From Game to Lifestyle: The Potential of Tetris's Return

For nearly 30 years, the puzzle game "Tetris" has been beloved worldwide. Its iconic seven blocks (tetriminos) and color scheme are also cherished overseas as design and content elements. In Japan, the new brand "TETRIS FAB" has launched to reintroduce Tetris as design and content. To discuss this, Tetris developer Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris content director Maya Rogers, and Haruko Arahara from Dentsu Inc. Content Business Design Center Character & Software Development Department, who is collaborating on this project, came together.

Tetris connects to "human desires"

─Before we talk about "TETRIS FAB," could you first tell us what led to the creation of the Tetris game?

Alexey: I've always loved puzzle games and had programmed several of them. Tetris was one that emerged from that. I was around 32 or 33 at the time. When I first created the Tetris prototype and played it in its simplest form—no score, no graphics—I found it so enjoyable I couldn't stop (laughs).

Arahara: When you created it, did you ever imagine it would become this globally popular?

Alexey: No, not at all (laughs). I thought, "I've made a good game," but I never imagined it would spread this far. There are probably several reasons it was accepted, and one is that it connects to "human desire." The concept of simplifying and correcting complex chaos is something people naturally want to do, isn't it?

 

Maya: It's like organizing your belongings—messy things just make you want to tidy them up, right? It's something people want to do, and it's soothing. Tetris connects to that, which is probably why so many people play it.

Alexey: The game's simplicity was also huge. The late 1980s when Tetris came out was a time when computers were rapidly spreading, and people were incredibly fascinated by their potential. But at the same time, people feared their existence. "Computers might replace humans." Amidst that, Tetris became a bridge, helping people recognize that computers weren't scary things, but devices you could enjoy simple games on.

Of course, the Game Boy launching around the same time and spreading alongside it was also huge. The Game Boy was the perfect device for Tetris.

The potential found in seven abstract blocks

 

─ Today, Tetris is loved worldwide not just as a game, but also as a design and content element used in brand advertising across various industries.

Maya: While many puzzle games tend to be popular with women, Tetris players are about half men and half women. The age range is also very broad, from children to adults, making it a truly universal phenomenon.

 

Alexey: Tetris's core content consists of just seven abstract blocks. Yet people instantly recognize it as Tetris just by seeing them. Precisely because it's simple and abstract, it can blend seamlessly with many other things through combinations and stacking. That might be its strength.

Maya: Overseas, Tetris designs are already used in various areas like Halloween costumes and stationery. In Japan, we haven't pushed Tetris as a design or content brand until now, but we plan to focus on that starting this year. As part of that project, we created the brand "TETRIS FAB."

Arahara: As mentioned earlier, I believe the key point is its connection to "human desires" and its proximity to lifestyle. With "TETRIS FAB," we want to effectively communicate aspects beyond just the game itself, aiming to relaunch and rebrand Tetris in Japan.

What kind of expression and problem-solving can Tetris uniquely offer?

 

─ What specific developments are you envisioning for "TETRIS FAB"?

Maya: We'd love to collaborate across various genres like fashion, accessories, goods, and food. Japanese people love fashion and goods; it's a very stylish country. We'd be thrilled if Tetris could become part of that.

Arahara: Tetris has a unique visual expression, so it would be interesting to leverage that. For example, we could use the moment blocks click into place or the moment a completed row disappears to convey a product's efficacy or value. It could also be used to express the idea of something matching up or as a metaphor for eliminating waste. I want to realize solutions that are only possible because it's Tetris.

─​ What kind of evolution do you foresee for Tetris as a game?

Alexey: We're currently developing new prototypes and plan to further evolve Tetris. Over the past decade or so, Tetris has evolved from single-player to competitive play and multiplayer, becoming a social game. In the future, it might even establish itself as an official e-sport. It would be wonderful if spectators enjoyed watching it. Tetris remains innovative and is constantly evolving towards that goal.

Maya: Precisely because it's such a simple game, it has an aspect that makes it hard to get bored with. People aged 35 to 50 today were users during the Tetris boom era. Going forward, we want to pass Tetris on to their children. To achieve that, it would be great if we could communicate in various ways.