There seems to be a general perception, especially in America, that you were dealt a bad hand with all of the business decisions that were made, that you were possibly taken advantage of.

AP: [Laughs.] Basically, it's very good to say it afterwards, but when you're in the real situation, in front of real choices, sometimes it's a much harder decision. You don't know how your life will turn out. You don't know how the life of your country will turn out.

At the time I needed to make that decision, the Soviet Union and all of its legal situations were very gray, very unclear.

In reality, either I started to fight with everybody around me, the computer center, the Soviet Union, the KGB, and spend the rest of my life fighting, or I get everybody into one team and make it happen as a game.

So I decided I'm not a fighter, I'm a designer, and I never complained about my decision.

You seem to harbor no resentments.

AP: Yes, because first of all, I did what I wanted: the game became an event, and that was the most important thing. Second, in ten years the rights came back to me. It was not awfully great money, but it's still OK, and I'm very happy with what I'm still getting. So, again, I might have been several million richer, but would I have been several million happier? I'm not sure. I'm not sure about that.

So you have no regrets?

AP: Oh, no. No regrets at all. No regrets at all. I think all the Tetris part of my life is great. Everything happened exactly as it's supposed to happen. [Pauses and smiles.] And maybe it was me that took advantage.

How so?

AP: Because of the political situation. People have said that part of the initial popularity of Tetris was the popularity of Russia and the cathedrals on the box. Of course it helps, but it's part of my life. It's not me who invented this stuff.

But, on the other side, the popularity of Tetris came from the Game Boy, and Tetris was bundled with it. If you remember the first Game Boy, it was a very boring dull grey box with no cathedrals on it, so, basically, everything is kind of questionable.

What do you want to do from here?

AP: Well, I'm pretty happy with what I have now. I'm well set up in Seattle. I spend substantial time in Moscow, spending time in my cultural environment, which I enjoy. I have some groups that like to work with me, so I can do some design.