Tetris out Tomorrow on PSN, Its Creator Talks About the PS3 Edition

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It’s been a long time coming, but Tetris is finally coming to the PlayStation 3 tomorrow, along with new, exclusive multiplayer modes, and the type of shine you can only get with 1080p and 5.1 surround sound.

Tetris Team Battle

We tried these multiplayer modes out at an EA event a few weeks back, and I can say with confidence that longtime Tetris fans will enjoy them with like-minded friends. As we were testing out the game, we were informed that Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris, was looking on. So of course, I got nervous and started stinking it up…

As someone who had been playing Tetris since it showed up at my elementary school in the mid-80s, a time when entertainment imported from Russia was pretty much unheard of (aside from vodka), I had a number of questions for Mr. Pajitnov:

How did you come up with the idea for Tetris? Were you trying to jam a lot of boxes in your car and had to get creative?

I was just having fun. I really like puzzles and was inspired by a puzzle board game called Pentomino.

Tetris is generally thought to be the “first true puzzle” videogame. What are your favorite games that have come out in this genre you created? What makes a good puzzle game?

I like many puzzle games – Pipe Dream, Parking lot, Doctor Mario, and Shanghai. In my opinion, it’s very important that a good puzzle game has a large number of levels – from very simple to very hard.

I know the game is 25 years old, but I’d like to hear your advice on playing the game, as it seems there are two schools of thought on Tetris. Should you always attempt to keep the playing area as clear as possible, or should you continually try to set it up to clear 4 lines at a time with the stick piece?

The Tetris game allows many strategies – pick the one that fits you best. In my opinion, usually beginners try to keep the field clear, while more experienced players like to somewhat fill up the matrix to set up short combos in advance. “Masters” routinely set up for 4 line-clears, or a “Tetris” line clear, for more points, and “Grandmasters” tend to play for T-spins and long combos.

Tetris Marathon

Tetris has transcended gaming to be a part of popular culture. Pretty much everyone’s played it, and so there’s a reference that anyone can get (like a vignette from a 2003 episode of The Simpsons). What’s that been like? Where’s the most interesting place you’ve seen Tetris appear?

I was very amazed to see the game played on the side of a skyscraper, using the lights and windows of the building to create falling Tetriminos. That happened at Delft University of Technology where engineering students played the world’s largest working Tetris game along the side of their building. I didn’t see it live, but the videos online are very fun!

Why do you think Tetris has stayed fresh after 25 years? People can still pick it up and play it (and they do).

Why not? Technology has drastically changed in the last 25 years, but not the human brain. I think all good games from the past can become popular again, but in order to do so, they’ll need to be re-introduced properly and kept relevant to current pop culture and technologies. We’ve always done a great job of developing the Tetris game for cutting-edge platforms, like the PlayStation 3 with surround sound and high-definition graphics.

You haven’t just been sitting on the achievement that is Tetris. What have you been doing since the game released?

I worked as a game designer for many years with companies like Spectrum Holobyte, Nintendo, and Microsoft. I also published several titles such as El-Fish, Pandora’s Box, and Hexic.

Finally, why should people pick up Tetris on PlayStation Network?

To have fun! What can be the other reason?

Tetris arrives on PSN tomorrow for $9.99.

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128 Comments

9 Author Replies

  • It’s 7PM on janurary 4th and theirs nothing new on the game store

  • Nothing yet…I used to laugh at the people who complain when the store doesn’t update, but now that there’s finally a game I want, now I know how you feel! :( Just update the store already!!

  • @100 – shadow17201

    Haha! We got the same timezone. Awesome~
    Its 9:00pm January 4th, and nothing yet.

  • This is ridiculous! Update already! I’ve been waiting all day!!!!

  • All day??? Hell, I’ve been waiting since it was first announced that it was finally coming to PSN… LOL…

  • what’s the deal..?

  • It’s up, just enter tetris in the search function.

  • @106 that’s the miniS verion..

  • No, HeLLeVeN11 is right, it’s finally up there. If you search for it, it’s under the video.. Downloading it now..

  • @107

    Oh then it’s not up everywhere cause i see 3 item tagged tetris the MINIS, a trailer and the PSN version.

  • Just bought it. Looking forward to playing later!!

  • Sucks. Save file is friggen locked. First sonic sky Cooper. Guess I won’t be buying squat if developers keep this up.

  • i thought it was suppose to be updated.. today?!?! been waiting 2 weeks for lead and gold and tetris.. whats the deal psn !!

  • Great way to start the year, nothing for Plus members and no update on PSN.

  • Locked save file = no buy for me.

  • Pfff 5.1 surround is a lie, my audio receiver marks it as stereo

  • Actually, Lead And Gold is up there and it’s free for Plus members as well as Pip Madness, Spyro The Dragon, CTR: Crash Team Racing

  • Finally! It’s out! Yeah, it is under the Tetris Trailer and under the Tetris Minis. About time PS Store does the update…I waited exactly 11 hours and 56 minutes for this to show up…I’m glad I am downloading it already….I’m so happy now…

  • After playing the game it is great and fun. However I still have to minus it one star for the locked save file.

  • [When I was a kid I use to sit in the bathroom before school and play this game on the original gameboy. ]

    Wouldn’t a couch or dining room chair have been more comfortable?

  • Can someone please explain the logic behind locked save files?

    Honestly, this is baffling to me and it’s one thing that really ticks me off about the PS3. I try to love this platform but it keeps trying to prevent me from doing so. I can’t possibly be the only person with upstairs/downstairs PS3s who likes to keep his game saves in sync.

    What criminal mastermind is this thwarting?

  • The ones like in GT5, who use the save file to copy cars and credits. It really spoils things for people who don’t want to do that. Unlocked save files are the work of the devil. (sarcasm)

    I don’t know what anyone could “illegally” do with a Tetris game save, but obviously EA thinks there’s something.

  • I just got it yesterday, and I must say, I am disappointed. There was so much more that could have been done. A) New music, maybe – or the ability to play your own music in-game(similar to LBP). B) Could have created unlockables, like different designs for the tetriminos, or new backgrounds. C) There should be a button on the controller to activate the power-ups(when you play multiplayer online), instead of just being activated immediately when the line with the power-up is cleared. This way, the power-ups can be used strategically.

  • Ya they really need to make some updates on it. When you play online people can just set their own handicapped. You should be able to view all the game lobbys when searching for a game. The power-ups suck and you should be able to trigger them when you want. A ranking system would be cool so you can play people at your skill level. They need to take a look at tetrisfriends.com and format the game more like that.

  • Number 1 in the U.S right now, that may not be for long though. Can’t wait to get home and reclaim my number one spot.

  • While I’m a big fan at tetris, it would be nice to see some updates, controller scheme, back ground layouts, music, sounds, level playing (ranking), stats would all be nice. I’ll admit that I enjoy the Tetris Splash for the 360 for a long time, especially for all its great players.

  • <333

  • Gameplay is a blast and it looks fantastic, but the voice chat is totally broken. Any more than 2 people in a room and it completely drops out. Any chance of getting that patched soon?

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