When Henk Rogers first read the script for the Tetris movie, he was shocked. “There was so much Hollywood in the movie,” he tells The Verge. “It just drove me nuts.” The film largely follows a pivotal period in Rogers’ life, when he traveled to the Soviet Union to navigate the complex rights issues for Tetris to bring it to platforms like the Game Boy. There, he connected with game’s creator Alexey Pajitnov, with whom he eventually formed a lifelong friendship, and turned Tetris into a global phenomenon.
Technology
Henk Rogers on telling the real story of Tetris: ‘I have to set the record straight’
The movie turned this experience into something resembling a high-stakes spy thriller — and while Rogers ended up loving the final product, that initial experience inspired him to tell the story of what really happened. “While reading the script I said, ‘I have to set the record straight,’” he says.
That story now exists in the form of the book The Perfect Game. While Rogers originally sat down to write about the events that transpired in the movie, he soon realized the story was much bigger than that. “I started writing it, and somebody looked at it and said, ‘That could be a book, it’s just not big enough,’” he explains. “I didn’t want to rewrite that part and add water, so to speak, so I added the before and after. So it ended up being about my game career.”
The Perfect Game starts out by exploring Rogers’ early life, bouncing around from the Netherlands to New York City to Hawaii, before eventually landing in Japan, where he founded Bullet-Proof Software and went on to release the influential RPG The Black Onyx. Even before the book gets to the Tetris part of the tale, it’s filled with fascinating insight into the early days of game development. Rogers talks through the many complications and nuances of dealing with publishers and funding, as well as releasing and marketing a game in Japan despite not speaking Japanese.
But things really kicked into gear at CES in 1988, when he flew to Las Vegas in search of a new game to publish and stumbled on a puzzle game about falling blocks. As he tells it, he knew immediately that he found something special. “I left the Consumer Electronics Show with a sense of purpose,” Rogers writes in his book. “I was determined to publish Tetris in Japan.” That proved tricky, of course, due in large part to the web of copyright laws in the Soviet Union at the time. Rogers found himself traveling back and forth between the Soviet Union and Japan, dealing with everyone from the higher-ups at Nintendo — including legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto — to the intimidating employees at Soviet trade organizations.
“There’s times when my memory is a little shady, but it was such an exciting time that I pretty much remember.”
Rogers’ account is a detailed one, and he says that he wrote the book entirely from memory. That said, he did check with his friend Pajitnov on a few details, which resulted in one of the book’s more charming features. At various points, Pajitnov’s thoughts are inserted into the book, where he often disagrees with Rogers on small details, like how impressed he was by the Famicom version of Tetris or the quality of the elevator in his apartment building.
“Alexei read my manuscript and was writing in the margins where his memory is different, so I decided to keep those and put them in the book,” Rogers explains. “There’s times when my memory is a little shady, but it was such an exciting time that I pretty much remember.”
Even if it’s missing the Hollywood thrills of the script that inspired Rogers to write in the first place, The Perfect Game is a fascinating read, particularly if you’re interested in game development anecdotes. And because the story covers the entirety of Rogers’ career to date, which includes setting up The Tetris Company and bringing the game to just about every platform imaginable, there are a lot of stories about pivotal points in the medium, from the launch of the Game Boy to the burgeoning days of mobile gaming.
The story is especially notable as Tetris continues to thrive. In addition to the movie and book, Rogers was also featured prominently in Digital Eclipse’s playable documentary Tetris Forever, and the game still pops up frequently in places like Nintendo’s new music app. Rogers has largely stepped away from the business, which is now run by his daughter Maya. So now when he sees the game appear somewhere surprising, it elicits a different kind of feeling. “It feels like success,” he says. “Every time Tetris pops up somewhere, or a new deal comes down the pike, it’s like, ‘Wow, she’s killing it.‘”
As for that movie, Rogers changed his mind when he actually saw it, describing the film as “emotionally correct,” even if it didn’t get all of the facts right. “The first time I saw it I cried about things that never actually happened,” he says.
