I came to this video by mistake and to be completly honest I don't really care about Tetris all that much. However this video captivated me from the first second all the way to the last. James story is really interesting and he seems like a very genuine and insightful guy. The video was very well paced as well. Nice job!
This really is a great piece of film-making. I came away from this (and the lunatic asylum one) feeling like I knew James a little bit, even though I've never met him. That's quite an amazing thing to achieve through these informal videos.
There's a version of Tetris that was on the Macintosh. It never got officially released but a very polished beta was leaked on the campus of Wesleyan University, so the name "Wesleyan Tetris" stuck. It is Tetris' evil twin. You should try it sometime. It's really odd though. It starts normally enough but then some oddly shaped blocks show up. And the "next piece" indicator lies just often enough to throw you but still stays honest enough of the time that you still NEED to pay attention to it. It gets even MORE sadistic from there. Blocks that you've already placed in previous turns will suddenly and randomly shift. "Need a line block? Here, have a DONUT block!"
James is a really great guy. I find it amazing that he speaks so openly about his manic depression and how it affected him, all the while being a self-confident and outgoing person that seems to really like himself and what he accomplished so far. All the best to him for his PhD and beyond! This was a great video/interview to watch!
"Hopefully by this time next year I'll be Dr Clewett" Almost! Just one year off the money. Still great to come back and watch this video so far into the future though. I love listening to people talking about their passion, no matter what it is.
3 years later, I love how this extended version of the interview had over 10X views compared to the one one 60 symbols. James is a hero. May he someday hold the world record.
The weirdest feeling after this interview was the feeling that this felt the best interview I have ever heard. Most entertaining interviews are full of jokes, losing the value and others are too serious and too deep, albeit being insightful. This felt just right... :)
Honest and fearless about the jobs you've had-- a Tetris champ, honest about your personality and vulnerability, and a PhD in physics. Your IQ must be off the charts. You're a wonderful person. Way to go.
"then I went away and had a brief spell doing computers in the porn industry which was really bizarre, everybody should do that for a year" me like WHAAAAAAA
He seems like a really cool guy. It's really interesting and at the same time kind of good to see people that find success in life to be of intellectual and academical nature.
Thanks a lot for this "confession". It's inspired me a lot! Even it's old video if James would see it. Big thanks and I sending salute. His example of how to just start doing what you like even from the scratch would it be Physics degree or Tetris. I myself in the beginning of such journey. Took part time job and most of my money and all my free time spends with teachers to attend Maritime University and become Maritime Engineer one day. Thanks a lot!
i want to know if he plays tetris in his dreams. i know when i get into a game like tetris for a little while my brain keeps playing it even when i'm asleep. has it been long enough that he's just over that?
David Barraza That's bizarre. I build pallets for a grocery, and my coworkers have all compared fitting the boxes together like Tetris. I find my mind fitting cases together all even on days I didn't work...
I remember seeing this when I was 8 (2012) and got a big interest to Tetris, especially the Atari version that he played. I didn't have any copies of Atari Tetris back in the day and only had Sega Tetris, but now I have almost all versions of joystick based Tetris in an emulator. Thanks to him, I've now become a Tetris professional, but not a grand master: though if I had the skills in his era, I would be considered slightly better than him.
Cultris II had one of its challenges named "James Clewett's". The point of it is to clear blocks with nothing but tetrises for as long as you can. The world record is 99 tetrises. I find it a fun little challenge, but the problem is that without any pressure on speed (as it is on Cultris II) it eventually comes down to luck. You can stack your blocks perfectly but nevertheless eventually there will come a time that the I piece just doesn't come and you hit the top of the screen.
I've played a tetris variant called quadra where pieces and broken parts of pieces would fall down if they had nothing under them. To score you want to build it with holes, not just 4 at one side, so that your last piece release a long chain of lines completing. You get more points for more lines (obviouly) but also for the number of steps in the chain. I liked it because it's more than just building 4 lines in a row, because of its high speed, and because of its multiplayer mode.
