Tetris turned 40 this 12 months and it’s nonetheless a recreation that individuals simply carry on taking part in.
I talked with Maya Rogers, CEO of Tetris, in Riyadh on the New World Sport Convention in Riyadh. She took over years in the past from her father, Henk Rogers, who was immortalized within the Tetris film alongside creator Alexey Pajitnov for bringing Tetris to large world audiences.
A bit biased, she thinks of Tetris as the right recreation, and he or she mentioned, “We don’t want to mess with that.” She’s touring the world is search of latest alternatives to make sure it stays a recreation that oldsters and youngsters play collectively.
Maya Rogers’ job has been to maintain arising with new types of Tetris on new platforms, resembling taking the sport to McDonald’s toy giveaways, the Tetris film, Tetris 99, Tetris Linked, Puyo Puyo Tetris and extra to place the sport in entrance of a brand new technology of players.
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Among the many new markets she is happy about is the Center East, the place there are tons of younger players and girls getting into the workforce to make video games. In reality, Maya Rogers mentioned she would like to see the right recreation turn into a part of the Esports Olympics, which is coming to Saudi Arabia.
Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Disclosure: NGSC paid my method to Riyadh and GamesBeat was a media associate for the occasion.
GamesBeat: What was your speak about at this convention?
Maya Rogers: The recipe for [our success is that] Alexey Pajitnov created the right recreation. Everybody is aware of tips on how to play it. It’s straightforward to enter and troublesome to grasp. That’s helped. And naturally staying related, being obtainable on each platform the place players go. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris is obtainable. We’re high of thoughts for customers all around the world. That’s one of many keys. In fact, sustaining true to the core of the sport. Is it a Tetris recreation? Does it evoke that very same pleasure once you play? Honoring the music, the gameplay, and the historical past. These are all issues that wrap round how we keep related.
GamesBeat: It looks like you’re at all times in search of these moments for a revival. A method to preserve it recent for individuals to seek out it.
Rogers: It’s been an attention-grabbing journey. We’ve gone past video games. We’ve had the Tetris film. It’s an iconic model. We need to prolong it into a way of life. It’s not only a online game anymore. However even inside video video games, we’ve innovated with video games like Tetris 99, Tetris Linked, Puyo Puyo Tetris. Totally different contact factors that attain a youthful technology of players.
Relying on who you ask, they’ve all performed Tetris, however they’ve a distinct story. For me it’s the Sport Boy and the NES. Speak to another person–we had been in Cologne. I used to be speaking to a 23-year-old bartender. They mentioned, “Oh, yes, I love Tetris. I played the old school version on my phone.” For him that’s old-fashioned. Tetris continues to be related. The preliminary contact level simply is dependent upon who you ask. What’s stunning about that, each one who’s performed Tetris has that have. “I remember this game that I used to play.”
GamesBeat: That is your second time right here in Riyadh. What has introduced you again?
Rogers: I’m glad I got here final 12 months, as a result of it was an enormous studying expertise. You see the dedication and the facility that’s behind the trade. I mentioned to somebody earlier, you get to construct a brand new trade right here with the youthful technology, the youthful workforce. There are such a lot of ladies. They’re encouraging ladies to turn into programmers and animators. They will mildew how this trade goes to be constructed for the long run.
GamesBeat: It’s been fascinating to see how gaming and esports can propel social change.
Rogers: We owe it to ourselves. For me personally, local weather change and sustainability, that’s such an enormous issue. It must be represented. How can we signify that in a online game in order that it’s not simply an afterthought, however we’re contributing to it? From high to backside, that’s one thing I’m keen about. How can we incorporate sustainability into our on a regular basis lives? Everyone seems to be affected by it.
GamesBeat: Is there a selected mission to perform within the Center East?
Rogers: The notice is right here. For lots of us who’re coming from the west, coming to the MENA area, seeing it for the primary time, you’re simply astonished. There’s such a fanfare, such a presence for video video games right here. It’s to not be ignored. Now that we’re right here and seeing the thrill, we would like to have the ability to do extra. It’s all world now. All the pieces is world. We’re all related. I’m very excited to be right here.
GamesBeat: What do you see as a very good web outcome that might come out of exploring this area?
Rogers: They simply introduced the Esports Olympics. Tetris will be the good recreation for the Olympics. It’s a worldwide model. It’s iconic, identical to the Olympics. Everybody is aware of it. That may be the right marriage. If lets say that we’re an Olympic sport, that actually legitimizes the online game trade. It stands in opposition to this notion that video video games could possibly be unhealthy for you.
GamesBeat: How do you come to consider points round human rights, ladies’s rights and so forth, versus the hope they’ve for the long run?
Rogers: With each tradition there’s some type of shift that occurs. Should you take a look at all of the nations that “become westernized,” they’ve gone by way of this shift. There’s numerous negativity, however it’s all politics, I really feel. If you journey the world and meet individuals from totally different cultures, you notice that we’re all the identical. It’s not about, “Your culture’s bad.” There’s custom. That must be revered.
Once more, it’s a singular place to be in. I used to be in a position to go to Bhutan a few years in the past. That’s one other instance of–they bypassed cable TV and went straight to cell phones. How do you continue to preserve your tradition whereas adapting to a brand new world? Saudi Arabia is an ideal instance of a rustic shifting with a brand new technology and seeing quick change. Some issues could by no means change, and that’s okay. We should always respect everybody from all cultures, identical to we do in Tetris. We’re all colours, we’re all totally different, however all of us could be collectively.
The truth that we’ve been round so lengthy is as a result of–it’s true of Henk and Alexey. Two individuals from vastly totally different elements of the world who got here along with a standard love of video games. It’s thrilling to see that occuring right here in Saudi Arabia.
GamesBeat: If you’re operating the corporate, how do you take a look at totally different alternatives? How do you resolve when one thing is value doing with Tetris? You haven’t gone off on sidequests with numerous different video games. You’ve taken this one factor and seen how far it goes.
Rogers: Earlier than I began operating the corporate, we had been doing different video games. However finally Tetris was the golden egg. We realized that, once more, it’s an ideal recreation, an evergreen recreation. How can we ensure that transcends time and the whole lot else? That’s been the most important factor for us. Once we take a look at our recreation and our model, we at all times take into consideration the gamers, our clients. Those who work together with the model. What do they need? If that is smart for the model, it is smart for Tetris–it’s about being a part of this transmedia world the place, as a fan, we must always be capable of interact with the manufacturers we love.
That’s how I believe right this moment’s trade has modified a bit. Earlier than it was type of a one-way road. Now it’s each means. It’s not simply video video games. It’s leisure and way of life. The entire above. Once we take a look at which new alternatives to go after, we take into consideration, who’s our consumer base? Does it make sense for them? Does it carry them pleasure?
GamesBeat: There are every kind of issues you possibly can nonetheless do. You will get into vehicles. You will get into airplanes. You will get into wearables.
Rogers: We’re already in airplanes. We’re in all probability in numerous locations you haven’t seen but. When Mercedes launched their EQS electrical automotive we had been embedded there. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris shall be.
GamesBeat: What do you see sooner or later for the Tetris Firm?
Rogers: Tetris has withstood time for many years. It’s a recreation that can proceed on like chess has, like many sports activities have. We don’t see it as a one-and-done kind of factor. It comes again to being the right recreation. We don’t need to mess with that.
