With a white beard and a lively look, Henk Rogers, co-founder of the Tetris Company, celebrates 40 years of Tetris, one of the most iconic titles in the history of video games. On the occasion of this important anniversary, Rogers is present at the Matera Film Festival (3-10 November) for a masterclass in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games. The event also includes the screening of the biopic Tetris by Jon S. Baird (2023), which tells his adventure in the world of gaming.
In 1988, while in Las Vegas, Rogers discovered the game created in 1984 by Russian programmer Alexandre Pazhitnov. From that moment, he began an intense search for distribution rights, an undertaking that took place against the backdrop of the Cold War. Rogers convinced Nintendo’s then-president, Minoru Arakawa, to include Tetris in the new Game Boy. His innovative approach ensured immediate success:
“I told Arakawa that if he wanted to appeal to kids he had to include Tetris alongside Super Mario Land.” Today, despite global changes and technological evolution, the allure of Tetris remains intact. Rogers explains that simplicity is key: “The secret is that the game must be accessible and without a specific culture.”
In recent years, Rogers has shifted his focus from the video game industry to environmental activism. Founder of the Blue Planet Foundation in 2007, he lives between Hawaii and the United States and promotes the use of renewable energy. He emphasizes the importance of collective action to address climate change:
“We are the reason for climate change. We need to switch to sustainable energy sources like solar or wind.” Rogers is also writing a book about his career titled The Perfect Game. He concludes with a call for concrete action to improve the environment: “We need to reduce our beef consumption as it contributes to deforestation and methane emissions.”
As Tetris continues to inspire generations of gamers, Henk Rogers is committed to using his influence to promote a sustainable future. With a new generation ready to explore the world of video games and environmental challenges becoming more pressing, Rogers’ words and actions resonate as a call for innovation and collective responsibility.
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