November 14, 2025 • 20 mins
Maya Rogers on expanding iconic brand Tetris for today's audiences and new partnerships with Red Bull, Amazon, Netflix and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Strictly Business, Variety's weekly podcast featuring conversations about
the business of media and entertainment. I'm senior business writer,
TV and video games. Jennifer moss Henk Rogers secured the
rights for Tetris back in the nineteen eighties. Today, his daughter,
Maya Rodgers is the CEO of Tetris, where she oversees
the strategic direction of the iconic video game franchise as
(00:33):
the gaming industry competition becomes stiffer and stiffer. Added the
Red Bull sponsored Tetris World Final in Dubai next month.
Maya Rogers speaks with Strictly Business about the future of
the brand and how it's adapting to today's audiences. Maya,
thank you so much for joining me for Strictly Business today.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You've spent over seventeen years with Tetris after a career
in licensing and entertainment. What initially led you to the
company and how has that shaped your approach SEEO.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
So, I've actually been surrounded by Tetris my entire life.
My father was the one responsible for finding the Tetris
license and brought it to Nintendo. For those of you
who've seen the Apple TV Tetris movie. It sort of
talks about that story of the background of how Tetris
came to the rest of the world. And so about
seventeen years ago I joined the family business, and about
(01:25):
thirteen years ago I became CEO. And so for me,
it wasn't just a job, it was something that has
really been ingrained in my DNA and Tetris being such
a cultural icon for me, it was so important to
see if I can and how I can become involved
and keep it relevant and surprising. So, you know, my
goal for Tetris has always been to expand beyond video
(01:48):
games into a global brand and it's just truly been
an honor to be part of that legacy.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
The Red Bull and Tetris campaign is a groundbreaking partnership
that combinds gaming, technology and lifestyle. This partnership come about
and what does it mean for Tetris's future.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So the collaboration with Red Bull is the biggest Tetris
live event that we've done to date, and we've had
previous relationships with Red Bull where we did a game
called Tetris Mindbender and Succession. As a succession to that,
Red Bull approached us and they wanted to do this
exciting online competition. So it's been a year long project.
(02:24):
There is a global competition happening where players from around
the world can compete on their mobile phone for their
best scores, and fifty five countries around the world are
having these championships, and in fact, the World Championships and
all of these countries are happening now until end of November.
(02:44):
And I'm so excited because in December we get to
go to Dubai and watch the biggest video game display
of a drone show. So within this structure in Dubai
called the Frame, which is a four hundred foot tall
building or architectural piece, we're going to be playing a
(03:04):
two thousand drone video game of Tetris. And so I'm
so excited because the finals finalists will be flown to
Dubai and we get to see this in the skyscrapes
of Dubai. Also what's exciting too is that we've also
done Tetris collaborated cans red Bull cans. So right now,
if you go to the local hopefully the local stores,
(03:27):
you'll see these Tetris cans that we collaborated together to design.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
How was Dubai chosen as the location.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I think Red Bull wanted to choose a location that
was very international, and the fact that they're able to
have the frame as the sort of the spectacle of
this drone show. It can't be done anywhere else. If
you've seen the frame and what it looks like, there's
not another structure like it, and so it was kind
of the perfect culmination I think of, you know, doing
(03:56):
something that's international on the location, and also I think,
you know, thens of video games into sort of the
Middle East Amina region is probably one of the other reasons,
but it was really red Bull who kind of came
up with a Dubai relationship.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Events like the World Finals represent Tetris has pushed in
esports and experiential gaming. What do global tournaments like these
bring to Tetris from a business perspective.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I think Tetris has always been the game that's evergreen.
It's a game that brings people together. So doing things
around esports and competition, Tetris is the perfect game. You know,
it doesn't require language, it's global, anybody can play it,
and it's a safe game. There's no violence, and so
we're just so excited that an opportunity like this with
Red Bull and others could open doors for really the
(04:43):
world coming together and you know, competing in a friendship
kind of way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
In terms of what you're seeing from this collaboration and
what you've been looking head to what you see in
terms of monetization, if it's driving more gameplay, what you're
hoping to get out of it from that side of
the business, I.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Think everything we do, you know, it's not always just
dollars and cents, you know, So monetization is one thing,
but I think global awareness is a huge part of it.
