Tetris. One of the most influential video games in history, especially considering its impact on Nintendo's handheld success since the puzzler's 1989 pack-in release for the original Game Boy. The above 2004 BBC documentary examines the story behind the Russian game including its creator Alexey Pajitnov, rivalries between Nintendo and Atari, and "the absurdities of buying copyrights for software from a country that doesn't believe in property, much less intellectual property."
[via Kottke]
Reader Comments (17)
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 2:19PM (Unverified) said
I rememver playing Tetris when it was called "Russian Falling Blocks" on my Atari 130XE. There wasn't even a score. just try not to fill up the screen...
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 2:24PM (Unverified) said
There's a whole chapter in "Game Over" the book dedicated to Nintendo, about Tetris. The russians wonder if their industry experts could help Nintendo out, to impress them they show them some ripoff Game and Watches that they made :(
That whole book is excellent everyone should read it!
That whole book is excellent everyone should read it!
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 2:28PM (Unverified) said
I laughed pretty hard when I saw the full documentary title "Tetris: From Russia With Love" and could only think of "Tetris 2: The Last of the Mohicans"
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 2:43PM (Unverified) said
"One the most influential video games in history..."
I'm assuming you meant "one of," Snowman. Just looking out. ^_^
I'm assuming you meant "one of," Snowman. Just looking out. ^_^
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 2:50PM aforty said
I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but I'm speaking in general here: how awesome is the BBC? THey have a lot of quality doumentaries like these.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 3:13PM (Unverified) said
I thought Google was cracking down on Copyright issues...
It was a good documentary, I remember seeing it in 2004 on BBC Four. Quite a good insight into the issue of the Russian body "ROMS" which holds all copyright in Russia. It's got a lot of relevance to the Allofmp3.com situation too.
It was a good documentary, I remember seeing it in 2004 on BBC Four. Quite a good insight into the issue of the Russian body "ROMS" which holds all copyright in Russia. It's got a lot of relevance to the Allofmp3.com situation too.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 3:48PM (Unverified) said
Wikipedia lists Tetris as the third best selling game of all time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_computer_and_video_games#Top_20_of_All_time
But since Super Mario Bros. came with the NES, and Pokemon Red/Blue/Green are three different games this may be #1. Now I know Tetris came with some Game Boys but this may be the best selling individual game of all time.
But since Super Mario Bros. came with the NES, and Pokemon Red/Blue/Green are three different games this may be #1. Now I know Tetris came with some Game Boys but this may be the best selling individual game of all time.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 4:09PM (Unverified) said
I remember watching that when it was on the beeb. It sure is a interesting documentary. I hope the BBC do more programmes like this.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 5:07PM (Unverified) said
Well worth an hour of my life. Thanks!
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 5:10PM (Unverified) said
"But since Super Mario Bros. came with the NES, and Pokemon Red/Blue/Green are three different games this may be #1."
You may be right with everything except the "Red/Blue/Green being three different games" thing.
Blue was actually the western version of Green. So while Japan got Red and Green originally, we got Red and Blue. Same exact game, different color.
You may be right with everything except the "Red/Blue/Green being three different games" thing.
Blue was actually the western version of Green. So while Japan got Red and Green originally, we got Red and Blue. Same exact game, different color.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 5:17PM bunnyraven said
Phew..I just got through the whole documentary...that was really good. Lots of insight on Tetris, and the race to get the rights to publish the game. On a random note, I thought it was funny when Henk (is that spelled right?) Rogers first got to Russia and says he is watching a Hawaii video on his portable TV because, "the TV is broken, radio is broken, and I have read everything there is to read.." Well worth the hour. :)
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 5:27PM (Unverified) said
8-O Howard Lincoln is a BEAST! "This is just incompetant people being taken advantage of by competant people." He might as well have ice grilled the camera and just said "What."
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 6:34PM bentheo said
that was great. i would love to get a copy of that in better quality. anyone know where i can buy a dvd, or possibly a torrent of it? i found an old unseeded torrent, but nothing else.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 7:00PM (Unverified) said
WTF. Look at the awesome production of pretty much everything the BBC does. What do we have to do to get things like this in America? All we have is Katie fucking Couric's sad excuse for nightly news.
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 7:18PM (Unverified) said
But everyone in the UK with a TV (should) pays £100 a year for just the 2 BBC channels, they're not that great, considering ;)
Posted: Oct 27th 2006 8:19PM (Unverified) said
wow that was long, but oh so good :) thanks Blake
Posted: Oct 28th 2006 5:09AM (Unverified) said
@ZeroG
That's 8 TV channels, ten radio stations and bbc.co.uk as well as Interactive TV.
@TehDestroyer
You must bear in mind that this is the BBC's "arty" channel showing live classical music, world cinema and the odd documentary.
That's 8 TV channels, ten radio stations and bbc.co.uk as well as Interactive TV.
@TehDestroyer
You must bear in mind that this is the BBC's "arty" channel showing live classical music, world cinema and the odd documentary.
