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Summary
Summary
For fans of Tetris on Apple TV+, read the true story of Henk Rogers, Alexey Pajitnov, and the perfect game.
Simple yet addictive, Tetris delivers an irresistible, unending puzzle that has players hooked. Play it long enough and you'll see those brightly colored geometric shapes everywhere. You'll see them in your dreams.
Alexey Pajitnov had big ideas about games. In 1984, he created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. Once Tetris emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, it was an instant hit. Nintendo, Atari, Sega--game developers big and small all wanted Tetris. A bidding war was sparked, followed by clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, innumerable miscommunications, and outright theft.
In this graphic novel, New York Times -bestselling author Box Brown untangles this complex history and delves deep into the role games play in art, culture, and commerce. For the first time and in unparalleled detail, Tetris: The Games People Play tells the true story of the world's most popular video game.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Brown immerses readers in the complicated origins of one of the world's most popular video games, Tetris. Its creator, Alexey Pajitnov, was a computer scientist who became obsessed with how games and puzzles affected human psychology. Before long, Pajitnov became caught up in a prototype he'd designed based on a childhood game and shared it with his friends. Soon all of Moscow was consumed by what would eventually be called "the game that escaped the USSR." The art style is reminiscent of the Cyanide and Happiness comic but whimsical in tone. It also cleverly mimics the structure of Tetris itself: straightforward and engaging, without any extra bells and whistles. With the recent Nintendo release of the hit cell phone game Pokémon Go, this title is a timely explanation of the origins of the gaming world, particularly when it comes to the rivalries among various gaming companies. The story resonates and will appeal to fans of Jim Ottaviani's Feynman and Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. VERDICT This quick, thoughtful read will find an audience among teens interested in pursuing a career in video game design or those who wonder just how video games like Tetris have spread like wildfire.-Chantalle Uzan, New York Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Tetris is widely considered one of the best and most universal games of all time, but as Brown's (Andre the Giant: Life and Legend) smart, well-paced history relates, there's more to the story than just falling blocks. In 1984, Tetris is invented by Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian computer scientist, who shares the game with his friends and eventually sneaks it out from behind the Iron Curtain. When the head of a U.K.-based software company glimpses it at a Hungarian technology institute, he immediately recognizes its money-making potential. A series of misunderstandings and outright lies lead to the illegal licensing of the rights, and soon every major game company in the world wants a piece of it. The backroom deals, last-minute contract changes, and hectic trips to Moscow make for a quick and addictive tale that captures all the international drama. Brown's drawings are simple but highly effective, using a black, white, and yellow color scheme to evoke the limited or nonexistent graphics available to Alexey. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Russian software designer Alexy Pajitnov created a nifty electronic puzzle called Tetris, it was mostly as an experiment in the psychology of human gaming habits. But it didn't take long to realize he had created something that resonated with almost every person who played it. What happened next could almost be considered another element of gaming. Which of the big companies would win the rights to sell it worldwide? The race to bring Tetris to arcade and home markets around the globe found Nintendo, Sega, and Atari in a high-stakes battle filled with cultural and language barriers, major miscommunication, and at least a few high-risk gambles. Simply illustrated in a sequential panel format, the charming black-and-white drawings convey high-concept ideas in a clever, succinct manner. While the lengthy business negotiations can be difficult to follow, the broader discussion surrounding the intersection of art, games, and competition is fascinating. Engaging and informative, this offers a unique perspective on the role gaming has played throughout history.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2016 Booklist