Tetris has been here for over forty years since Alexi
patriknav first developed and programmed the game, So you know,
what are all the touch points where we can keep
and make sure that the brand stays relevant and evergreen
(05:23):
are things that we consider. And so something like this,
which has like such a global footprint, and the fact
that with Red Bull, like they've gone fifty five countries
around the world participated in this global campaign just goes
to show how big the brand is and it's not
just about you know, making sure that we're making money
on every single game played.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Are there other partnerships you're looking at right now and
what are their fits there might be for Tetris's long
term branding and expansion.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So we've really gone beyond just the traditional kind of
video game products, you know. Now today we're a licensing business,
so it allows us to really expand our reach beyond
just the just the traditional kind of what you think
as a video game. You know, We've done things like
the Sphere in Las Vegas, where Tetris had a little takeover.
(06:13):
Right now in London at the Outernet there is a
structure where you can walk into and it's the biggest
indoor display of a collaborative Tetris game, you know. So
we're taking it outside of like the traditional video games
and making it more immersive. Those are really exciting opportunities
because you know, again, Tetris is such an iconic brand,
(06:33):
and so where else can we be there where our
players can resonate with with the love for the brand.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
How does a brand that this is this legacy and
been around for so long differentiity itself and maintain relevance
for diverse audiences.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
So really, I think the number one thing is that
Alexi Pachnov created the perfect game, you know, We never
want to break that, and it's the magic that has
kind of kept on giving. So the first thing that
we always try to make sure is that the game
stays relevant and authentic to what people know as Tetris.
It's undeniably Tetris when people play it right, and so
(07:10):
that is one thing. But the other thing that we
try to do is that wherever games are played, we
try to make sure that Tetris is available, which keeps
it evergreen. We know that when a new platforms launch,
for example, Tetris is one of those games that people
look for, and so we want to make sure that
we're everywhere where games are played. And as long as
(07:30):
that is happening, and that's never going to go away,
Tetris will always be around.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
At the same time, gaming companies are navigating challenges like inflation,
supply chain disruption, and changing consumer preferences. How is Tetris
strategically planning to remain resilient and continue growing in the
face of these macroeconomic concerns.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I mean, definitely those things are affecting us too. For example,
we do have a fairly large merchandising program, and the
tariffs in the US are getting affected in our manufacturers
and partners are also getting affected, you know, just like
anything else. Right, We've been around for forty years and
so things will come and go. But again I think
as long as for us to keep authentically tied to
(08:14):
what the game is and the gameplay is, and it's
really about bringing that joy to the world, you know,
we will have to ride the waves as they come.
But going back to my earlier point, I think Tetris
is a game that will be here for generations and
centuries to come, and so we have that kind of
in our back pocket and we just want to make
sure that again the experience is there for people that
(08:36):
you know, get to experience Tetris in the new generations
to come.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
We'll be back with more for maya after this break.
I'm sure it's hard to quantify, but when you look
at something like how Tetris has just affected many other games,
tons of other games and in all different ways, especially
once mobile gaming blew up, when you see certain things
and if you're like, that's Tetris coded, that.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Began with Tetris, we're seeing that a lot today. Well,
one I think it goes to show like the iconic
nature of Tetris and how much it's impacted humans and
our and our desire to want to play and have
joy in our world. At the same time, Tetris is
a protected IP and so we had one a very
(09:22):
significant lawsuit years back that kind of proved that gameplay
can be protected. And by doing so, now we're saying
to the world, guess what, you know, games can be protected,
And so we do a lot of that at Tetris.
If they are direct competitions or our direct infringements of Tetris,
we do try to make sure that we're protecting our IP.
