Henk Rogers
The man who saved Tetris
Henk Rogers secured Tetris rights for Nintendo, enabling the Game Boy's killer app and forever changing the puzzle game landscape.
Overview
Henk Rogers didn’t create Tetris, but he made it a phenomenon. The Dutch-born entrepreneur navigated Cold War politics and competing corporate claims to secure the handheld rights for Nintendo. Without Rogers, the Game Boy might never have had its defining game—and Tetris might have remained an obscure Soviet curiosity.
Fast facts
- Background: game developer in Japan; created The Black Onyx (1984).
- Tetris discovery: saw the game at a 1988 trade show, immediately recognised its potential.
- Key move: travelled to Moscow personally to negotiate rights.
- Later work: co-founded The Tetris Company with Alexey Pajitnov.
The Tetris negotiations
The story of securing Tetris rights reads like a thriller:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan 1988 | Rogers sees Tetris at CES |
| Feb 1989 | Travels to Moscow to negotiate directly |
| Mar 1989 | Outmanoeuvres Mirrorsoft/Maxwell for rights |
| Apr 1989 | Nintendo secures handheld exclusivity |
| Jul 1989 | Game Boy launches with Tetris |
Impact
Rogers’ deal had massive consequences:
- Game Boy success: Tetris sold the hardware to demographics beyond typical gamers.
- Nintendo relationship: established Nintendo’s Tetris dominance for decades.
- Pajitnov friendship: helped Pajitnov eventually receive fair compensation.
The Tetris Company
Rogers and Pajitnov co-founded The Tetris Company in 1996 to manage rights after Soviet-era agreements expired. This ensured:
- Quality control over Tetris games
- Fair compensation for Pajitnov
- Protection of the Tetris brand