Where are Henk Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov Today? – According to Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet-born American investor, the current situation in Russia appears bleak and without hope. Pajitnov, who relocated to the United States in 1991, co-founded The Tetris Company with Henk Rogers, a Dutch video game designer. The popular video game, Tetris, made its debut with this company.
The recently released biopic Tetris, available on Apple TV+, narrates how these two game designers met and gained global distribution rights to Tetris. Although Pajitnov moved to Washington state with his family, the memories of Soviet Russia and the events that unfolded in Tetris are still vivid for him.
The movie Tetris is set in the 1980s. It follows the character of Taron Egerton, who plays the role of Henk Rogers, a video game designer, on his journey to Russia to obtain the rights to Tetris for Nintendo’s Game Boy. The film’s portrayal of this era raises questions about the Soviet Union’s future.
While the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 indicated an impending change, Pajitnov remains uncertain whether Russia, under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, will undergo a similar transformation soon. It is essential to delve into Tetris’ history to understand the truth and bring everyone up to speed on Henk Rogers’ and Alexey Pajitnov’s current whereabouts.
Who are Henk Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov?
During the SXSW premiere, Henk Rogers, the executive producer of the Tetris movie, said that the film was “100% emotionally true.” Hence, any creative license taken by Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov, another movie executive producer, wasn’t problematic.
According to director Jon S. Baird, Rogers, and Pajitnov believe that the film accurately depicts their journey. Baird stated, “The car chases, and some of the other stuff are metaphors for the Soviet state and what they were trying to do.”
Although some of the Soviet government intimidation depicted in the film is fictional, it reflects what Rogers and Pajitnov faced in 1988 when traveling to the Soviet Union to secure their rights. Rogers, in particular, took a real risk, and Pajitnov was also taking a similar chance in trying to profit from his game.
Rogers confirmed that the film accurately conveyed his feelings and anxiety about ending up in the Soviet Union. Pajitnov also expressed concern about ending up in jail. He never expected anything like that when he began working on his game.
The Tetris movie doesn’t include the conclusion of the legal battle between Nintendo and Atari Games, which was a crucial turning point in the struggle for rights. The film implies that Atari planned to release its game version after buying out Mirrorsoft’s rights. However, the court sided with Nintendo, and Atari pulled the NES version of Tetris from sale after failing to prove that the NES was a computer, which would have given them the rights under the initial license.
The Tetris movie accurately depicts Rogers’s assistance in Nintendo’s acquisition of the rights to Tetris. Nikolai Belikov, CEO of Elorg, discovered that Robert Stein had made illegal deals for the Tetris rights after Rogers arrived on the same day Stein and Kevin Maxwell did.
The movie also depicts Rogers and Pajitnov becoming close during a visit to a Russian nightclub, though it likely wasn’t called “The Final Countdown,” as shown in the film. Rogers confirmed that he remembers attending a musical event in Moscow but couldn’t recall the exact trip. He also mentioned that they sang Russian folk songs, some of which were from the game. Pajitnov added that they attended several similar events, including a visit to an underground singing club to meet a Russian folk singer.
Where are Henk Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov Today?
The Tetris Company was established in 1996 by Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers, as stated in the end credits of the Tetris movie. Currently, Maya Rogers serves as the CEO, while Henk Rogers continues to work as the company’s president.
Besides his involvement with the Tetris Company, Henk Rogers has started ten companies and non-profits dealing with renewable energy. One of his significant contributions is the Blue Planet Foundation.
Alexey Pajitnov is still actively working with the Tetris Company and recently attended the film’s world premiere at SXSW with Henk Rogers.
The final scenes of the Tetris movie reveal that Pajitnov and his wife, Nina, emigrated to the United States in 1991.
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