(09:44):
So we do go after the infringements, and that's a
big part of it.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think it's a big debate. It's you know, creative
freedom versus who owns the IP. I think the balance
is somewhere in the middle. But I think it's very
important to be able to protect artists work and guess what,
Tetris is a piece of art and so we're going
to do whatever we can to protect it.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Speaking of another partnership after red Bull and just other things,
you will have worked on collaboration with Rubik's Cube and
how did that partnership come about and how do you
see it aligning with Tetris' evolution and opportunities.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So the collaboration with Rubik's Cube is very exciting for us.
It came out of a relationship that we signed up
with a company called Spinmaster, who owns Rubik's Cube in
twenty twenty four, and now the next year we'll be
coming out with a sleuth of different products, from the
Impossible Puzzle to of course Rubik's Mashup, to other board
(10:38):
games and such. What what's exciting about Rubik's Cube is
that both products, both ips were celebrating. Rubik's Cube was
celebrating their fiftieth anniversary and Tetris was celebrating their fortieth anniversary.
So as part of that, we did launch a collaborative
collaborative Rubik's Cube. But we've went even further than that,
(10:59):
and so this year we've designed a actual Rubiks Cube
that incorporates Tetris in it. So imagine trying to solve
the Rubus Cube, but you have to line up the
Tetris that Tetramino pieces perfectly in each of the quadrants.
I'm not going to be touching the Rubiks because it's
probably an impossible thing to solve. But I'm sure that
(11:20):
the fans of Tetris and Rubus Rubics are going to
go crazy because it's such a unique product that could
have only come through the collaboration that we've had with Spinmaster.
And I also wanted to add so Alexi Pajetnov, the
creator of Tetris, is from the Soviet Union, and then
the founder of Rubis is also from Eastern Europe. They've
never met before all these years, and there might be
(11:42):
some surprises later in the year that maybe they're meeting.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Looking at the entertainment space, other platforms, other forms of media, TV, movies,
I'd like to know what you see is some of
the opportunities apart from the already existing Tetris movies.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I do want to mention that the Tetris movie was
sort of one of the first video game stories to
come out, and the significance of that story was that
it wasn't about the video game, but it was about
the people behind the game, right, And I think those
stories are just gonna start coming out the woodwork, because again,
it's people like us who are doing the everyday kind
(12:18):
of things that make magic happen. And I think highlighting
that is really cool and interesting. This year, we also
launched a documentary called based on Blue Scootie, the kid
who crashed a Tetris game, the original ne Ees game,
And we just launched a documentary with Legendary Films at
Tribeca Film Festival. So again another story about the fan
(12:42):
base and what players go through when they engage with
video games. I think what's happening with video games right now.
We know that video games is the biggest revenue generator.
They're making more money than movies today. And where players
are interacting with video games is everywhere. It's not just
through video games anymore. My kids who are too young
(13:04):
to be playing Minecraft maybe not, but now they're watching Minecraft.
Their entry point to Minecraft is through YouTube. And so
that's the perfect example of video games are not just
being played, they're being watched. And so I think the
expansion of how consumers interact with brands and video games
(13:25):
are brands, I think it's just endless possibility. Video games
are not squarely in the video games space anymore. It's
how as an audience do you interact with what you love?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Competitive Tetris has grown rapidly and attracts millions of spectators.
How does Tetris fit into the esports landscape strategically in
that way, and what opportunities do you see for expanding
this area the business. We talked a little bit earlier
about the partnership in Dubai, but just in terms of
the passionate fan base there is and how much you
all interact with them.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Yeah, and I think that esports is a huge opportunity.
The fact that the sports has become an official Olympic
sport goes to show that it's not just for pastimes.
I think Tetris is the perfect game because it has
all the elements that it requires for it to be
a competitive game. Tetris has always been an esport, has
always been a competitive game, and so I think for
(14:17):
us to be able to be recognized as an official
Olympic sport, for example, is a big goal of ours.
So that the fan base has always been global, I
think we know that there's been competitions even without our
involvement as a Tetris company has been rapidly growing. We
can even see with the Classic Tetris World Championship, those
(14:39):
are niche set of players that are playing the classic
Tetris game and it's now bloomed into a global phenomenon
where young kids thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year olds are coming
to play. It just goes to show like the idea
of competing with Tetris is a timeless thing that will
keep going. And so I think we're alway looking for
(15:00):
opportunities to expand and see how we can really kind
of capitalize on the esports. Without saying too much, but
we do have things sort of in the pipe, in
the pipeline that we're working on.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
As you look ahead, this teatresses next chapter, what are
the company's top priorities for growth.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So I think with a lot of video game companies,
you know, consoles, new consoles coming out, that's a big thing.
