Tetris
Mobile version chalks up 100 million paid downloads since 2005.
Montreal, QC—January 21, 2010— Blue Planet Software, Inc., the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the Tetris® game, and EA Mobile™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced at a press conference at the EA Montreal studio that Tetris has reached over 100 million paid downloads on mobile phones since 2005, making it the pre-eminent game for the platform. Since becoming the exclusive mobile publisher for Tetris in 2006, EA Mobile has brought a number of Tetris games to almost all mobile platforms including the App StoreSM.
“Tetris on mobile will never go away,” said Henk Rogers, CEO of Blue Planet Software. “As mobile devices get into the hands of more people, so does Tetris. People are always looking for ways to fill their time—be it in waiting rooms or on the bus—and with the advent of touch screens and improved platforms, our eyes are opened to a whole new way to develop games. After Tetris’ success with the Game Boy in 1989, we always hoped that potential would carry over into today’s mobile devices. It’s a testament to the game’s staying power that it remains popular on today’s most modern technology.”
Over its 25-year history, the Tetris game has been sold on almost every gaming platform. Currently, the game’s greatest growth is occurring on mobile platforms.
“Tetris is the biggest franchise in mobile gaming, which speaks to the evergreen nature of the brand and the fact that it translates to any platform,” said Adam Sussman, VP Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile. “Our strong relationship with Blue Planet Software has enabled us to optimally adapt Tetris to the ever evolving handset market while keeping the true spirit of the game alive. 100 million paid downloads are testament to this.”
Created in 1984 by Russian-born mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, the Tetris game has become a worldwide success model for the gaming industry. Tetris was first available on mobile in 2001, the product of collaboration between Rogers and Takeshi Miyaji of Japan’s G-mode.
“Tetris provided the crucial building blocks for our company when we started 10 years ago,” said Miyaji, president of G-mode, the exclusive distributor of Tetris in Japan. “Just this past year alone our ‘Tetris League’ game in Japan has been played nearly 100 million times. As G-Mode and Blue Planet Software grow alongside each other, we hope to continue our contributions to Tetris’ recognition and popularity.”
In addition to reaching this mobile milestone, the Tetris brand has created numerous headlines in the past year. It is currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary, which officially kicked-off in June 2009 at an event attended by thousands of videogame enthusiasts and journalists from E3 in Los Angeles. And in September 2009, a scientific study published by BMC Research Notes showed that participants who played the Tetris game over time had increased efficiency and a thicker cortex in areas of the brain linked to critical thinking and coordinated movement.
*EA Mobile internal data, includes iPhone and iPod touch downloads
About the Tetris® brand
The Tetris® brand is one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands and franchises in the world. In the game's 25-year history, over 125 million units have been sold. Loved globally by people of all ages and all cultures, the Tetris game continues to be one of the most widely recognized video games of all time. According to researchers, the Tetris game is an excellent tool for neuroscience research and has been used in over 30 scientific studies. Research published in 2009 in BMC Research Notes found that study participants who played Tetris showed increased brain efficiency and, relative to controls, an increase in brain tissue. Tetris Holding, LLC is the owner of Tetris rights worldwide and The Tetris Company, LLC is its exclusive licensee. The Tetris Company, through its agent Blue Planet Software, Inc., licenses and manages the Tetris intellectual property and franchise worldwide. Today, Blue Planet Software continues to work with licensees to deliver top quality Tetris products that are relevant, fun and challenging for its millions of players. For the latest information about the Tetris brand and Tetris products, please visit www.tetris.com.
About EA Mobile
EA Mobile™, is the world’s leading wireless entertainment publisher with award-winning games such as Tetris®, Bejeweled®, The Sims™, and Need for Speed™. The EA Mobile portfolio also includes casual games based on the company’s partnership with Hasbro, Inc. including MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada) as well as sports blockbusters from the EA SPORTS™ brand, including Madden NFL Football, EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®. EA Mobile develops games for multiple mobile platforms including mobile phones, smartphones, the iPhone® and iPod®. For more information about EA Mobile, please visit www.eamobile.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, Pogo, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Tetris is a registered trademark of Tetris Holding, LLC. Bejeweled is a registered trademark of PopCap Games, Inc. MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE are trademarks of Hasbro and used with permission. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Apple is a registered trademark, and iPhone iPodand iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.