d pay 50 bucks to do the same. Sign me up!

    Nero Dragon:
    As you can see I definitely haven’t let it go. Every time I see a computer I miss tnet2 :(

  7. I find it amusing…Tnet2 was such a great game that everyone seems to have a hard time forgetting it/letting it go. Good times.

  8. spring is in the air, and i have a hankering….

    for tetris….

    go figure.

    is it possible for someone to run tnet 2 on a private server so noone can see us?

    i’d put in a few bucks to set that shit up

    bn

  9. Nice article Desiree, very informative. So all us tnet2 fans need is for st0rmcat to get in contact with your IP lawyer (or for me to win the lottery and buy both the source code and pay for a good lawyer ). :(

  10. i’ve left the tnet icon on my desktop forever…..today i clicked it and thought maybe…..then i googled tnet2 and found this…

    i started tnet in 97….nothing beat tnet2 though it was so nice

    dont have as much time to play it now anyway, but i do miss it when im bored

  11. i just want to get it in here that i loved tnet and grew up with it (from angsty teen to jaded mum). such a shame tnet2 is gone, it was the best version!!!!

  12. For a trademark to be valid, it has to be the sole employer of such a word/mark in the industry specified.

    This is not necessarily the case for the word TETRIS and the Tetris Company. Some argue that TETRIS has become generically associated with the GENRE of tetromino/falling block/”tetris” games (http://domains.adrforum.com/domains/decisions/1030720.htm)

    TetriNet might not even have to change its name if it could get a good IP lawyer to argue the above. I will be releasing a network tetromino game on the iPhone shortly, and in anticipation of any dispute with the Tetris Company have found an IP lawyer through the EFF who is willing to help out free of charge.

    Also, I’m writing a blog covering the Tetris Company, Intellectual Property Law, and the iPhone: http://desiree47.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/the-tetris-company-and-the-iphone/

  13. OREOOO!!!

    I keep hoping Tnet is going to pop back up one day. Unfortunately that never happens. If only the source had been released – there would have been no easy way to shut it down.

    Blocktrix reached a stable release sometime in the last couple of months. I think myself and Apoxx are going to see about getting a btrix server up and running again. I’ll keep ya posted.

  14. I have been playing since the 90’s when we met on irc #tetrinet(undernet) when casper was around.

    it’s a shame that this is over! at one point me Apoxx and dodd try to come up with a dot net version but that fell through.

    oh well.