Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic: the Gathering, and, while he directly and actively worked on the first several sets of the game, he no longer is working on it. I find that to be very weird. Why Would he not wish to remain an active participant in his own creation? I know that I would wish to do so, if I ever created a game, since I would not be certain that other people would be able to handle that game as I would. This is similar to how Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons, which is my favorite game of all, eventually ceased being directly involved in that game, as well.
What does everyone else say about this? Why is Richard Garfield no longer actively working on Magic: the Gathering? Is he focusing on other projects, currently? When may he return, again? I know that he returned to work on the first Ravnica block and Innistrad, but I hope that those sets shall not be the end of his involvement in this wonderful game that is his creation. Also, when he first started the game, and when he returned for those sets, did he have complete freedom and authority to do whatever he wished to do, since he created this game? I imagine that he would.
Richard has definitely been involved in several projects (SolForge, Spectromancer, King of Tokyo, etc), and has published many games since Magic. I don't know alot about him, but I would venture to say that he just enjoys making games, and making many games over just being tied to one.
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| UW Azorius Titan - Modern | UG Infect - Modern | UU Merfolk - Modern | BB 8Rack - Modern (Budget) |
Most game designers like to move on to new projects after producing a game. Garfield is no exception. He had already designed Robo Rally when Adkinson approached him asking for a game you could play in ten minutes or so while waiting between board game session or RPG scenarios (Magic The Gathering). Lately he's been too busy making King of Tokyo and right after Magic he designed the WotC Star Wars CCG (which wasn't very good, but it's still a game he designed that did okay). Some designers don't even play their own stuff - designing new games is what they do as a profession. The most prolific and best designer in the industry right now is Eric Lang. I think he had six, maybe even seven different things on display at Gen Con this year. All of which were exceptionally good and is just an insane amount of artifice. Most designers put out one or two things a year if they're lucky...but half a dozen is beyond absurd. Eric Lang has also been known to help consult and design Magic The Gathering products as well among his other things for WotC if I'm not mistaken.
I sat through another seminar with a guy who doesn't even play his own stuff after play-tests. He just moves onto the next thing because he has no interest in playing, just designing. Sort of the way that Woody Allen has never watched any movie he's made in the theater or in full after approving the final cut of one of his films.
Alpha (lead)
Arabian Nights (lead)
Revised Edition (lead)
Tempest
Urza's Saga
Odyssey
Torment (Odyssey concepts)
Deckmasters 2001
Judgment
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Innistrad
I don't have the time to find it, but I swear there was an article that said he was going be apart of set design at some point in the future. Hopefully someone else will find it.
Garfield and Gygax both sold out. For millions. To pursue what they enjoy, so good for them. Now we have Rose/Rosewater running things into the ground.
Love the magic design he's done but dunno but I've enjoyed playing his other games too. They make for such different fun then magic or any other card games
Tokyo is a great paced multiplayer game with lot fun aspects. I've also played a game that involved billboards and a card binder acting as the game board, pretty interesting game but I cannot recall what it was called I hear it's a but rarer than most.
Richard Garfield didn't want to make Magic: the Gathering for the rest of his life. He's an Ivy League math Ph.D who originally only designed games to supplement his income. He's pursuing his own interests now.
Mark Rosewater, on the other hand, does want to make Magic: the Gathering, so he does it.
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These days, some wizards are finding they have a little too much deck left at the end of their $$$.
MTG finance guy- follow me on Twitter@RichArschmann or RichardArschmann on Reddit
My relationship with Wizards of the Coast has been strong over the last ten years. I have been given respect and all the influence I could want on Wizards products and strategies. Hasbro in turn has treated Wizards in general, and me specifically, with similar respect. In exchange I have taken these responsibilities seriously, and tried to act in the mutual best interest of Wizards, and the game playing community that I felt I represented.
My personal interests are broader than these, however, and it is time for me to pursue them. Wizards and I will be changing our relationship to accommodate this, while still allowing me to continue working on Magic and other Wizards games - as a consultant rather than as a full time employee. These interests include network computer games, board games, non-trading card games, educational games, and, of course, my young family. Where these interests overlap with Hasbro's I will certainly go to them first to publish - since our history together would make them my first choice.
Magic has not taken a lot of my time in the past few years because I have such confidence in the team that is running it. I have designed for Magic and represented it at events, and these have been activities that I have cherished. Be assured, I will have plenty of opportunity to continue contributing in this manner, and I intend to do so. I plan to be in the Wizards' offices at least one day per week to continue working on trading card games Wizards has under development.
Thank you for your support over the years, and in the future -
Keep playing games -
Richard Garfield
Richard Garfield
1 May 2001
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The Collection:
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
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What does everyone else say about this? Why is Richard Garfield no longer actively working on Magic: the Gathering? Is he focusing on other projects, currently? When may he return, again? I know that he returned to work on the first Ravnica block and Innistrad, but I hope that those sets shall not be the end of his involvement in this wonderful game that is his creation. Also, when he first started the game, and when he returned for those sets, did he have complete freedom and authority to do whatever he wished to do, since he created this game? I imagine that he would.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
I sat through another seminar with a guy who doesn't even play his own stuff after play-tests. He just moves onto the next thing because he has no interest in playing, just designing. Sort of the way that Woody Allen has never watched any movie he's made in the theater or in full after approving the final cut of one of his films.
Alpha (lead)
Arabian Nights (lead)
Revised Edition (lead)
Tempest
Urza's Saga
Odyssey
Torment (Odyssey concepts)
Deckmasters 2001
Judgment
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Innistrad
I don't have the time to find it, but I swear there was an article that said he was going be apart of set design at some point in the future. Hopefully someone else will find it.
BUWGRChilds PlayGRWUB
BUWGR Highlander GRWUB
UBSquee's Shapeshifting PetBU
BW Multiplayer Control WB
RG Changeling GR
UR Mana FlareRU
UMerfolkU
B MBMC B
Tokyo is a great paced multiplayer game with lot fun aspects. I've also played a game that involved billboards and a card binder acting as the game board, pretty interesting game but I cannot recall what it was called I hear it's a but rarer than most.
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential
I will always firmly stand by the belief that Magic is a game first and a collectable second.
Trolling Warning -Cythare
Mark Rosewater, on the other hand, does want to make Magic: the Gathering, so he does it.
MTG finance guy- follow me on Twitter@RichArschmann or RichardArschmann on Reddit
Richard Garfield
1 May 2001
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete