The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Every now and then a product comes along that is not as much a phenomenon because of its gameplay, but because of its marketing. In a move that is more evident of some crack dealer passing out free samples at an elementary school, Wizards of the Coast has released Portal, a simplified version of the Magic The Gathering game. In short a game that works, is playable, and hoepfully for the company is copyrightable. I wonder what it will be this time-- what great step forward will be commemorated with another brainless patent in game design?

I mean, God help the industry if Gygax and TSR had patented anything! Will it be having slick cards, playable mechanics, maybe cards laced with LSD or crank-- now there's a cross marketing opportunity. Not only will Wizards get a further hold on the gaming community, but a whole bunch of dexedrine addicted skateboarders will come on in and join the party. This game does tend to work, but after you work on the basic set for a while-- after you decide you'd like some "improvements" in your deck-- the real Hell begins. You may get a bunch of new cards in the first few boosters you purchase, but sooner rather than later you're overrun by this huge stack of sucky cards-- you know swamp gas monsters, indigestible bowel creatures, some sort of South Park tie-in. Before you know it you've spent enough money to finance your entire Fall gaming budget.

So you either stop, and hate the game because you want more cards-- or you become one of those poor lost souls living in their parent's basement, forgetting all basic rules of hygiene (just knowing enough to spray the bugs off), and pulling around a luggage rack filled with briefcases of Magic cards, and tackle boxes filled with Dragon Dice that no one will ever buy or trade for. One minute you're living your life, then boom-- you're through that portal and you wake up to find yourself in Dante's Inferno. Granted, this is a well-designed simplification of Magic, but I cannot recommend any game that produces the same aquisitive tendencies in its players that we normally see in Heroin addicts. It gets a "D."

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Magic The Gathering: Portal
Author: Who can tell? Category: CCG Company/Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Cost: ? Page count: ? ISBN: ? Playtest Review by Scott Shafer on 03/29/98. Genre tags: none	Every now and then a product comes along that is not as much a phenomenon because of its gameplay, but because of its marketing. In a move that is more evident of some crack dealer passing out free samples at an elementary school, Wizards of the Coast has released Portal, a simplified version of the Magic The Gathering game. In short a game that works, is playable, and hoepfully for the company is copyrightable. I wonder what it will be this time-- what great step forward will be commemorated with another brainless patent in game design? I mean, God help the industry if Gygax and TSR had patented anything! Will it be having slick cards, playable mechanics, maybe cards laced with LSD or crank-- now there's a cross marketing opportunity. Not only will Wizards get a further hold on the gaming community, but a whole bunch of dexedrine addicted skateboarders will come on in and join the party. This game does tend to work, but after you work on the basic set for a while-- after you decide you'd like some "improvements" in your deck-- the real Hell begins. You may get a bunch of new cards in the first few boosters you purchase, but sooner rather than later you're overrun by this huge stack of sucky cards-- you know swamp gas monsters, indigestible bowel creatures, some sort of South Park tie-in. Before you know it you've spent enough money to finance your entire Fall gaming budget. So you either stop, and hate the game because you want more cards-- or you become one of those poor lost souls living in their parent's basement, forgetting all basic rules of hygiene (just knowing enough to spray the bugs off), and pulling around a luggage rack filled with briefcases of Magic cards, and tackle boxes filled with Dragon Dice that no one will ever buy or trade for. One minute you're living your life, then boom-- you're through that portal and you wake up to find yourself in Dante's Inferno. Granted, this is a well-designed simplification of Magic, but I cannot recommend any game that produces the same aquisitive tendencies in its players that we normally see in Heroin addicts. It gets a "D." Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Magic The Gathering: Portal