We get a lot of questions about how The Verge works. And how The Vergecast works. And how we make money. And whether some of that money helps Nilay buy more jackets, several yachts, or something else entirely. So, every once in a while, we spend an episode of the podcast answering as many questions as we can.
On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David are joined by The Verge’s publisher, Helen Havlak, to talk about ads, subscriptions, our website, our audience, and more. Then, Nilay and David answer some more questions about how we think about journalism, our relationship with Verge alumni, video podcasts, and (of course) Brendan Carr.
Thanks to everyone who sent us questions for this episode, and please keep them coming! You can always call the Vergecast Hotline (866-VERGE11) or send us an email (vergecast@theverge.com) with your questions, thoughts, feelings, and misgivings about everything we’re up to. We truly love hearing from you. And if you want to be part of everything we’re up to, and help make The Verge even bigger and better, the best thing you can do is subscribe! You even get all our podcasts ad-free.
Oh, and also, in case you missed it yesterday, be sure and check out our emergency pod on the news that Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple CEO. We’ll be talking more about the future of Apple on Friday’s show, too, so send questions if you have ’em!
Food delivery drones launch in NJ
FOX Business correspondent Madison Alworth reports on drone food delivery services launching in New Jersey on ‘America Reports.’
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You’re hungry, and your stomach’s already growling. Normally, you’d grab your phone, open your favorite delivery app and start scrolling through endless restaurant lists. Tap a few menus, pick a few items and before you know it, you’ve built your order piece by piece.
But with Amazon Alexa+, you can skip all that tapping and scrolling. Just tell Alexa what you’re in the mood for, change your mind halfway or add something extra as you go, like you’re chatting with someone taking your order.
That’s the new idea behind Alexa+. Amazon has rolled out a voice-powered food ordering feature that lets you get delivery from Uber Eats and Grubhub without ever opening an app. Just say what you want, and Alexa handles the rest.
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ALEXA.COM BRINGS ALEXA+ TO YOUR BROWSER
Amazon Alexa+ now lets users order food from Uber Eats and Grubhub by voice, turning delivery into a back-and-forth conversation instead of a series of taps. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What you need to use Alexa+
Now, before you start ordering with your voice, there are a few quick setup steps.
- You need an Alexa+ compatible device, like an Echo Show
- You must link your Uber Eats or Grubhub account in the Alexa app
- Your past orders can sync automatically for quick reordering
Once that’s done, it becomes a hands-free experience.
How to set up Alexa+ for food ordering (step by step)
We set this up using the Amazon Alexa app on a phone, and these are the exact steps we followed. The menus may look slightly different depending on your device.
- Open the Alexa app on your phone
- Tap “More” (it usually has three horizontal lines)
- Tap “Alexa+ Store”
- Use the search bar and type in Uber or Grubhub.
- Tap the service you want
- When it appears, tap to open it.
- Tap “Connect” or “Enable” (You may see a page from “pitangui.amazon.com” during setup. That’s part of Amazon’s system and is safe if you open it from the Alexa app. )
- Next, sign in to your account on your phone
- Tap “Grant access”
- Tap “Continue”
- Tap “Close” to return to the app
After we linked our Grubhub account, we got a confirmation email saying everything was successfully connected. Once that’s all done, it becomes a hands-free experience.
To actually place an order, go to your Echo device and say, “Alexa, I want to order food,” then follow the prompts on the screen. Note: the feature is still rolling out and works best on newer Echo Show devices.
You can also manage or remove the connection anytime in the Alexa app by going to: Alexa App > Menu > Settings > Manage Alexa+ Services Unlink & Revoke Permissions
How Alexa+ actually builds your order
After you’re set up, this is where things start to change. For years, voice assistants followed a simple pattern. You ask something. It answers. That’s it.
With Amazon Alexa+, that model shifts. Instead of giving one command at a time, you can carry on a back-and-forth conversation.
You might start with:
- “Show me Mexican food”
- “Actually, let’s do pizza”
- “Add a large pepperoni with extra cheese”
- “Wait, make that two”
The system updates your order in real time. If you change your mind, it adjusts instantly on screen. Even better, it only jumps in when you need help. That means fewer interruptions and a smoother flow.
