Alexey Pajitnov is, of course, the creator of Tetris -- a game he originally developed while working at the Academy of Sciences in Moscow in 1985. Of course, during the late '80s the game's popularity exploded internationally. It essentially founded the casual puzzle genre thanks to its appeal to a very wide audience, and made dropping-block puzzles a staple of game design.
These days, Pajitnov is not just one of the principles of The Tetris Company, which manages the rights to the game in its many current incarnations; he's also still an active developer, as he discusses in this interview, working on a new multiplayer iteration of Tetris that's been underway for over 10 years.
Gamasutra spoke to Pajitnov at the conclusion of the game's 25th anniversary festivities, and discussed with him his current views on the industry, his memories of the game's initial development, and what he's currently working on. This interview touches on everything from basic tenets of multiplayer design to the potential future of the game industry -- as per Pajitnov's vision.