I totally know what he's talking about. Tetris has that something where you could play it day after day for years and still find ways to get better, and that's very addicting.
_x_Mario_x_YT nope. Different rotation systems, leveling rules, tetriminos' colors, next pieces, etc. Obvious one is modern tetris vs classic tetris. There's quite a noticeable amount of under the hood differences that actually makes a difference.
what a wonderful video.. I dont play computer games at all, but he leaves me with such a feel good factor, of someone who just enjoys tetris: and is obviously completely self aware. Terrific ! I thought very heartening his comment right at the end about it being the perfect computer game with no violence.. as a reflecltion on his genuinly gentle character. the world needs more people like him !
very well spoken. Really awesome person. Thanks James. I wish you the best on your PHD that you are struggling to complete now. Keep stacking those blocks.
Love the statements about the personality type that sits down and applies one's self and when it doesn't work, just keep going. The 'obsessive compulsive, very easily addicted' + manic depressive personality type is definitely both an asset and a liability.
this is probably one of the best videos you've made Brady, and certainly the most interesting person you've ever interviewed here on youtube, a massive thumb up, and greetings from poland
He (and everyone who likes Tetris) should really try tetrisfriends. I never thought I could get addicted to this game until I tried that one. Really fun and REALLY addicting.
I can't put my finger on what makes Clewett's segments so engaging. I'd like to hear more about the underlying fundamentals of computer architechture that we never get to really think about. I'd also like to hear about alternative schemes which may exist. Thanks.
It makes a lot of sense for tetris to be as addictive as it is. The human mind loves finding patterns and solving little puzzles. Which the game has no lack of.
That circly Tetris, I could see it working with joysticks way better than with touchscreens. You just point the joystick at the direction you want and done, no rotation and it can have some pace, I believe.
I think I made a good nickname for James Clewett that goes along with Tetris, "The Man who arranges the Blocks" if James Clewett won the 1999 world champion.
This is just awesome. I've never heard anyone else so vocal about the brilliance of tetris before, probably for lack of trying. James is awesome. I want to play against him and lose fantastically!
@laxr5rs part of these videos has always been the human behind the scientist though... I think what they do outside work sometimes reflects on them as a researcher! You'll be pleased to know there's more Tetris for a while though!
I had no idea, that's so awesome. I remember playing a tetris-like game very similar to the one he created many years ago on an old PC. It fatured a selection of different worlds, each one representing a new level with increasingly high gravity, which made the pieces fall faster. I wonder if there's any relation.
This statistical mechanics PhD student is helping me get my degree in procrastination this evening.
_"IMANENGINEERTESTINGASYSTEM!"_
lol
Lia Hansen Mmmh yeah baby? That sounds nice, how about you test my systems?
I came to this video by mistake and to be completly honest I don't really care about Tetris all that much. However this video captivated me from the first second all the way to the last. James story is really interesting and he seems like a very genuine and insightful guy. The video was very well paced as well. Nice job!
JustSueMe ... is this the most wholesome RUclips comment ever?!?
sadly this video inspired me to dwell into a tetris binge instead of studying for my classes
@@guitsgarcia5446 same
I enjoyed the raw emotion, and story telling James conveyed.
Hahahahah
+victoria pownall ?
+MexicanReformist I thought you were being sarcastic maybe not then...
James is so chill! Love watching the vids he's in.
This really is a great piece of film-making. I came away from this (and the lunatic asylum one) feeling like I knew James a little bit, even though I've never met him. That's quite an amazing thing to achieve through these informal videos.
And then they say games make you dumb or a loser, look at this guy!!
I don't think that the game made him smarter. But It probably did also not make him dumber, and thats already a good point :D
yup, games either add to your dexterity, make you smarter or do any number of different things to improve your mind :D
John Doe playing tetris actually has postive effects on the brain. It keeps your brain sharp.