This year, Tetris had a launch title on the Switch
to with Tetris franchise, and so always when they're when
we're in between console gaming, we may not have major
launch titles, but we're always innovating and coming out with
(15:39):
new titles. So I think the next big wave will be,
you know, again without saying too much, thinking about what
is the next gen consoles going to be? Just this
last year, we came out with a product called Tetris Forever,
which was on multiple platforms, and we're just launching now
on Netflix a version of the game that came from
(16:00):
the game Tetris Forever, so please look out for that.
And also we were just launching on the Amazon Luna
a game called Tetris Effect, another variation of it for
the Luna console or the Luna gaming platform. We're always innovating,
We're always trying to figure out what's the next big
thing and keeps us very busy.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The Luna partnership in particular is interesting because they just
did a giant revamp of what that service looks like
in Amazon's putting a lot behind party games on there
and putting a lot behind driving people to that in
a way that they hadn't done that before.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Absolutely, and I think again Tetris is one of those
games people recognize it, they want to play it, especially
where it's a gaming platform you know that is reaching
the masses. We absolutely need to be there and should
be there. And so Tetris Effect is the perfect kind
of game that came out in twenty eighteen, and we've
done so many variations of it, but it's one of
(16:54):
those cultural phenomenon games that we're so excited to support.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
And then just lastly, I'd like to know what you
would like fans of Tetris to know about the company's
vision for the future.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, for us, we do what we do because
we love what we do, and we always think about
how does this gameplay or this interaction with the brand
bring joy to our players around the world. So, you know,
we're here to provide joy. We love that Tetris is
able to kind of be that avenue for entertainment in life,
(17:28):
and that's what drives us every day is staying true
to what the brand represents. Tetris has become more than
just a brand, right you think about Tetris when you're
packing your car or loading a dishwasher. You know, it's
like it's literally become the fabric of life. And so
how can we celebrate that. What Tetris is is a
(17:49):
global language. It's something that brings people together. So everything
we do in the voice that Tetris represents is going
beyond Tetris as just a video game. Right. Tetris is
more than a video game, and it's here to stay.
And so I think that's sort of the voice of
the brand that we try to go after the other
(18:10):
thing that's really important to us is sort of a
mental wellness space. There's been research down with doctor Emily
Holmes over the last twenty years that's clinically proven that
Tetris can help get rid of PTSD trauma, and that's
a huge thing for us, and so we're very passionate
about if Tetris can be the first video game to
(18:32):
really claim that because it's been done in a clinical
research setting and we can be that force of good
for the world. That is amazing. So I think the
mental wellness part of it, you know, and part of
our narrative in social media is definitely something that we
try to engage our audience with. We've heard so many
(18:52):
countless stories of people saying I used to play Tetris
before an exam because it would just kind of straighten
my men to acuity and so that I could focus
on the thing that was coming up. Or I would
play during school, like during class, so that I could
actually focus again. Like, there's so many things that we've
heard from our players that Tetris has helped them with
(19:15):
their mental wellness, that there's something special there. Blue Scootie,
the boy who crashed the original Tetris game. He had
beaten the game because he had just lost his father
like days before, and it was one of the things
that he would do with his dad's play Tetris and
for him to overcome the tragedy that just struck him,
(19:37):
like Tetris helped him kind of, you know, get over
that edge. Not to take this lightly, and I'm not
saying that, you know, Tetris is going to help you
get over somebody's death or anything like that, but I
think it just goes to show like there's something about
the ability for people to play Tetris that kind of
like clears your mind and put you in this mental state.
(19:58):
We do kind of call this a Tetris effect. And
so if there's ways for us to really reach out
and be a source of good for the world, that
would be amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today. I
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Thank you so much, Jenny.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of
Variety Strictly Business. You can find new episodes weekly on
Apple Podcasts.
