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 world audiences.
A bit biased, she thinks of Tetris as the proper 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 folks and youngsters play collectively.
Maya Rogers’ job has been to maintain developing with new types of Tetris on new platforms, akin 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 worked up about is the Center East, the place there are tons of younger players and ladies getting into the workforce to make video games. In actual fact, Maya Rogers mentioned she would like to see the proper recreation grow 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 approach to Riyadh and GamesBeat was a media companion 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 easy methods to play it. It’s simple to enter and tough to grasp. That’s helped. And naturally staying related, being out there on each platform the place players go. Wherever video games are performed, Tetris is obtainable. We’re high 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 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 as if you’re at all times searching for these moments for a revival. A approach to hold it recent for folks to seek 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 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. Speak 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 style. Tetris continues 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 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 grow to be programmers and animators. They’ll 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 characterize 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 obsessed 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 world now. Every part is world. We’re all related. I’m very excited to be right here.
GamesBeat: What do you see as an excellent web end result that would come out of exploring this area?
Rogers: They only introduced the Esports Olympics. Tetris stands out as the good recreation for the Olympics. It’s a world 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, ladies’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 have a look at all of the international locations that “become westernized,” they’ve gone via this shift. There’s plenty of negativity, however it’s all politics, I really feel. If 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 needs to 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 cellphones. 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 instant 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 folks from vastly totally different components of the world who got here along with a typical love of video games. It’s thrilling to see that occuring right here in Saudi Arabia.
GamesBeat: If you’re working 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 plenty of different video games. You’ve taken this one factor and seen how far it goes.
Rogers: Earlier than I began working the corporate, we have been doing different video games. However in the end Tetris was the golden egg. We realized that, once more, it’s an ideal recreation, an evergreen recreation. How can we guarantee that transcends time and all the things else? That’s been the most important factor for us. After we have a look at our recreation and our model, we at all times take into consideration the gamers, our clients. People 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 should always be capable of interact with the manufacturers we love.
That’s how I feel at the moment’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 life-style. 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 deliver them pleasure?
GamesBeat: There are all types of issues you may nonetheless do. You may get into vehicles. You may get into airplanes. You may get into wearables.
Rogers: We’re already in airplanes. We’re most likely in plenty 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 can 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 sort of factor. It comes again to being the proper recreation. We don’t wish to mess with that.
