Tetris turned 40 this 12 months and it’s nonetheless a sport that folks simply carry on enjoying.
I talked with Maya Rogers, CEO of Tetris, in Riyadh on the New International 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 huge international audiences.
A bit biased, she thinks of Tetris as the proper sport, and she or he mentioned, “We don’t want to mess with that.” She’s touring the world is search of recent alternatives to make sure it stays a sport that oldsters and children play collectively.
Maya Rogers’ job has been to maintain arising with new types of Tetris on new platforms, corresponding to taking the sport to McDonald’s toy giveaways, the Tetris film, Tetris 99, Tetris Related, 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 coming into the workforce to make video games. In reality, Maya Rogers mentioned she would like to see the proper sport develop 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 technique to Riyadh and GamesBeat was a media companion for the occasion.
GamesBeat: What was your discuss at this convention?
Maya Rogers: The recipe for [our success is that] Alexey Pajitnov created the proper sport. Everybody is aware of the right way to play it. It’s simple to enter and troublesome to grasp. That’s helped. And naturally staying related, being accessible on each platform the place players go. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris is on the market. We’re prime of thoughts for customers everywhere in the world. That’s one of many keys. After all, sustaining true to the core of the sport. Is it a Tetris sport? 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 as if you’re at all times in search of these moments for a revival. A technique to hold it contemporary 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 life-style. It’s not only a online game anymore. However even inside video video games, we’ve innovated with video games like Tetris 99, Tetris Related, 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 Recreation Boy and the NES. Discuss to another person–we have 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 determined by who you ask. What’s lovely 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 a giant studying expertise. You see the dedication and the ability 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 girls. They’re encouraging girls to develop into programmers and animators. They will mould 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 a giant 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 prime to backside, that’s one thing I’m captivated with. 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 neglected. Now that we’re right here and seeing the thrill, we would like to have the ability to do extra. It’s all international now. Every thing is international. 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 only introduced the Esports Olympics. Tetris stands out as the excellent sport for the Olympics. It’s a worldwide model. It’s iconic, identical to the Olympics. Everybody is aware of it. That might be the proper marriage. If let’s imagine that we’re an Olympic sport, that actually legitimizes the online game trade. It stands in opposition to this notion that video video games might be unhealthy for you.
GamesBeat: How do you come to consider points round human rights, girls’s rights and so forth, versus the hope they’ve for the long run?
Rogers: With each tradition there’s some sort of shift that occurs. Should you take a look at all of the nations that “become westernized,” they’ve gone by this shift. There’s a number of negativity, but it surely’s all politics, I really feel. Once you journey the world and meet individuals from completely different cultures, you understand that we’re all the identical. It’s not about, “Your culture’s bad.” There’s custom. That ought to be revered.
Once more, it’s a novel 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 hold 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 speedy 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 completely different, however all of us will 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 completely different elements of the world who got here along with a typical love of video games. It’s thrilling to see that taking place right here in Saudi Arabia.
GamesBeat: Once you’re operating the corporate, how do you take a look at completely different alternatives? How do you determine when one thing is price doing with Tetris? You haven’t gone off on sidequests with a number of different video games. You’ve taken this one factor and seen how far it goes.
Rogers: Earlier than I began operating the corporate, we have been doing different video games. However finally Tetris was the golden egg. We realized that, once more, it’s an ideal sport, an evergreen sport. How can we guarantee that transcends time and every little thing else? That’s been the largest factor for us. After we take a look at our sport and our model, we at all times take into consideration the gamers, our prospects. Those who work together with the model. What do they need? If that is sensible for the model, it is sensible for Tetris–it’s about being a part of this transmedia world the place, as a fan, we must always have the ability to have interaction with the manufacturers we love.
That’s how I believe right now’s trade has modified a bit. Earlier than it was sort of a one-way road. Now it’s each means. It’s not simply video video games. It’s leisure and way of life. All the above. After we take a look at which new alternatives to go after, we take into consideration, who’s our person base? Does it make sense for them? Does it convey them pleasure?
GamesBeat: There are every kind of issues you’ll be able to nonetheless do. You may get into automobiles. You may get into airplanes. You may get into wearables.
Rogers: We’re already in airplanes. We’re in all probability in a number of locations you haven’t seen but. When Mercedes launched their EQS electrical automotive we have been embedded there. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris might be.
GamesBeat: What do you see sooner or later for the Tetris Firm?
Rogers: Tetris has withstood time for many years. It’s a sport that may proceed on like chess has, like many sports activities have. We don’t see it as a one-and-done sort of factor. It comes again to being the proper sport. We don’t need to mess with that.
