Hank Rogers
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Jordanian helicopters begin flying in aid to Gaza
It started at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 1988. It was made originally by a Soviet developer. Nobody thought it was going to be a big deal, least of all the company that actually published it. I went and talked to them and said, look, I want this game for the Japanese market. I would stand in line and wait for my turn to play every game that was at the show.
Global News Podcast
Jordanian helicopters begin flying in aid to Gaza
or try to anyway, and I get a few minutes to play every game. And so I need to sample as many games as possible. In the case of Tetris, I found myself standing in the line four times, which meant that I was hooked to the game. I mean, right then and there. I had to go back, I had to go back, I had to go back. That meant we had at least one customer, me. Yeah.
Global News Podcast
Jordanian helicopters begin flying in aid to Gaza
And I was completely hooked on the game. And the simplicity of the game did not bother me because I play a Japanese board game called Go. And if you look at it, it's the deepest, most interesting game of board games. But it's just black and white stones at the end of the day.
Global News Podcast
Jordanian helicopters begin flying in aid to Gaza
When finally the negotiations started happening, I was negotiating against the biggest software company in Japan at the time. And they finally passed on it because in 1988, they said that the game was too retro. Can you imagine that? So, by the way, Tetris is still around and they're gone. I think it's going to be around just like football is going to be around forever.
Global News Podcast
Jordanian helicopters begin flying in aid to Gaza
It's not going to go away anytime soon.