SM: Will the game of Tetris itself evolve? HR: I think of a game as a contest of wills between people. If you go back to the original Tetris, it is more like a solitaire game. The next phase of Tetris, which we continue to develop, allows you to play it against another player.
SM: How big is Electronic Arts’ Tetris business? HR: It is probably somewhere between one-third and one half of their mobile phone game business.
SM: What rights did you actually secure for Nintendo for Tetris? HR: The contract I helped them negotiate was for worldwide rights for the console, and they then licensed the Japanese rights to me to continue publishing the game.
SM: What kind of revenue did it generate for you? HR: On the Nintendo we sold at 4,800 yen and we sold 2 million copies.
SM: Where did you find Tetris? HR: I found it at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
SM: Can you summarize the game for me? HR: The name was The Black Onyx. The objective of the game was to reach the end and become a very powerful warrior. During the game if you attacked people or monsters weaker than you, your karma would drop. The only way to get your karma back
Henk Rogers is an entrepreneurial video game designer who began with The Black Onyx, which he published through Bullet-Proof Software in Japan in 1983. In 1988, he successfully led the effort to secure Tetris rights for the Nintendo. Since then he has founded Blue Planet Software and Blue Lava Wireless. SM: Henk, let’s go back
By Guest Author Cindy Weng Putting a new spin on an old game is not always easy. However, the Tetris Company has managed to transform the classic video game into something that millions of internet users play daily. What is its secret to keeping up with today’s gaming market and even becoming a leader in