Dear Wizards of the Coast,

If you would kindly stop reading my mind for a few moments I would like to take this opportunity to thank you.  Thank you for your recent changes to Magic the Gathering's core sets.  This shift in focus and resources is much appreciated and will surely lure the endless hordes of fantasy fans to the game.  In this time of economic uncertainty it is good to know that the game is still ready and willing to cater to a larger audience.  Much like Nintendo's Wii has done.  I speak for the entire GatheringMagic.com staff (2 guys) when I wish you godspeed and good luck as you work to better the game of Magic.

Your newly invigorated fan,

Reinhart

As I see it there are 3 main changes to the game with the release of Magic 2010.

A decisive shift towards classic fantasy likeness and player/color identity

Wizards has been slowly moving the game in this direction since 10th edition.  If you'll recall, the promotional items launched with that set were all about "finding your color" and choosing your destiny.  While most core sets attempt something similar this push was harder than usual.   With the eventual introduction of planeswalkers and the renewed focus on the player actually being a planeswalker, Wizard's strategy began to take shape.  Unfortunately, I think that strategy was lost in the complex "rainbow theme" of the last few expansions.  With Magic 2010, the game is taking one giant leap towards establishing the individual "player identity" that has launched World of Warcraft and its MMO cousins into the mainstream.

[caption id="attachment_654" align="alignright" width="210" caption="A card everyone can appreciate"][/caption]

In the official announcement,  we learn that a core set will no longer be exclusively reprints of old cards.  Nearly half the set will contain new cards that use universally identifiable terms.   For example the term "Counterspell" or "Disenchant" feel and play naturally for any lover of the fantasy genre in the world.  While cards such as Nantuko Husk are a mystery to anyone not physically holding the card in their hand.   It will feel less like a "rehash" or as the article puts it "a list of cards still playable in standard" and more like a rejuvenation of the color wheel and player identity.  In the Alara block, it was difficult to identify who you were or what your motives were as the player.  The concept of being a planeswalker was pushed heavily but I never really felt like a "Necromancer" or a "Druid" while I was building or playing with my decks.  With new cards like Silence in a white deck you can really become a White Knight for 20 minutes.  Isn't that what fantasy games are all about?  The success of programs like Second Life and Facebook prove that building a personal avatar is essential to keeping players interested.

Keep it simple, stupid -  The new rotation calendar

There is much to be said for keeping a game with 10,000 different pieces as simple as possible.  Its no wonder new players feel overwhelmed when they enter the game.  Some cards and sets are legal, some aren't.  Dealing with new card types, rotation schedules, rules etc.  But with a "refresh" every year a player can walk into a store, buy a box of 2010 and be  ready to go!  You're more than able to play a casual game with your buddies, but you also have a great base for a tournament playable collection!  Buying the core set has always been the way to start playing but now more than ever the core set is the train station where new and returning players  hop on.

With the core sets now consisting of 50% new cards and new expansions hitting every 3 months, players can look forward to something fresh more frequently.  While newer players can easily catch up with the now smaller set sizes.  The shorter cycle also allows the game to refresh itself each year as opposed to every two.  Magic 2010 simply does a better job of refreshing the game than say, 9th edition did because it brings with it original cards that are focused on giving new and old players distinctive identities.  It allows players to try different things each year.  Too often with the old format players would establish "the deck" after the first expansion and players would simply augment that strategy with new cards throughout the entire two years that set was legal.  It makes the game feel stale and tired.  A reset every 365 days is just what this game needs to keep the excitement and freshness factor at peak.

Magic the Gathering for Everyone - Come one, come all!

The recent trend in gaming is to try and appeal to the more "casual gamer".  With the monster success of Wii Fit, The Sims and more, gaming companies have been tapping into the previously unreachable demographic of women, parents and casual gamers.  A complex, CCG-type game like MTG will never be as big of a success story as the Wii regarding those demos, but with this recent shift in priorities WotC is looking to take their share of that market.  The core set's new "train station" approach is appealing to both new players and returning players.  Returning players will now be looking at a game that not only includes cards they grew up playing, but cards they instantly relate to with their established knowledge of Tolkien-esque lore.  It will give older Magic collections a breath of life they desperatly need.  The simplicity and familiarity of the new set will also bring in brand new players who might be looking for something new yet familiar to dive into.

[caption id="attachment_662" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="If other gaming companies can capture this demographic so convincingly then surely there is a little room for a card game or two, right? "][/caption]

The great thing about core sets is that they appeal to everyone for different reasons.  Older players love the throwback cards and power of mono-colored classics while newer players are excited by the prospect of getting into a game at the beginning.  No one wants to start playing World of Warcraft on an established server after 3 expansions have been released.  You'd much rather start on a fresh server where everyone is in the same boat and starting from scratch.

I, for one, have not been so excited about a company's decision for as long as I can remember.  When Blizzard, Nintendo, Apple or even Wizard's of the Coast announce their latest product, or upgrade, it always comes with a bit of good and a bit of bad.  But for me, these changes represent everything I love about Magic the Gathering and where I'd like to see the game go.   The only possible pitfall is the  dumbing down of the game in an attempt to lure in "non-gamers".  Fortunately, what we've seen so far shows no indication of such and I can only assume Wizards will continue to please the hardcore gamer as well as their new fans.

So, thank you Wizards of the Coast.  I haven't been this excited about Magic since Ice Age.