GRUBHUB CONFIRMS DATA BREACH AMID EXTORTION CLAIMS
With Alexa+, Amazon is pushing voice ordering beyond basic commands, letting users browse restaurants, customize meals and check delivery status through natural conversation. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
How Alexa+ lets you customize your order
This is where things start to feel different from anything we’ve seen before.
You can explore like you’re talking to a person
You don’t need exact menu names. Say something like “meat lovers pizza,” and Alexa+ finds the closest match. Want dessert? Just ask. Curious what’s popular? Ask that too.
You can change your mind mid-order
Most apps make you backtrack. Alexa+ lets you pivot on the fly. Add items. Remove them. Adjust quantities. Switch restaurants entirely. Everything updates live on your screen.
You see the full breakdown before you pay
Before checkout, you’ll get a clear summary:
- Item names
- Quantities
- Individual prices
- Total cost
That transparency matters, especially when small add-ons can quickly add up.
You can track your delivery with your voice
Once your order is placed, you can simply ask:
“Alexa, where’s my food?”
No need to dig through notifications or open another app.
Why Amazon is pushing Alexa+ now
This isn’t just about food delivery. Amazon is testing a bigger idea. It wants Alexa+ to adapt based on what you’re trying to do. Ordering food needs flexibility. Checking the weather doesn’t. So instead of one rigid interaction style, Alexa+ shifts its behavior depending on the task. Food ordering is just the beginning. Amazon is already hinting at future uses like grocery shopping and travel planning.
GRUBHUB LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER COMMERCIAL DRONE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE IN NEW JERSEY
Amazon’s new Alexa+ food-ordering feature connects with Uber Eats and Grubhub, allowing users to build, change and track delivery orders without opening an app.
What this means to you
This feature sounds convenient, and in many ways it is. Still, there are a few things worth thinking about before you start ordering dinner out loud. First, it makes ordering easier. That’s great for speed, but it can also make spending feel effortless. When ordering becomes a conversation, it’s easy to keep adding items without paying attention to the total. Second, your data matters. Linking accounts means Amazon can connect your voice activity with your food habits. That includes what you order, when you order and how often. Third, it changes how you interact with technology. Instead of tapping and scrolling, you’re relying on AI to interpret what you mean. That saves time, but it also means trusting the system to get things right. Finally, it may reshape your habits. If this becomes second nature, opening apps could start to feel old-fashioned before long.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Ordering food has always been simple. Now it’s becoming conversational. That shift might sound small, but it signals something bigger. Technology is moving away from commands and toward natural interaction. The goal is to make devices feel less like tools and more like assistants. The real question is how far that goes. If your device can handle dinner tonight, what else will it manage tomorrow?
And here’s something to think about: At what point does convenience start making decisions for you instead of helping you make them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Though Tim Cook is shedding his CEO title for the role of Apple’s executive chairman, it appears he’ll keep one of his most important duties: that of the company’s Trump whisperer.
“As executive chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world,” Apple writes in a press release. Translation: he’s sticking around to deal with thorny political relationships — in particular the one with President Donald Trump.
Throughout his tenure, Cook has navigated Apple through tricky political terrain. He’s had to balance the company’s massive business interest in China with US policymakers’ concerns, and he’s worked to appease Trump for favorable regulatory decisions, without alienating too many Apple employees and customers in the process.
Cook has navigated Apple through tricky political terrain
The task of wooing Trump has repeatedly placed Cook in embarrassing situations: Cook showed the president around a factory in Texas in 2019, where Trump wrongly boasted that because of his policies, Apple was building a new manufacturing plant in the US. Last year, he presented Trump with a symbolic gift of “Made in the USA” glass from Apple supplier Corning set in 24-karat gold.
Recently, Cook took criticism from Trump critics for attending a movie night at the White House, for a screening of the documentary Melania, the same day that Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Cook later vaguely referred to the “events in Minneapolis,” and referenced a “good conversation with the president.”
As Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus takes over as CEO, the company will need to overcome significant policy challenges, including global efforts to regulate AI, and a push for app stores to verify user ages. Lucky for Ternus, Cook will still be there to take on that job.
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