Welcome to Strictly Business, Variety's weekly podcast featuring conversations about
the business of media and entertainment. I'm senior business writer,
TV and video games. Jennifer moss Henk Rogers secured the
rights for Tetris back in the nineteen eighties. Today, his daughter,
Maya Rodgers is the CEO of Tetris, where she oversees
the strategic direction of the iconic video game franchise as
(00:33):
the gaming industry competition becomes stiffer and stiffer. Added the
Red Bull sponsored Tetris World Final in Dubai next month.
Maya Rogers speaks with Strictly Business about the future of
the brand and how it's adapting to today's audiences. Maya,
thank you so much for joining me for Strictly Business today.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You've spent over seventeen years with Tetris after a career
in licensing and entertainment. What initially led you to the
company and how has that shaped your approach SEEO.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
So, I've actually been surrounded by Tetris my entire life.
My father was the one responsible for finding the Tetris
license and brought it to Nintendo. For those of you
who've seen the Apple TV Tetris movie. It sort of
talks about that story of the background of how Tetris
came to the rest of the world. And so about
seventeen years ago I joined the family business, and about
(01:25):
thirteen years ago I became CEO. And so for me,
it wasn't just a job, it was something that has
really been ingrained in my DNA and Tetris being such
a cultural icon for me, it was so important to
see if I can and how I can become involved
and keep it relevant and surprising. So, you know, my
goal for Tetris has always been to expand beyond video
(01:48):
games into a global brand and it's just truly been
an honor to be part of that legacy.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
The Red Bull and Tetris campaign is a groundbreaking partnership
that combinds gaming, technology and lifestyle. This partnership come about
and what does it mean for Tetris's future.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So the collaboration with Red Bull is the biggest Tetris
live event that we've done to date, and we've had
previous relationships with Red Bull where we did a game
called Tetris Mindbender and Succession. As a succession to that,
Red Bull approached us and they wanted to do this
exciting online competition. So it's been a year long project.
(02:24):
There is a global competition happening where players from around
the world can compete on their mobile phone for their
best scores, and fifty five countries around the world are
having these championships, and in fact, the World Championships and
all of these countries are happening now until end of November.
(02:44):
And I'm so excited because in December we get to
go to Dubai and watch the biggest video game display
of a drone show. So within this structure in Dubai
called the Frame, which is a four hundred foot tall
building or architectural piece, we're going to be playing a
(03:04):
two thousand drone video game of Tetris. And so I'm
so excited because the finals finalists will be flown to
Dubai and we get to see this in the skyscrapes
of Dubai. Also what's exciting too is that we've also
done Tetris collaborated cans red Bull cans. So right now,
if you go to the local hopefully the local stores,
(03:27):
you'll see these Tetris cans that we collaborated together to design.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
How was Dubai chosen as the location.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I think Red Bull wanted to choose a location that
was very international, and the fact that they're able to
have the frame as the sort of the spectacle of
this drone show. It can't be done anywhere else. If
you've seen the frame and what it looks like, there's
not another structure like it, and so it was kind
of the perfect culmination I think of, you know, doing
(03:56):
something that's international on the location, and also I think,
you know, thens of video games into sort of the
Middle East Amina region is probably one of the other reasons,
but it was really red Bull who kind of came
up with a Dubai relationship.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Events like the World Finals represent Tetris has pushed in
esports and experiential gaming. What do global tournaments like these
bring to Tetris from a business perspective.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I think Tetris has always been the game that's evergreen.
It's a game that brings people together. So doing things
around esports and competition, Tetris is the perfect game. You know,
it doesn't require language, it's global, anybody can play it,
and it's a safe game. There's no violence, and so
we're just so excited that an opportunity like this with
Red Bull and others could open doors for really the
(04:43):
world coming together and you know, competing in a friendship
kind of way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
In terms of what you're seeing from this collaboration and
what you've been looking head to what you see in
terms of monetization, if it's driving more gameplay, what you're
hoping to get out of it from that side of
the business, I.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Think everything we do, you know, it's not always just
dollars and cents, you know, So monetization is one thing,
but I think global awareness is a huge part of it.
