Tetris turned 40 this 12 months and it’s nonetheless a sport that individuals simply carry on taking part in.
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 large world audiences.
A bit biased, she thinks of Tetris as the proper sport, and she or he stated, “We don’t want to mess with that.” She’s touring the world is search of latest alternatives to make sure it stays a sport that folks and youngsters play collectively.
Maya Rogers’ job has been to maintain developing with new types of Tetris on new platforms, reminiscent of 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 era of players.
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Among the many new markets she is worked up 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 stated 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 solution to Riyadh and GamesBeat was a media accomplice 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 tips on how to play it. It’s straightforward to enter and tough 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 obtainable. We’re prime of thoughts for customers all around 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 while 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 on the lookout for these moments for a revival. A solution to preserve it recent for individuals to search out it.
Rogers: It’s been an fascinating journey. We’ve gone past video games. We’ve had the Tetris film. It’s an iconic model. We wish to lengthen 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 Linked, Puyo Puyo Tetris. Completely different contact factors that attain a youthful era 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. Discuss to another person–we had been in Cologne. I used to be speaking to a 23-year-old bartender. They stated, “Oh, yes, I love Tetris. I played the old school version on my phone.” For him that’s old style. Tetris remains to be related. The preliminary contact level simply is dependent upon who you ask. What’s stunning about that, each one that’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 stated to somebody earlier, you get to construct a brand new trade right here with the youthful era, the youthful workforce. There are such a lot of girls. They’re encouraging girls to develop into programmers and animators. They’ll mould how this trade goes to be constructed for the longer term.
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 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 attention 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 missed. Now that we’re right here and seeing the thrill, we wish to have the ability to do extra. It’s all world now. Every little thing is world. We’re all related. I’m very excited to be right here.
GamesBeat: What do you see as web outcome that would come out of exploring this area?
Rogers: They only introduced the Esports Olympics. Tetris stands out as the good sport for the Olympics. It’s a world model. It’s iconic, identical to the Olympics. Everybody is aware of it. That will be the proper marriage. If lets say that we’re an Olympic sport, that basically 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 longer term?
Rogers: With each tradition there’s some form of shift that occurs. In case you have a look at all of the international locations that “become westernized,” they’ve gone by way of this shift. There’s a number of negativity, however it’s all politics, I really feel. While you journey the world and meet individuals from totally different cultures, you understand 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 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 cellphones. 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 era and seeing quick change. Some issues might 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 components 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: While you’re operating the corporate, how do you have a look at totally different alternatives? How do you determine when one thing is value 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 had 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 ensure that transcends time and all the things else? That’s been the largest factor for us. After we have 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 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 have interaction with the manufacturers we love.
That’s how I believe immediately’s trade has modified a bit. Earlier than it was form of a one-way avenue. Now it’s each means. It’s not simply video video games. It’s leisure and way of life. All the above. After we have 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 may 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 most likely in a number of locations you haven’t seen but. When Mercedes launched their EQS electrical automobile we had been embedded there. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris will likely 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 wish to mess with that.