Magic the Gathering, by Wizards of the Coast has been around since 1993. Since then it has gone on to be amongst the most popular trading card games of all time. In fact, Magic the Gathering is the first game to pass the 35 million player mark. Beating other titans of the field, like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon, to this goal. These competitors had other mediums which pushed interest into the card game like an anime, or a video game. And yet, while Magic the Gathering had neither of these – to the exposure that Yu-gi-oh and Pokémon had – it still managed to print over 20 billion cards in 8 years between 2008 and 2016. 2016 was a long time ago and so now in 2022 is Magic the Gathering dying?
Table of Contents
- Magic the Gathering: The Noteworthy Nineties
- Popularity in the 2000s
- Is Magic the Gathering Making Money?
- In Other Media
- Is Magic the Gathering Still Popular?
Magic the Gathering: The Noteworthy Nineties
It’s worth describing Magic the Gathering’s initial rise to popularity. Many fads have an explosion of enthusiasm amongst fans, but are then quickly dropped. Almost 30 years later Magic the Gathering Continues to be played.
The Game went on release to the public in August 1993. It took the USA by storm. By October Wizards of the Coast had sold 10 million cards. The business was reluctant to even advertise the game because supply simply could not keep up with demand. The whirlwind first months of its release led to an accelerated marketing timeline. By December they had released their first expansion: Arabian Nights. Later by the end of 1994 1 billion cards had been printed.
But why was it so popular to begin with? Magic attracted a good chunk of the dungeons and dragons fan base, another game that saw a huge rise of popularity in the 90s. The themes complemented each other and the fantasy nature of both games attracted likeminded fans. Magic is played in person, it helps form connections and promotes interaction and socialisation.
On top of all this the game was good. It was addictive, enjoyable and outright fun. An early review described it as “the most original game in years”. It enjoyed critical success too winning an Origin award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Board game of 1993.
So, in the 90s at least, we had a brand new game, with new mechanics, that people could not get enough of. It’s a clear recipe for success, but how did this continue into the present day?
Popularity in the 2000s
The game was popular in the 90s, that much we know, but how did the game march into the 00s?
As discussed before, between 2008 and 2016 Magic saw its greatest success with 20 billion cards printed. Its also interesting to see the trend of interest over the decade. While international, the game saw its greatest success in the North America.
Google analytics is a reasonably good way to show interest in a topic as it shows how many users are searching for a topic. We can also see that there is a steady incline from 2004-2022 in interest. This proves that people are still engaging in the topic.
Its helpful to see, by comparison how one of Magic’s competitors are doing. I think the question “Is Yu-Gi-Oh dying?” is simpler to answer: Yes. Worldwide there has been a steady decrease of interest in the franchise while Magic has been relatively consistent.
Is Magic the Gathering Making Money?
Another gauge of success is the age old business question of profitability. Ultimately, if it were no longer making money Hasbro (owners of Wizards of the coast) would simply stop printing cards.
Bloomberg describe Magic as one of Hasbro’s “Franchise Brands” one that really stand out amongst their peers. These section of Hasbro’s Portfolio brings in $2.5 billion in revenue for the business per year. Magic contributes around $500 million to this.
Coronavirus reduced sales in paper Magic, but actually helped increase sales in the online format, Magic: The Gathering Arena. Since its release in 2019, its added around 20% to the value of the franchise; its users almost doubling year on year, from 3 million to over 10 million currently.
In addition to selling the goods new, there is an active secondary market often sold in comic book stores and on eBay. This helps to re-circulate cards and promotes continued interest in the game.
In Other Media
People are still searching for Magic on the web. People are still buying magic the gathering cards and its clear that Hasbro has no interest in culling the franchise yet. The game is also multi-dimensional. There is more than just interest in it than just as a tabletop game.
Netflix, for example, have produced an animated show to celebrate the games 30th anniversary. The series is set to be launched early 2023. If it was able to get similar traction to Arcane – which focused on League of Legends – it could further drive interest in the Franchise.
As recently as 2021, a new comic book series by Boom! Studios was released. It’s clear that Magic is a brand people want to read about and that people want to see. It has a huge fan base and there would not be so much interest in the intellectual property if it was a dying franchise.
Is Magic the Gathering Still Popular?
What’s most telling is that Magic the Gathering was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2019. The criteria for its nomination perfectly exemplify why the brand is so success. It has: Icon status, it’s recognised, respected and remembered; it has longevity; and it’s innovative. Saying that Magic the Gathering is dying is far, far from the truth. Sales are as good as ever and it’s successfully spreading into other Medias and mediums. It’s exciting to see how much further the game will go in time.