Tetris has been here for over forty years since Alexi
patriknav first developed and programmed the game, So you know,
what are all the touch points where we can keep
and make sure that the brand stays relevant and evergreen
(05:23):
are things that we consider. And so something like this,
which has like such a global footprint, and the fact
that with Red Bull, like they've gone fifty five countries
around the world participated in this global campaign just goes
to show how big the brand is and it's not
just about you know, making sure that we're making money
on every single game played.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Are there other partnerships you're looking at right now and
what are their fits there might be for Tetris's long
term branding and expansion.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So we've really gone beyond just the traditional kind of
video game products, you know. Now today we're a licensing business,
so it allows us to really expand our reach beyond
just the just the traditional kind of what you think
as a video game. You know, We've done things like
the Sphere in Las Vegas, where Tetris had a little takeover.
(06:13):
Right now in London at the Outernet there is a
structure where you can walk into and it's the biggest
indoor display of a collaborative Tetris game, you know. So
we're taking it outside of like the traditional video games
and making it more immersive. Those are really exciting opportunities
because you know, again, Tetris is such an iconic brand,
(06:33):
and so where else can we be there where our
players can resonate with with the love for the brand.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
How does a brand that this is this legacy and
been around for so long differentiity itself and maintain relevance
for diverse audiences.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
So really, I think the number one thing is that
Alexi Pachnov created the perfect game, you know, We never
want to break that, and it's the magic that has
kind of kept on giving. So the first thing that
we always try to make sure is that the game
stays relevant and authentic to what people know as Tetris.
It's undeniably Tetris when people play it right, and so
(07:10):
that is one thing. But the other thing that we
try to do is that wherever games are played, we
try to make sure that Tetris is available, which keeps
it evergreen. We know that when a new platforms launch,
for example, Tetris is one of those games that people
look for, and so we want to make sure that
we're everywhere where games are played. And as long as
(07:30):
that is happening, and that's never going to go away,
Tetris will always be around.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
At the same time, gaming companies are navigating challenges like inflation,
supply chain disruption, and changing consumer preferences. How is Tetris
strategically planning to remain resilient and continue growing in the
face of these macroeconomic concerns.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I mean, definitely those things are affecting us too. For example,
we do have a fairly large merchandising program, and the
tariffs in the US are getting affected in our manufacturers
and partners are also getting affected, you know, just like
anything else. Right, We've been around for forty years and
so things will come and go. But again I think
as long as for us to keep authentically tied to
(08:14):
what the game is and the gameplay is, and it's
really about bringing that joy to the world, you know,
we will have to ride the waves as they come.
But going back to my earlier point, I think Tetris
is a game that will be here for generations and
centuries to come, and so we have that kind of
in our back pocket and we just want to make
sure that again the experience is there for people that
(08:36):
you know, get to experience Tetris in the new generations
to come.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
We'll be back with more for maya after this break.
I'm sure it's hard to quantify, but when you look
at something like how Tetris has just affected many other games,
tons of other games and in all different ways, especially
once mobile gaming blew up, when you see certain things
and if you're like, that's Tetris coded, that.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Began with Tetris, we're seeing that a lot today. Well,
one I think it goes to show like the iconic
nature of Tetris and how much it's impacted humans and
our and our desire to want to play and have
joy in our world. At the same time, Tetris is
a protected IP and so we had one a very
(09:22):
significant lawsuit years back that kind of proved that gameplay
can be protected. And by doing so, now we're saying
to the world, guess what, you know, games can be protected,
And so we do a lot of that at Tetris.
If they are direct competitions or our direct infringements of Tetris,
we do try to make sure that we're protecting our IP.
(09:44):
So we do go after the infringements, and that's a
big part of it.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think it's a big debate. It's you know, creative
freedom versus who owns the IP. I think the balance
is somewhere in the middle. But I think it's very
important to be able to protect artists work and guess what,
Tetris is a piece of art and so we're going
to do whatever we can to protect it.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Speaking of another partnership after red Bull and just other things,
you will have worked on collaboration with Rubik's Cube and
how did that partnership come about and how do you
see it aligning with Tetris' evolution and opportunities.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So the collaboration with Rubik's Cube is very exciting for us.
