Tetris turned 40 this 12 months and it’s nonetheless a recreation 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 large international audiences.
A bit biased, she thinks of Tetris as the proper recreation, and he or she 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 recreation that folks and children play collectively.
Maya Rogers’ job has been to maintain developing with new types of Tetris on new platforms, equivalent 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 avid gamers.
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Among the many new markets she is happy about is the Center East, the place there are tons of younger avid gamers and girls coming into the workforce to make video games. In actual fact, Maya Rogers stated she would like to see the proper recreation turn out to be 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 strategy 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 proper recreation. Everybody is aware of the 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 avid gamers 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 recreation? Does it evoke that very same pleasure if 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 all the time in search of these moments for a revival. A strategy to maintain it recent for folks 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 need to lengthen 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 Related, Puyo Puyo Tetris. Completely different contact factors that attain a youthful technology of avid gamers.
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 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 depends 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 ability that’s behind the trade. I stated 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 turn out to be 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 an enormous issue. It must be represented. How can we symbolize 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. All the pieces is international. We’re all linked. I’m very excited to be right here.
GamesBeat: What do you see as an excellent web end result that might come out of exploring this area?
Rogers: They simply introduced the Esports Olympics. Tetris will be the excellent recreation for the Olympics. It’s a worldwide model. It’s iconic, similar to the Olympics. Everybody is aware of it. That will be the proper 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 may very well 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 form of shift that occurs. If you happen to have a look at all of the nations 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. Whenever you journey the world and meet folks 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 capable of 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 maintain 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 instant change. Some issues might by no means change, and that’s okay. We must always respect everybody from all cultures, similar to we do in Tetris. We’re all colours, we’re all totally 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 folks from vastly totally 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: Whenever you’re operating the corporate, how do you have a look at totally 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 recreation, an evergreen recreation. How can we make it possible for transcends time and the whole lot else? That’s been the most important factor for us. Once we have a look at our recreation and our model, we all the time take into consideration the gamers, our clients. Those that 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 to have interaction with the manufacturers we love.
That’s how I believe at this time’s trade has modified a bit. Earlier than it was form of a one-way avenue. Now it’s each method. It’s not simply video video games. It’s leisure and way of life. The entire above. Once 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 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 a number of locations you haven’t seen but. When Mercedes launched their EQS electrical automobile 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 recreation 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 recreation. We don’t need to mess with that.
