An ultra-rare piece of Microsoft history could be hiding on your shelf
Red Tetris stickers and shirtless Windows 95 tots - accidental collectibles gathering dust
Microsoft once produced a limited edition of its Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows, marketed with a sticker on the box instead of a printed Tetris promotion. According to veteran Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen, this occurred due to the company not securing the Tetris licensing rights before the initial production run. The Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows was introduced in 1990, coinciding with the launch of Windows 3.0, setting the stage for Microsoft's subsequent desktop market dominance.
Three more versions followed, with the last one released in 1992, although a "Best Of" version appeared in 1994 and another was designed for Windows CE later in the decade. The stickered version, currently available at the Microsoft Store, is an extremely rare find. Chen explained that the sticker was used as a backup plan in case the negotiations for the Tetris license fell through, threatening the release of the product without it.
Later print runs made the sticker a permanent part of the box artwork, contributing to the scarcity of the original version. Microsoft has a history of creating unexpected collectible items, like the Windows 95 hologram that features a shirtless child, which caused some controversy. Chen noted that the original version with the child without a shirt is considered a genuine collector's item.
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