Skyscraper-sized Tetris kicks off Philly Tech Week
Fans could play the architectural video game using a joystick
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tetris fans in Philadelphia were able to play their favourite video game on an epic scale when it was projected onto a skyscraper.
Using a joystick, players were able to move images of supersized shapes displayed on two sides of the 29-storey Cira Centre.
The mirrored tower, which has hundreds of LED lights embedded in its glass facade, normally displays colourful geometric patterns at night.
And organisers hoped that Saturday’s spectacle, which kicked off a citywide series of events called Philly Tech Week, would inspire onlookers and players to think about the possibilities of technology.
The display also celebrated the upcoming 30th anniversary of Tetris, which was created by Russian computer programmer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984.
The game challenges players to rotate and arrange falling shapes into complete rows.
Frank Lee, a digital media professor at Drexel University, said Tetris is a game revered as the epitome of elegance and simplicity
The game designer, who oversaw creation of the giant display, said putting it on an office building is like making a huge virtual campfire.
“What I wanted to create was essentially a shared moment for the city of Philadelphia,” he said.
This won't be the first time Tetris has been played on a building. But the 100,000 -square-foot (9,300-square- metre) “ screen” - which includes the north and south faces of the structure - could be a record.
Lee already holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest architectural video game display for playing Pong on one side of the Cira Centre last year. Pong is an electronic version of paddleball developed by Atari in 1972.
Tetris became a global phenomenon in the late 1980s after game designer Henk Rogers, who had seen it at a trade show in Las Vegas, acquired the rights and struck a deal to put it on Nintendo's original Game Boy.
Mr Rogers said he cannot believe the longevity of Tetris, which decades later continues to mesmerise players on more than 30 platforms.
“If a game lasts a year, that's amazing,” said Mr Rogers, now managing director of The Tetris Company.
“They usually go out of style very quickly.”
He said several new Tetris products and initiatives are planned for release around its 6 June anniversary.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments