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When in 1990 mathematics professor Richard Garfield was searching for a publisher for a board game he had designed himself, Robo Ralley, he came across the small company Wizards of the Coast. They were interested in the game, but it turned out to be a to big of a project for the recently founded business. To get them started, Garfield introduced a second idea of his. A game that was supposed to earn some quick money to enable the publishing of Robo Ralley. A game called Magic: The Gathering.
Principles of the Game
Magic is a strategic card game set in a fantasy world full of wizards, goblins and dragons. Two or more players battle each other with spells and monsters represented by their deck of illustrated cards. Now, the revolutionary part about this was that the game was to be collectible – players wouldn't start with the same deck but instead each brought his own collection to the table. Because the cards, like baseball cards, come in different rarities but are only sold in random packs, there is a high incentive to buy new packs in order to achieve a powerful deck.
This, of course, might sound as if the richest player should always win. But Garfield, being the mathematician he was, equipped his game with an easy-to-learn, yet impossible-to-master game play and enormous strategic depth, making it a real intellectual challenge (which would, in 1994, win it the Mensa Top Five Mindgames award). From collectors to players, from fantasy nuts to cold strategists, from school kids to university students, Magic covered so many target groups that it was bound to be a success. And it was.
The Road to Success
Before Wizard of the Coast new it, they were designing edition after edition of cards, and by 1993 the cardboard had become the company's main business, selling millions of cards each year. Wizards recognized the gold mine they had stumbled upon and quickly went about expanding the game.
One main addition was official support, which means sanctioned leagues and tournaments were held and prizes could be won. Magic was soon played in Europe and Asia and in 1996, the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour was brought to life. Believe it or not, players from all over the world flew to New York City to play Magic, the prize pool being $30,000. This concept and the amount of money involved gave the game a new face, signaled by 1996's world championship finalist Mark Justice playing in a suit. Was it still only a game?
Over the next decade, the prize money rose steadily, up to $40,000 for the world championship title. Players could finance their studies or gain the starting capital for a business through gaming. Stars and legends were constructed, books and magazines were written, online communities developed. Single sought-after cards reached prices of over $1,000.
Today, there are an estimated six million players in seventy countries, a yearly $3,000,000 of prize money and Magic TV Ads. Magic's story is one of a clever business idea and effective marketing. And it is symbol of a society that has enough money and time to make gaming a serious matter.