And here I am at midnight watching youtube videos mostly regarding math and numbers.
I thought that I was the only one.
Iain McMullen Also, testing systems.
5 years later and I still come back to watch this video when I want to be cheered up :)
There's a version of Tetris that was on the Macintosh. It never got officially released but a very polished beta was leaked on the campus of Wesleyan University, so the name "Wesleyan Tetris" stuck. It is Tetris' evil twin. You should try it sometime. It's really odd though. It starts normally enough but then some oddly shaped blocks show up. And the "next piece" indicator lies just often enough to throw you but still stays honest enough of the time that you still NEED to pay attention to it. It gets even MORE sadistic from there. Blocks that you've already placed in previous turns will suddenly and randomly shift. "Need a line block? Here, have a DONUT block!"
That sounds like it would be really frustrating. Where can I play it?
BOOM! TETRIS FOR JEFF!!!
NECK AND NECK
plot twist: he did it with a quaid well
what a charming nerd!
James is a really great guy. I find it amazing that he speaks so openly about his manic depression and how it affected him, all the while being a self-confident and outgoing person that seems to really like himself and what he accomplished so far. All the best to him for his PhD and beyond!
This was a great video/interview to watch!
"Hopefully by this time next year I'll be Dr Clewett" Almost! Just one year off the money. Still great to come back and watch this video so far into the future though. I love listening to people talking about their passion, no matter what it is.
This guy needs to play NES Tetris and compete at the CTWC would love to to see my home country represented by this dude!
Yeah, would love to see him but he wouldn't stand a chance :/
Its a whole different game, classic needs either das or hypertap and i dont think he has the time for that
Let's crowdfund him a trip to get the Twin Galaxies record.
oh yeah that exists doesn’t it
What an awesome guy James is! Great video
the world needs more people like this, no shame, dedicated, real. props.
I have never thought of me being good at tetris! :|
3 years later, I love how this extended version of the interview had over 10X views compared to the one one 60 symbols. James is a hero. May he someday hold the world record.
The weirdest feeling after this interview was the feeling that this felt the best interview I have ever heard. Most entertaining interviews are full of jokes, losing the value and others are too serious and too deep, albeit being insightful. This felt just right... :)
Honest and fearless about the jobs you've had-- a Tetris champ, honest about your personality and vulnerability, and a PhD in physics. Your IQ must be off the charts. You're a wonderful person. Way to go.
"then I went away and had a brief spell doing computers in the porn industry which was really bizarre, everybody should do that for a year" me like WHAAAAAAA
I consider this as one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Somehow I loved watching every second of it even though I don’t care about Tetris.
I smashed up my gameboy with a hammer because Tetris pissed me off so much. Those gameboys really were tough.
wish he was my stat physics lecturer. such an awesome lad.
if he'd had a beard he probably would have broken the record
What record?
@@someperson9052 lol
This is your best video Brady and I've watched pretty much all of them over the years.
the gap made by the j block in the background hurts me so much :(
ikr why tf didn't they just put it 180° the other way
@@valtteri4888 then it would leave a different gap. Should have put it between the S and the T that's on top of the other S.
I don't know about you, but I played tetris straight away after I watched this video. Thanks for the reminder!
BOOM Tetris for Jeff!
That tie when he says : Everybody should do that once"
Can he beat Jeff tho?
Jeff Moore would wipe the floor with him
Boom
What a fantastic video. Thank you for your candour, and your unabashed love for what you do!!
Tetris > GTA V + CoD Ghost + Battlefield 4
agreed
Your mom
We need to get him back and see what he thinks of Tetris effect
The one time Billy Mitchell actually helped someone.
This man keeps coming up in my recommended. I'm not at all disappointed.
What a lovely guy!
He seems like a really cool guy. It's really interesting and at the same time kind of good to see people that find success in life to be of intellectual and academical nature.
