Tetris has been a staple of Nintendo gaming since it was released on the Game Boy in 1989. Since then, the tile-matching puzzle game has enjoyed unrivalled success courtesy of its timeless formula. Considered by many as the greatest game of all-time as a result of this, it is always interesting to hear about how one of the most famous videogames on the planet came about.
At a recent Q&A session at the 2015 DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Henk Rogers – the business partner of Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov – explained how the negotiation process unfolded between himself, Pajitnov’s people in Russia, and Nintendo in Japan – claiming it required heavy-handedness, a few bluffs and even some personal demands:
I had to pretend to Nintendo that the Russians … were not going to accept [the terms]. I forced them to put my copyright display up [on the screen] for four seconds. If you didn't press a button, it'd stay up for 8 seconds. I made [that requirement] up! I pretended to be a bit bigger than I really was when talking to Nintendo and the Russians.
Despite the importance seeing through deals with the big corporations, Rogers believes his partnership with Pajitnov was always the priority:
The most important relationship is the one between Alexey and I. He's the one who made the game, and I was the one to help make money from it. I don't know where the [video game] business is today, how it works, but it sure worked for us.
In the same Q&A, Tetris creator Pajitnov also offered some tips to budding game designers:
In order to achieve a really great goal, and really come up with a good game … you need to really fall in love with what you do. If you don't have this feeling, you'll make an [okay] game, but it'll never be a legendary game. Fall in love with what you do, that's my advice.
So there you have it; not only sound advice on how to make a good game from the Tetris creator himself, but also how Nintendo will meet your demands if you play the right cards.
Are you still a big Tetris fan, and do you hope to see more of it on Nintendo hardware in the near future? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to Ryan Millar for the tip!
[source gamasutra.com]
Comments 16
I should have grabbed Tetris before it disappeared from the e-shope.
I love tetris games, but I simply cannot put up with having to use touchscreen controls on smartphones. Physical buttons will never die.
Still a fan of Tetris, just wish Puyo could come along just as greatly as what Tetris did.
Hohoho, if only NoA would have told us that there would be no more Tetris before they yanked it off the eShop without any warning. I am still upset about that!
Damm that delist..... I could've gotten tetris as well.
Funny to get the inside scoop on one of the most important games in the history of Game Boy.
I'm glad I got both Tetris (GB) and Axis quite awhile ago, before they were pulled from the eShop. Although I still think Tetris DS was the best.
Has anyone played Tetris Ultimate? Been curious to see how that was with it's added streetpass functionality.
I still have the Gameboy version around here somewhere. I haven't played it in years. Maybe I'll try and find it.
Amen, Alexey!
It may sound weird, but I actually never could get into Tetris and I probably never will
@Artwark @Obito_Sigma
Europe got a notification. And it pays to visit Nintendo Life everyday. you could have seen the signs pointing to its removal.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/11/two_tetris_downloads_to_be_removed_from_the_3ds_eshop_in_europe
If you want the full story on the entire Tetris deal (which involved not just Nintendo but also Atari Games and Mirrorsoft / Spectrum Holobyte), you should read the book "Game Over" by David Sheff. It's a must-read book for any Nintendo fan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Over_%28book%29
Tetris is one of the few games I would label as perfect.
Full 1080HD 60fps or monochrome graphics on a 2.6in screen? Doesn't matter! Still awesome!
Play for hours straight or in 2 minute spurts? Doesn't matter! Still awesome!
Competitive 8 player matches or playing solo? Doesn't matter! Still awesome!
That kind of game design is legendary, and so hard to capture. And I see no signs of Tetris becoming obsolete anytime soon. It will always have a place no matter what the gaming environment evolves into.
I find Tetris history ver interesting, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pz0
Heh, I don't know how many times I've heard the business strategy of basically "keep it in your name", "make a company feel like they're missing out", and "strongarm your demands even if you have to lie"... the rest is history on how many things have become big and famous because of this, lol. Excellent read.
Best Game Ever
Still a big fan of Tetris, but i had missed it in the e-shop.
Is there a chance for a Come Back?
Now i play the Tetris DX with the GBC, also one of the best Tetris Game.
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