Rubik's Cube (Ideal)

 

I had one. You had one. We all had one. As children of the 80's it was impossible not to own a Rubik's Cube at some point. It was every parent's favorite educational game / toy, and a blessing on car rides in a pre handheld gaming world.

Magic Cube, or Bűvös kocka, as its original 1975 patent translates it in Hungarian, was created by Ernő Rubik, as a tool for solving the structural problem of moving the parts independently without the entire mechanism falling apart. Rubik stumbled upon the concept that he had created a puzzle box when shuffling the squares for the first time, and attempting to restore it.

The first cubes were sold in Budapest toy shops in 1977. However, it wouldn't be until Rubik met Austrian salesman, Tibor Laczi, that the small puzzle would garner its greatest success. With the approval of the inventor, Laczi took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair in February 1979. It was here that it garnered the attention of Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer, who worked a deal with Ideal Toys to release Magic Cube worldwide.

Ideal wanted a name that was recognizable, and could be trademarked. It was this thought process that lead to the box being named after its inventor, and the name was officially changed in 1980. However, this wasn't until after the toy manufacturer considered other names, such as The Gordian Knot and Inca Gold.

In addition to the name change, Rubik's Cube underwent significant revisions to meet with safety regulations in the West. Part of these changes incorporated an overall lighter puzzle box. With everything in place, production began, and the first wave shipped from Hungry in May of 1980.

Though sales were mild at first, Ideal set in motion a heavy advertising campaign which pushed the toy into the spotlight across homes via daily newspapers. As sales picked up, so too did its notoriety, winning the puzzle several awards across Germany, UK, USA, and France.

By 1981, Rubik's Cube was a household name, with sales estimated at two hundred million worldwide. This year also saw the first speed championship hosted by the Guinness Book of World Records. For those who remained in the amature class, several published books regarding solving the Cube were also released to help with the puzzle.

Popularity of the toy even caught the attention of ABC Television, who secured the rights, and developed a cartoon as part of The Pac-Man / Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour block. The series ran for one season, consisting of thirteen episodes which aired from September through December of 1983.

Sales dropped in 1982, with the New York Times reporting that the craze had died. However, this was only true in the USA. Whereas in several communist countries, demand remained high, with the toy continuing to be sought after from initial shortages. Though it is fair to say that overall sales had definitely plummeted by 1983 as compared to 1981.

Despite this, the Rubik's Cube has remained a staple item on toy shelves for decades, even seeing a revitalization in the 2000's. Championships also resumed for the first time since 1982 in 2003, and have remained a mainstay across the globe as people continue to battle for the coveted Guinness World Records title for fastest time. Feliks Zemdegs is the current title holder, solving the cube in 4.22 seconds.

As for me, I'll have to suffice for the tried and true tactic of peeling the stickers off, and unscrewing the center bit which holds it in place. I doubt I'll be winning any records going that route, but hey, I too solved the mystery of the Rubik's Cube.

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