Wow, this is one awesome guy
Thanks a lot for this "confession". It's inspired me a lot! Even it's old video if James would see it. Big thanks and I sending salute. His example of how to just start doing what you like even from the scratch would it be Physics degree or Tetris. I myself in the beginning of such journey. Took part time job and most of my money and all my free time spends with teachers to attend Maritime University and become Maritime Engineer one day. Thanks a lot!
fascinating personality
This guy is really inspiring. Half of what he said applies to my personal life. Amazing.
Do a new record! Just double it and you'll know you'll be in the books for a LOOOONG time! :D
This is one of the best videos from NU. Great guy, great video!
BOOM! Tetris for Jeff
An incredible story and a very unique individual. Stuff like this is captivating.
i want to know if he plays tetris in his dreams. i know when i get into a game like tetris for a little while my brain keeps playing it even when i'm asleep. has it been long enough that he's just over that?
Hey! that's called "Tetris effect". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect
awesome! i had no idea it had a name. i wonder if way back like .. blacksmiths had dreams of hammering iron or if this is a more modern effect.
j0nthegreat Many Tetris addicts get the Tetris Effect where they hallucinate Tetris when they are awake.
WARLOCKOFTHEUNDEAD That happens to me, it's so annoying because all the time i see tetrominoes falling down and sometimes it's hard to concentrate.
David Barraza That's bizarre. I build pallets for a grocery, and my coworkers have all compared fitting the boxes together like Tetris. I find my mind fitting cases together all even on days I didn't work...
I remember seeing this when I was 8 (2012) and got a big interest to Tetris, especially the Atari version that he played. I didn't have any copies of Atari Tetris back in the day and only had Sega Tetris, but now I have almost all versions of joystick based Tetris in an emulator. Thanks to him, I've now become a Tetris professional, but not a grand master: though if I had the skills in his era, I would be considered slightly better than him.
Tetris is the best video game .... Ever!
Cultris II had one of its challenges named "James Clewett's". The point of it is to clear blocks with nothing but tetrises for as long as you can. The world record is 99 tetrises. I find it a fun little challenge, but the problem is that without any pressure on speed (as it is on Cultris II) it eventually comes down to luck. You can stack your blocks perfectly but nevertheless eventually there will come a time that the I piece just doesn't come and you hit the top of the screen.
MuikuliWande
Someone needs to get this man a TGM board.
I've played a tetris variant called quadra where pieces and broken parts of pieces would fall down if they had nothing under them. To score you want to build it with holes, not just 4 at one side, so that your last piece release a long chain of lines completing. You get more points for more lines (obviouly) but also for the number of steps in the chain.
I liked it because it's more than just building 4 lines in a row, because of its high speed, and because of its multiplayer mode.
lovely fella
I hear Brady! Small world! (I also saw his name in the description after the fact. lol)
I once played tetris for over 60+ hours straight, resulting in over 2000 games played
So all your games were less than 2 minutes?
Wierd flex but ok
Need an update on James!
I get 10 FPS on low settings with this game
+Ricky Roaster
You may be playing on an oscilloscope.
mikskywalker Is that even a thing xD
Ricky Roaster
I've actually seen videos of people using them as monitors! Someone played doom through one which looked... interesting
mikskywalker Wow
There's something incredibly beautiful about this video and James's story.
What is the name of his game?
This guy is so interesting and inspiring. A huge admiration.
I'm not sure how I got here from kangaroo fighting videos.....
Me too!
I totally know what he's talking about. Tetris has that something where you could play it day after day for years and still find ways to get better, and that's very addicting.
Why is he playing such a shit version of Tetris?
Ben NCM
All versions of tetris are 99% the same.
_x_Mario_x_YT nope. Different rotation systems, leveling rules, tetriminos' colors, next pieces, etc. Obvious one is modern tetris vs classic tetris.
There's quite a noticeable amount of under the hood differences that actually makes a difference.
whatifallpotsinzeldaarecuccos Chill bro. It was an exaggeration.
