Confessions of a Tetris Addict
This short film is an interview with James Clewett. As a young boy, he always loved math and physics. This passion led him to pursue a degree in electronics. After the degree he got a number of jobs that he enjoyed, including one with a company that offered gay porn phone calls.
After a while, he decided to go back to study for a degree in physics. He started at the very bottom and worked himself up all the way to a PhD. He describes his experience as being a good one, although he wishes it had been better.
James declares that he is addicted to Tetris. In fact, he believes that anybody who plays arcade games gets hooked on Tetris, if only for a while. James describes the game as ‘compulsive’ and that explains why there are so many Tetris geeks around the world.
One day, just for fun, he posted his score on a bulletin board. Somebody contacted him and told him that if that was really his score, it was way above the world record. He was invited to prove his score in Las Vegas. James bought his ticket and ended up playing alongside world record holders in the World Arcade Championship.
It takes a certain level of focus to be that good at Tetris so it’s not surprising that a few college classmates called him ‘obsessive James’. James says that it’s precisely that trait that has defined him and gotten him to where he is now.
He has not returned to defend his world record, although he continues to play regularly. In 2007, James was invited to play at an event where he got the opportunity to meet Alexey Pajitnov, the man who created Tetris.
What is it that makes this game so addictive? Find out now.
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