Tetris turns 30, but still fun enough for creator to play

Many casual Filipino gamers may not be aware of it, but the addictive game Tetris – also known as "Brick Game" to many – is now 30 years old.

Yet, the game that has seen users go bonkers trying to keep falling bricks from filling up the screen has retained its magic, with its creator admitting he still plays it.

"I never imagined Tetris was going to be this successful... The simple, yet addicting nature of Tetris still has me playing it a few times every week. I meet fans from around the world who are also as passionate about Tetris as me, and there is no doubt in my mind Tetris will continue to expand and bring its classic appeal to new players in new ways and on new devices, whatever they may be," gaming site Gamespot.com quoted Tetris inventor Alexey Pajitnov as saying.



Citing figures from The Tetris Company, Gamespot said Tetris has enjoyed more than 425 million paid downloads for mobile devices.

For its part, Tetris Company agent Blue Planet Software appears to be gearing for more years of Tetris with new games and licensing arrangements.

Gamespot noted Ubisoft recently announced Tetris Ultimate for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and Electronic Arts marked the 30th anniversary of Tetris with a "Retro Blitz," a new mode to Tetris Blitz for iOS and Android.

Meanwhile, it said Tetris Online Inc. updated its Facebook game Tetris Battle with themed content.

Must-own game

Gaming site Joystiq.com said Tetris, which debuted in 1984, is credited for much of the success of Nintendo's original GameBoy console.

Joystiq.com said Tetris was the handheld device's "must-own" game until 1996.


Blue Planet CEO Maya Rogers said their theme for Tetris' 30th anniversary is "We All Fit Together."

"It speaks to how Tetris transcends cultures and language, and will continue to be fun for anyone, anywhere to play for generations to come," Rogers said.

"We all have an inherent desire to create order out of chaos--whether in playing a game or packing the trunk of your car. No matter where the game is played or brand is celebrated, there will always be Tetris," Rogers added. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News