It came out of a relationship that we signed up
with a company called Spinmaster, who owns Rubik's Cube in
twenty twenty four, and now the next year we'll be
coming out with a sleuth of different products, from the
Impossible Puzzle to of course Rubik's Mashup, to other board
(10:38):
games and such. What what's exciting about Rubik's Cube is
that both products, both ips were celebrating. Rubik's Cube was
celebrating their fiftieth anniversary and Tetris was celebrating their fortieth anniversary.
So as part of that, we did launch a collaborative
collaborative Rubik's Cube. But we've went even further than that,
(10:59):
and so this year we've designed a actual Rubiks Cube
that incorporates Tetris in it. So imagine trying to solve
the Rubus Cube, but you have to line up the
Tetris that Tetramino pieces perfectly in each of the quadrants.
I'm not going to be touching the Rubiks because it's
probably an impossible thing to solve. But I'm sure that
(11:20):
the fans of Tetris and Rubus Rubics are going to
go crazy because it's such a unique product that could
have only come through the collaboration that we've had with Spinmaster.
And I also wanted to add so Alexi Pajetnov, the
creator of Tetris, is from the Soviet Union, and then
the founder of Rubis is also from Eastern Europe. They've
never met before all these years, and there might be
(11:42):
some surprises later in the year that maybe they're meeting.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Looking at the entertainment space, other platforms, other forms of media, TV, movies,
I'd like to know what you see is some of
the opportunities apart from the already existing Tetris movies.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I do want to mention that the Tetris movie was
sort of one of the first video game stories to
come out, and the significance of that story was that
it wasn't about the video game, but it was about
the people behind the game, right, And I think those
stories are just gonna start coming out the woodwork, because again,
it's people like us who are doing the everyday kind
(12:18):
of things that make magic happen. And I think highlighting
that is really cool and interesting. This year, we also
launched a documentary called based on Blue Scootie, the kid
who crashed a Tetris game, the original ne Ees game,
And we just launched a documentary with Legendary Films at
Tribeca Film Festival. So again another story about the fan
(12:42):
base and what players go through when they engage with
video games. I think what's happening with video games right now.
We know that video games is the biggest revenue generator.
They're making more money than movies today. And where players
are interacting with video games is everywhere. It's not just
through video games anymore. My kids who are too young
(13:04):
to be playing Minecraft maybe not, but now they're watching Minecraft.
Their entry point to Minecraft is through YouTube. And so
that's the perfect example of video games are not just
being played, they're being watched. And so I think the
expansion of how consumers interact with brands and video games
(13:25):
are brands, I think it's just endless possibility. Video games
are not squarely in the video games space anymore. It's
how as an audience do you interact with what you love?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Competitive Tetris has grown rapidly and attracts millions of spectators.
How does Tetris fit into the esports landscape strategically in
that way, and what opportunities do you see for expanding
this area the business. We talked a little bit earlier
about the partnership in Dubai, but just in terms of
the passionate fan base there is and how much you
all interact with them.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Yeah, and I think that esports is a huge opportunity.
The fact that the sports has become an official Olympic
sport goes to show that it's not just for pastimes.
I think Tetris is the perfect game because it has
all the elements that it requires for it to be
a competitive game. Tetris has always been an esport, has
always been a competitive game, and so I think for
(14:17):
us to be able to be recognized as an official
Olympic sport, for example, is a big goal of ours.
So that the fan base has always been global, I
think we know that there's been competitions even without our
involvement as a Tetris company has been rapidly growing. We
can even see with the Classic Tetris World Championship, those
(14:39):
are niche set of players that are playing the classic
Tetris game and it's now bloomed into a global phenomenon
where young kids thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year olds are coming
to play. It just goes to show like the idea
of competing with Tetris is a timeless thing that will
keep going. And so I think we're alway looking for
(15:00):
opportunities to expand and see how we can really kind
of capitalize on the esports. Without saying too much, but
we do have things sort of in the pipe, in
the pipeline that we're working on.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
As you look ahead, this teatresses next chapter, what are
the company's top priorities for growth.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So I think with a lot of video game companies,
you know, consoles, new consoles coming out, that's a big thing.
