Games - Wizards of the Coast

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	Games - Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, they popularized the collectible card game genre with Magic: The Gathering
in the mid-1990s. Today they publish board games, collectible card games and role-playing games.

History

Wizards of the Coast was founded by Peter Adkison in 1990 just outside Seattle, Washington, and their headquarters is still in nearby Renton. Originally the company only published role-playing games such as The Primal Order and Talislanta, and later the innovative Everway, which has since been sold to Gaslight Press. However, it made its indelible mark when at Gen Con in August 1993, the company debuted Richard Garfield's Collectible card game Magic: The Gathering
. The success of Magic generated revenue that carried the company out of the original basement headquarters and into its own offices. Wizards of the Coast holds United States patent number 5662332 on Collectible card games. Wizards of the Coast also published the highly successful Pokémon Trading Card Game for a number of years before Nintendo took back control.

In 1997, they bought the cash-strapped makers of Dungeons & Dragons
, TSR. Many of the creative and professional staff of TSR relocated from Wisconsin to the Renton, Washington area, and Wizards re-hired many game designers who had been laid off during the troubled last years of TSR. TSR was used as a brand name for a while, then retired. Wizards of the Coast allowed the TSR trademarks to expire. The game and toy giant Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast in September 1999.

Wizards of the Coast also ran a chain of gaming retail stores known as The Game Keeper, for several years. It announced in December 2003 that it would close these stores in order to concentrate on game design. The stores were closed in the spring of 2004.

Recently, Wizards of the Coast sued a fan for copyright infringement. , first attempting to obtain summary judgment.

Games and products

Board games

Robo Rally
Filthy Rich
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Monsters Menace America
Axis & Allies Revised and D-Day
Risk 2210 A.D.
and Risk Godstorm
Nexus Ops

Collectible card games

Magic: The Gathering
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
(previously "Jyhad")
Netrunner
BattleTech Trading Card Game
DuelMasters
Star Wars: The Trading Card Game
MLB Showdown
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Neopets Trading Card Game
Hecatomb

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Wizards of the Coast ]

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