- [Narrator] Solitaire is one of the most popular
computer games of all time,
and we went to find the guy who created it.
(tires screech)
(doorbell rings)
- Yes, may I help you?
- [Narrator] Are you the person that wrote
solitaire for Microsoft?
- Yes, but that was a long time ago.
- [Narrator] We gotta talk.
Can we come in?
Great, thank you.
(cheerful music)
('80's pop music)
- [Narrator] Alright, this is Wes.
- I'm Wes Cherry, and I wrote Windows Solitaire.
I wrote the game in 1988 as an intern.
Internships at Microsoft were really an all
encompassing thing, but I squoze it in there
in the few little hours of my free time.
- [Narrator] For those who need a refresher,
Solitaire was played on the computer using a mouse.
Cards are pulled from the deck in an effort
to stack cards in order by suit.
And if you won, you got an awesome display of cards
cascading towards you.
- [Wes] I came up with the idea to write
Solitaire for Windows out of boredom, really.
There wasn't many games right at the time
so we had to make them.
In the mid to late ’90's was just when people started
really getting computers in their home.
Microsoft officially said that Solitaire was there to
teach people how to use the mouse.
But, in reality it was just really just
something to have fun with.
Before they ever released Windows,
of course Bill Gates got a shot at it.
His biggest complaint was that Solitaire
was too hard to win.
- [Narrator] And once people figured out the mouse
it became a favorite past time.
- The number of hours wasted on Solitaire
is really countless.
I can say that right after Solitaire was released in 1990
there was a world recession.
- [Narrator] So many people were playing it in the workplace
that Wes came up with what he called “the boss key.”
- Press the special key and a spreadsheet was come up,
so it made it look like you were doing real work.
But, Microsoft made my take it out.
- [Narrator] Considering this game
has been around for decades,
you must have made a ton of money.
- I was not paid not a single cent.
At one time I said if I only got a penny per copy
I would be very rich.
So far, only 14 people have made good on that.
I'm still waiting for the rest of you.
- [Narrator] Well, you heard the man.
Do you still work with computers?
- I work with Apple now.
Apples, actually.
And I own a cidery.
(crunching)
- [Narrator] Ah, Wes,
there's something behind you.
Wes, run!
(pounding)