This year, Tetris had a launch title on the Switch
to with Tetris franchise, and so always when they're when
we're in between console gaming, we may not have major
launch titles, but we're always innovating and coming out with
(15:39):
new titles. So I think the next big wave will be,
you know, again without saying too much, thinking about what
is the next gen consoles going to be? Just this
last year, we came out with a product called Tetris Forever,
which was on multiple platforms, and we're just launching now
on Netflix a version of the game that came from
(16:00):
the game Tetris Forever, so please look out for that.
And also we were just launching on the Amazon Luna
a game called Tetris Effect, another variation of it for
the Luna console or the Luna gaming platform. We're always innovating,
We're always trying to figure out what's the next big
thing and keeps us very busy.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The Luna partnership in particular is interesting because they just
did a giant revamp of what that service looks like
in Amazon's putting a lot behind party games on there
and putting a lot behind driving people to that in
a way that they hadn't done that before.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Absolutely, and I think again Tetris is one of those
games people recognize it, they want to play it, especially
where it's a gaming platform you know that is reaching
the masses. We absolutely need to be there and should
be there. And so Tetris Effect is the perfect kind
of game that came out in twenty eighteen, and we've
done so many variations of it, but it's one of
(16:54):
those cultural phenomenon games that we're so excited to support.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
And then just lastly, I'd like to know what you
would like fans of Tetris to know about the company's
vision for the future.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, for us, we do what we do because
we love what we do, and we always think about
how does this gameplay or this interaction with the brand
bring joy to our players around the world. So, you know,
we're here to provide joy. We love that Tetris is
able to kind of be that avenue for entertainment in life,
(17:28):
and that's what drives us every day is staying true
to what the brand represents. Tetris has become more than
just a brand, right you think about Tetris when you're
packing your car or loading a dishwasher. You know, it's
like it's literally become the fabric of life. And so
how can we celebrate that. What Tetris is is a
(17:49):
global language. It's something that brings people together. So everything
we do in the voice that Tetris represents is going
beyond Tetris as just a video game. Right. Tetris is
more than a video game, and it's here to stay.
And so I think that's sort of the voice of
the brand that we try to go after the other
(18:10):
thing that's really important to us is sort of a
mental wellness space. There's been research down with doctor Emily
Holmes over the last twenty years that's clinically proven that
Tetris can help get rid of PTSD trauma, and that's
a huge thing for us, and so we're very passionate
about if Tetris can be the first video game to
(18:32):
really claim that because it's been done in a clinical
research setting and we can be that force of good
for the world. That is amazing. So I think the
mental wellness part of it, you know, and part of
our narrative in social media is definitely something that we
try to engage our audience with. We've heard so many
(18:52):
countless stories of people saying I used to play Tetris
before an exam because it would just kind of straighten
my men to acuity and so that I could focus
on the thing that was coming up. Or I would
play during school, like during class, so that I could
actually focus again. Like, there's so many things that we've
heard from our players that Tetris has helped them with
(19:15):
their mental wellness, that there's something special there. Blue Scootie,
the boy who crashed the original Tetris game. He had
beaten the game because he had just lost his father
like days before, and it was one of the things
that he would do with his dad's play Tetris and
for him to overcome the tragedy that just struck him,
(19:37):
like Tetris helped him kind of, you know, get over
that edge. Not to take this lightly, and I'm not
saying that, you know, Tetris is going to help you
get over somebody's death or anything like that, but I
think it just goes to show like there's something about
the ability for people to play Tetris that kind of
like clears your mind and put you in this mental state.
(19:58):
We do kind of call this a Tetris effect. And
so if there's ways for us to really reach out
and be a source of good for the world, that
would be amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today. I
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Thank you so much, Jenny.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of
Variety Strictly Business. You can find new episodes weekly on
Apple Podcasts.
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