![]() ![]() Like Saffron Olive, I play more digital Magic these days than paper Magic. From his home in upstate New York, he can be found daily streaming some of the most unique decks the game has to offer. With his jubilant beard and infectious laugh, Saffron Olive, whose real name is Seth, is a writer for MTGGoldfish, a noted Magic site with articles, videos, and decklists, and one of the community’s best known “brewers”-players who find enjoyment crafting and playing creative decks, rather than chasing the “meta” decks popular with competitive players. As Saffron Olive began producing more video content, he moved even further away from paper Magic “since digital is way, way easier for video production and streaming.” “While I started off as a causal paper player a long time ago, as I became more interested in Magic, I started playing more and more Magic Online,” he said, referring to Magic’s long-running online client, Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO). “I’ve played way more digital Magic over the years than paper Magic,” Saffron Olive told me when I asked him about his history with the game. To find the beginning of this digital journey, we have to travel way back to 1997, just four years after the release of the game’s ultra-rare Alpha edition. Join us as we dive deep into the history of Magic: The Gathering’s digital ambitions. History is best told by the people who experienced it, so I’ve connected with pro players, Wizards of the Coast staff, journalists, and content creators who have devoted their lives to this wonderful game. But if there’s one thing that never changes, it’s Wizards’s willingness to experiment and push forward, and their ever-present mandate to make the game as broadly accessible and appealing as possible to players around the planet. Like any product that’s survived multiple decades, Magic’s 25-year journey is full of world-class successes and almost catastrophic missteps. ![]() More than Tolkien, more than Final Fantasy, more than anything else, Magic: The Gathering turned me into a fantasy fan. I’ve played in tournaments, and I watch my favorite players stream the game. I still play games against those same schoolyard rivals. Over 25 years later, Magic remains a mainstay in my life. We were kids falling in love with a unique card game that made us feel like wizards. Competitive play didn’t exist then the way it does now. Nobody had any idea about how to build a good deck. Like any young soul who wants to be part of the action, I bought a starter pack and some boosters and mashed my favorite cards together with some lands. Dierdre Lukyn, the coolest teacher at the school. The game was taking over my schoolyard thanks to Ms. The air was crisp, and the leaves were turning, as September 1994 rolled into October. It was easy to get into Magic: The Gathering when I was 11 years old. Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. ![]()
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