Chapter 303: Tetris I
As Tetris was unveiled to the comic book industry... it was still a matter of time before it truly ferments to its full potential.
Then again, it is already happening and happening fast.
Tetris has been unveiled and its varying pieces and puzzle-forming gameplay had hooked a lot of nerds and interested parties to be drawn to the arcade machines that housed it.
It can't be helped as it is an electronic game that let players arrange puzzle pieces in real time as they fell from the top of the playing field.
The resulting design was a game that used seven distinctive geometric playing pieces, each made up of four squares.
By embracing people's universal desire to create order out of chaos, the Tetris game provides an intellectual sport that combines continuous fun with mental stimulation.
The Tetris game requires players to strategically rotate, move, and drop a procession of Tetriminos that fall into the rectangular Matrix at increasing speeds.
Players attempt to clear as many lines as possible by completing horizontal rows of blocks without empty space, but if the unarranged pieces pile up to the top... the game is over.
It might sound simple, but strategy and speed can go a long way! Are gamers up for the challenge?
It's not that clear yet but it is an addictive puzzle game that is starting something and it's starting now!
Comic book nerds and comic store goers are practically lining up to play this new novelty of a game. Especially so when the word Creed is plastered on the arcade machine and the game's display and interface.
Tetris by Creed Games!
It can't be any more obvious than that!
The Creed brand was at it again!
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With all of that, it is clear that the rollout strategy to use the comic book industry angle worked and it worked out quite well.
Setting aside something like the Creed Play Train, some of the regular visitors of comic book stores became more than regular visitors.
Aside from lingering, debating, and buying comics that cost less than a dollar, their leftover change in the form of quarters could now be used on something else.
Coin-operated arcade cabinets just compelled people to waste their spare 25 cents. Especially when the arcade cabinet and the game are made by a familiar name they know.
What could be more receptive than an audience that's already receptive to everything that your brand puts out?
From establishing oneself via refreshing comic stories that riled up the niche comic book industry, Creed practically just did refreshing developments from there.
Expanding to toys and then a comic strip and a motion picture. Then there are costumes and the teased cartoon involvement.
Creed's pedal from the comic book industry was no joke.
It happened so fast and it was strategically impressive. To the point that it was quite hard to cope with how they are involved in so many things already.
Clearly, it should have come as no surprise to the Creed-knowing market that the progressive brand was going to take part in many more things.
However, their leap into the video game market still came as a shocking surprise.
It practically came out of nowhere.
They were expecting something else but then Creed Games was suddenly in their sight.
Tetris seems to have appeared from nothing and completely blindsided them.
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Some people and groups were completely blindsided... to the point that that they were panicking!
The Anti-Creed's Hasbro leaders were especially so.
"Alan, what are you thinking?" A Hasbro director asked.
"I'm just wondering about Creed's next plans?" Alan Hassenfeld wondered on.
"Why are we still caught up on that company again?" An executive reasoned. "Creed Toys is a bit of an upset but it's not like it stayed that way for long. We produced detailed toys that are on par with theirs and that's that. It's not like their comic-based toys are eating that much of the market share."
"The toy market is diverse and big. Besides, this whole Tetris thing is an arcade game and that market is horribly dead." The reasonable executive added. "Let us do our thing and let Creed do theirs. If they want to drown in the marsh of video games... let them do that."
Alan scoffed. "I hope you haven't forgotten The Cybertronian Chronicles and how we had to steer away from the Transformer toy line concept. And I hope you remember that Creed Toys have repeated Lucasfilm's Star Wars-peripherals success with their Back to the Future film and toy line."
"I get that but we just have to move on and do our thing." The executive stood his ground. "Look at Tonka's GoBots... it's competing against the Creed's Autobots and Decepticons. We could still work the Transformers idea out. As for the film peripherals, don't forget that Creed Pictures and Lucasfilm aren't the only blockbuster-producing companies in Hollywood."
Alan just waved off that voice of reason though and said. "Initiate contact with Lego for me."
"Why?" A director was confused.
"Tetris is a puzzle game. We can't rule out the possibility that a toy or board game having the Tetris pieces and premise will come out from Alexander Creed's thoughts." Alan explained but it is clear to everyone in the room that he is still stuck on the vendetta against Creed Toys.
Everyone in the Hasbro meeting room could only sigh at the hubris of appointed leaders and how much Hassenfeld and Hasbro go hand in hand.
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On the aspect of sighs, sighing editor had his fair share of sighs himself.
He had just been through another DC gathering and Creed's bold new venture is what came up.
He could only sigh at ideas such as a superhero named Tetraman to beat whatever Tetris-theme Creed comic book would pop out.
The proud DC seems to be stuck on the strategy to find whatever infringement they can on Creed Comics.
Their first attempt had been quite futile but there they were... preparing something like Tetraman and even Metallo for the upcoming Terminator comic.
Creed had moved on to Creed Games for heaven's sake... can't they just move on to something progressive for the company as well?
Then again, sighing editor could only hope that the dreary and beaten video game industry would hurt Creed a bit. Maybe Creed Comics would take a hit with it as well.
Well, he was good mannered but that didn't mean that he wouldn't want something bad to happen to his rival company.
Of course, he could only sigh.
After all, he remembered who his little rival was and the little rival's scarily impressive track record!
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On that note, as much as Marvel believed that Creed was sinking itself with entering the video game market... they also know that the Creed masterminds had considered such risks as well.
"What do you think, Jim?" Stan asked. "You also don't expect that Creed would fail, right?"
"Well, it's hard to say. The comic industry has its fair share of crashes like the game crash of '83 but we aren't in the dumps when Creed Comics took part in all of it." Shooter hummed in thought. "Then again, they had elevated our industry and it wouldn't be hard to believe that they'll do that again when it comes to video games."
"After all, it would seem that Alexander Creed is at the helm of the venture once again." Shooter reminded and wondered. "Is that kid even human?"
Stan Lee had no answer to that but he could still find humor in the dreading truth. "At least we now know an example that we could give for those doubting our supergenius comic book characters. Teen genius Peter Parker is not so absurd now with little Alexander Creed being a game developer as well."
It was unfortunate that the stoic Jim Shooter was his audience or he might have gotten some semblance of reactions.
All he got from Shooter was. "Funny!"
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Of course, as for where they knew about Alexander Creed being a game developer.
Well, as it turns out... that peculiar whistle was blown as soon as Tetris came out.
It didn't take long for some gamers to find the in-game credit section in the title sequence and read about who was behind this new novelty puzzle game.
To the shock of many... it was 'Developed by Alexey Pajitnov...'
Well, people believed that it was another of Alexander Creed's alias again like 'Alex Creed' and 'Aleksei Kreid'.
But the full text says, 'Developed by Alexey Pajitnov and Alexander Creed'!
Of course, there were also other people involved but none of that mattered. What was clear and without doubt... is that Alexander Creed was at it again!
This time around it was with video games.
Aside from that being a shocking surprise, this just made people suck in some cold breath and shiver though.
Sheesh! Wasn't comic book creator, comic strip writer, and blockbuster film writer already enough?
Why did Alexander Creed have to be a game developer as well?
It wasn't clear how much of a game developer he really was... and although a game developer may have mixed receptions but it's very high techy in the eyes of the public... and that was mighty impressive.
It made people wonder just how prolific-ly talented is the mysterious man that held the name of Alexander Creed!
In fact, Tetris may just be his first as there was clearly many more to come!