Today a BBC NEWS journalist contacted me by forum HARD DROP.. He asked me a few questions : Why is Tetris so popular? Because under a really simple and easy appearence, the game is incredibly deep and complexe, it needs many years to assimilate every combinations and keys to solve any problem, (after 17 years I continue to assimilate..), tetris also improved like every other kind of game during 20 years. Today we have some tetris games which requiers 5 years to be finished, there is no more harder video game in the world than "Tetris Grand Master 2" and "Tetris Grand Master 3" for example. Why was Tetris invented by Alexey Pajitnov? hmm..I prefer to not say something wrong, the answer is present in many places on Internet, try with the player Petit Prince which is a member of the other community, www.tetrisconcept.com this player has a very good general knowledge on the story of the game. Was it made to be a game? """ Or is the story true that it was created to make the player feel stress? """ Some scientists say it can improve brain power. Do you believe that? Is it different to other games in that respect? Honnestly, with the level I reached today, I prefer think that I wasted my time lol..More seriously, I am sure it doesn't make improve anything in the brain, except the tetris skill itself. I can play today at more than 3 pieces/seconds, but what is the matter if it is just for placing tetris pieces ? I am someone slow in the life, slow and perfectionist. Tetris never helped me to think better or faster for any brain exercice unfortunately. Placing tetris piece in a field in order to make lines is a too much specific exercice which doens't contribute for anything else in brain abilities. I suggest you to watch a bit the french TV donumentary we made in summer 2008 to present high level tetris passion : http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/showthread.html?t=470 there is links to download the show on this page, english subtitles has been added on the video. I hope you will find the essential in these many informations you got thank to me and the other players..Tetris is not the stupid and simple puzzle game that everybody imagine. It is an insane game with a lot of stories, the license conflic and the separation in two distinct communities today would need an entire book to be explained. why have you played the game for so many years? It started normaly, I used to play the game a lot like any other video games I appreciated and spend many hours on it. When I was around 17, more and more people began to make compliments on my skill, and I have to admit it, I like compliments..The more people made compliments and the more I wanted to improve. It was on "Tetris & Dr. Mario", not especialy a very good tetris but still cool. And one day my best friend shown me that on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1umcF4z0Ds I was like : "Noo..What the hell is that...How does this guy can do that..What is this super tetris game where pieces can go so fast and slide like that.." It took me a few weeks to find it, at the end of 2004 : "Tetris The Grand Master", a special japanese tetris designed for real pro. At this moment I was addicted : End of 2004... After 5 years now, I am just reaching the skill you can see on this video, I am the 2nd europeen player and one of the 10 best western players (out of japan) 5 years, and I am still far to master the game. Today there is 3 opus of the serie TGM, the 3rd opus has been finished by only 4 japanese players who have between 8 and 11 years of practice..here is 1 of the 4 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwC544Z37qo&feature=related Look at the end, the game is invisible..I have been practicing the invisible tetris for 1 year now and I am still not done with it.. I don't know where and when I will stop, but the more I improve, and the more I want to see which skill I can get. I am also a very competitive player, when an american or english player beats me, I have to counter-attack, and I if I can't I depress..It is stronger than me..It is a bit like the DBZ serie, every players improve and never stop to become insanely stronger..And there is no limit !! even the japanese God continu to improve and show us the way. There are plenty of other games out there! Why do you return to Tetris? What makes it so special? I think I answered already but I don't play only tetris ! I am not so crazy I spend : 50% --> WWII tactical online simulation. 45% --> TETRIS. 5% --> Other video games. The thing is that tetris is the deepest and hardest, I mean this TGM serie at least. One day I asked a Pro Evolution Soccer (the most accurate and popular soccer game currently) strong player this question : "How long I should sacrify to well master every subtilities of PES in your opinion ? and he replied : "How I think you need between 6 months and 1 year not more.." And my tetris game ? 5 years, and I think I am still far to really understand it..So you see now why Tetris is so special for me.. Tetris is cool, complex but easy to start, no introduction, just the press start button and the pieces fall..It is a drug I can't explain !! If I were immortal, I think I could play every other existing video games, but unfortunately there is only 24h per day in a life of 80 years approximately, and I don't like to do too many things in the same time. Otherwise I wish I was also an expert of the King of fighter serie, Counter strike, etc.... Finally, could you confirm your age and where you live in France? I am 25 years old and officialy live in Bordeaux, but I am never at the same place a long period and move every time for work and studies.
Amnesia, I really liked your answers to their questions. I hope they focus on the TGM series! You should probably email them again explaining the thing with tetrisconcept.com/.net.
You noticed ofcourse how I tried to turn my answers to TGM..But I don't think the journalist will pay attention on that..I think he will only keep the most "hot" comments for his article..I am sure blink replied completely differently condidering that he is on the "other side" of Tetris. The separation SRS/ARS, or TTC/ARIKA or WORLD/CLASSIC or USA/JAPAN or NOOB/PRO doesn't interest the common reader who just want to know how crazy are the addicted tetris players... And I also sent a last mail to explain him the .com and .net, just 2 lines..
I was interviewed a while ago for a website that caters to older gamers but never heard anything about it after.....
Speaking of interviews that went nowhere, Davide Pasca of TGM3 fame was interviewed by Brandon Sheffield of Insert Credit/Gamasutra/Game Developper Magazine fame. Davide invested a lot of time into his answers, and then nothing ever came of it.
Way to go Amnesia! They actually quoted you several times and they mention TGM games. What more do you want? Though it's too bad they only mention HD. Any idea why you were interviewed?
yeah not bad...Not bad for a french person to be the only one kept by the journalist, there is even no one quote of blink.. A new victory of Amnesia..
the interviewer added "V.. L.., who is french" probably to help the reader understanding the craziness of the whole thing.
Yeah, I was surprised at that. I would have thought he'd just edit the bits where the English wasn't quite spot on.