_x_Mario_x_YT But I was chill.
whatifallpotsinzeldaarecuccos I'm talking about chill with the statistics
what a wonderful video.. I dont play computer games at all, but he leaves me with such a feel good factor, of someone who just enjoys tetris: and is obviously completely self aware. Terrific !
I thought very heartening his comment right at the end about it being the perfect computer game with no violence.. as a reflecltion on his genuinly gentle character. the world needs more people like him !
What a great interview that was, very honest, fun and enligtening. Really enjoyed that.
very well spoken.
Really awesome person.
Thanks James.
I wish you the best on your PHD that you are struggling to complete now.
Keep stacking those blocks.
Love the statements about the personality type that sits down and applies one's self and when it doesn't work, just keep going.
The 'obsessive compulsive, very easily addicted' + manic depressive personality type is definitely both an asset and a liability.
this is probably one of the best videos you've made Brady, and certainly the most interesting person you've ever interviewed here on youtube, a massive thumb up, and greetings from poland
man, its absolutly awesome just sitting back and listening to this guys story. I love stories and this one was a treat
This was surprisingly fascinating and engaging, good work guys.
I have now started playing Tetris again after 4 long years, Thank you James
Definitely go and beat that record officially man! Awesome video
I think he should compete in the 2019 CTWC!
I really wonder how James would perform on the newer Tetris Grandmaster games. I'd love to see him give that a go.
James, your honesty is amazing.
Fascinating and inspiring story :) I always play tetris when I need to think!
Imagine watching Billy Mitchell do anything today lol.
James vs Jonas
The ultimate Tetris game. I want to watch that!
Love the computer in the background. 1995 was a good year.
Love the video, I can imagine the disappointment James felt at 10:45. Really enjoy listening to what James has to say, keep up the good work.
He (and everyone who likes Tetris) should really try tetrisfriends. I never thought I could get addicted to this game until I tried that one. Really fun and REALLY addicting.
he probably did try it... he sais it in the video :P
I can't put my finger on what makes Clewett's segments so engaging.
I'd like to hear more about the underlying fundamentals of computer architechture that we never get to really think about. I'd also like to hear about alternative schemes which may exist.
Thanks.
I love this guy, he is a typical dork, he is brilliant on Numberphile
I'm glad I found and watched this video, you seem like a great and brilliant person Dr. Clewett!
I had a mindsweeper addiction phase. Didnt regret it
Try Hexcells (it's got 3 volumes, too)
Someone tell this guy to participate in the Classic Tetris World Championship! :)
Great video. I find the music the most addicting part. Just zen out and go.
It makes a lot of sense for tetris to be as addictive as it is. The human mind loves finding patterns and solving little puzzles. Which the game has no lack of.
This was great :) excellent video Brady. And best of lucks James!
That circly Tetris, I could see it working with joysticks way better than with touchscreens. You just point the joystick at the direction you want and done, no rotation and it can have some pace, I believe.
That was a fascinating watch. Thanks for posting!
he didn't say he's never heard of a t spin, but rather that the way that this player was using the t spin was new and interesting.
This is by far my favorite video on here!!
I think I made a good nickname for James Clewett that goes along with Tetris, "The Man who arranges the Blocks" if James Clewett won the 1999 world champion.
This is just awesome. I've never heard anyone else so vocal about the brilliance of tetris before, probably for lack of trying.
James is awesome. I want to play against him and lose fantastically!
@laxr5rs part of these videos has always been the human behind the scientist though... I think what they do outside work sometimes reflects on them as a researcher!
You'll be pleased to know there's more Tetris for a while though!
I had no idea, that's so awesome.
I remember playing a tetris-like game very similar to the one he created many years ago on an old PC. It fatured a selection of different worlds, each one representing a new level with increasingly high gravity, which made the pieces fall faster. I wonder if there's any relation.
AWESOME video! :D Enjoyed it a lot! Thanks so much!