Wizards of the Coast Interview

We recently had the opportunity to have a chat with the people who are responsible for providing endless entertainment to millions of people worldwide... Wizards of the Coast. The insanely cool people at Wizards have brought us things like; Magic: The Gathering, the Pokémon Trading Card game, not to mention the wonderful Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. In this interview we'll be focussing more on Magic: The Gathering, in particular the Duels of the Planeswalkers series.

Here's the outcome of our vigorous session of questioning!

- Can you explain in 10 words what Duels of the Planeswalkers is?

It's the best way to discover Magic: The Gathering.

- Which do your team prefer, Duels of the Planeswalkers or the physical card sets?

Magic 2014 provides a challenging level of gameplay and the flexibility to play when I am travelling or when I don't have time to meet up with my friends. Playing Magic face-to-face provides for great social interactions that are a part of what makes the game incredible. Ultimately, they are both great ways to experience Magic: The Gathering.

- Duels of the Planeswalkers is generally seen as Magic Lite; what are you doing this year to try and convert veteran Magic players who might otherwise see it as too watered down for their liking?

In addition to a challenging campaign, a preview of over 50 cards from the upcoming Magic 2014 – Core Set, new puzzles, new decks, and new encounters; this year we will be announcing a new gameplay mode that both new and experienced players will enjoy.

- Are you ever tempted to introduce exclusive game modes and cards in order to create a more unique experience compared to the TCG and the other Magic computer games?

We continue to examine gameplay experiences that we believe our fans will enjoy. This is what led us to include features such as encounters and puzzle challenges.

- iOS support was added to Duels last year, whilst this year's edition is finally set to come to Android as well; do you envisage a purely mobile release based on the traditional Magic gameplay?

We're very excited to be able to offer the Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise on multiple platforms. While we don't have anything to announce regarding additional platforms at this time, we're constantly exploring new ways to provide fans with options to play Magic when they want and where they want.

- Blizzard and Mojang look set to entice a more mainstream audience to the TCG scene (with WoW TCG and Scrolls respectively); are you worried that these might draw players away from Magic, or are you looking forward to a potential new audience opening up?

We are excited to see these companies move into the trading card game space as it will only benefit and strengthen the genre. As for Magic, our focus is on continuing to deliver exceptional experiences and an unparalleled depth of strategic gameplay to our fans.

Well we hope that you've enjoyed our interview with Wizards, and if you're looking for a bit more on the Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers front then take a look at the trailer below for their 2014 release!