Richard Garfield: Difference between revisions

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| occupation        = Mathematician, inventor, game designer
| occupation        = Mathematician, inventor, game designer
| years_active      =  
| years_active      =  
| education          = [[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[B. S.|BS]], [[PhD]])
| education          = [[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[PhD]])
| known_for          = ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', ''[[Netrunner]]''
| known_for          = ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', ''[[Netrunner]]''
| notable_works      =  
| notable_works      =  
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}}
}}
}}
}}
'''Richard Channing Garfield''' (born June 26, 1963) is an American mathematician, inventor, and game designer. Garfield created ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', which is considered to be the first [[collectible card game]] (CCG). ''Magic'' debuted in 1993, and its success spawned many imitations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wizards.com/company/downloads/Magic_Fact_Sheet_Aug09.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824093746/http://www.wizards.com/company/downloads/Magic_Fact_Sheet_Aug09.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 24, 2009 |title=Magic: The Gathering Fact Sheet |year = 2009 | access-date=June 10, 2013 |publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref>  
'''Richard Channing Garfield''' (born June 26, 1963) is an American mathematician, inventor, and game designer. Garfield created ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', which is considered to be the first [[collectible card game]] (CCG). ''Magic'' debuted in 1993, and its success spawned many imitations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wizards.com/company/downloads/Magic_Fact_Sheet_Aug09.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824093746/http://www.wizards.com/company/downloads/Magic_Fact_Sheet_Aug09.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 24, 2009 |title=Magic: The Gathering Fact Sheet |year = 2009 | access-date=June 10, 2013 |publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref>


Garfield oversaw the successful growth of ''Magic'' and followed it with other game designs.<ref name="Varney">[[Allen Varney|Varney, Allen]]. "[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_105/784-Richard-Garfield Richard Garfield] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122081321/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_105/784-Richard-Garfield |date=2014-01-22 }}." The Escapist. 10 JULY 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2013.</ref> Included in these are ''[[Keyforge]]'', ''[[Netrunner]]'', ''[[BattleTech Collectible Card Game]]'', ''[[Vampire: The Eternal Struggle]]'', ''[[Star Wars Trading Card Game]]'', ''[[The Great Dalmuti]]'', [[Artifact (video game)|Artifact]], and [[Board game|board games]] including ''[[RoboRally]], [[King of Tokyo]],'' and ''Bunny Kingdom''. He also created a variation of the card game [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]] called [[Complex Hearts]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |title=Complex Hearts |publisher=Math.unl.edu |access-date=23 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708002429/http://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |archive-date=8 July 2013 }}</ref> Garfield first became passionate about games when he played the roleplaying game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'',<ref name="vasel 05" /> so he designed ''Magic'' decks to be customizable like roleplaying characters.<ref name="Garfield Magic" /> Garfield and ''Magic'' are both in the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame.<ref name="Hall of Fame">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071031072248/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1998/list-of-winners List of Winners], Origins Game Fair. Retrieved 22 June 2013.</ref>
Garfield oversaw the successful growth of ''Magic'' and followed it with other game designs.<ref name="Varney">[[Allen Varney|Varney, Allen]]. "[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_105/784-Richard-Garfield Richard Garfield] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122081321/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_105/784-Richard-Garfield |date=2014-01-22 }}." The Escapist. 10 JULY 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2013.</ref> Included in these are ''[[Keyforge]]'', ''[[Netrunner]]'', ''[[BattleTech Collectible Card Game]]'', ''[[Vampire: The Eternal Struggle]]'', ''[[Star Wars Trading Card Game]]'', ''[[The Great Dalmuti]]'', [[Artifact (video game)|Artifact]], and [[board game]]s including ''[[RoboRally]], [[King of Tokyo]],'' and ''Bunny Kingdom''. He also created a variation of the card game [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]] called Complex Hearts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |title=Complex Hearts |publisher=Math.unl.edu |access-date=23 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708002429/http://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |archive-date=8 July 2013 }}</ref> Garfield first became passionate about games when he played the roleplaying game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'',<ref name="vasel 05" /> so he designed ''Magic'' decks to be customizable like roleplaying characters.<ref name="Garfield Magic" /> Garfield and ''Magic'' are both in the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame.<ref name="Hall of Fame">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071031072248/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1998/list-of-winners List of Winners], Origins Game Fair. Retrieved 22 June 2013.</ref>


==Early life, family and education==
==Early life, family and education==
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In 1999, Garfield was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame alongside ''Magic''.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/> He was a primary play tester for the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' 3rd edition bookset, released by Wizards in 2000. He eventually left Wizards to become an independent game designer.<ref name="vasel 05" />
In 1999, Garfield was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame alongside ''Magic''.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/> He was a primary play tester for the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' 3rd edition bookset, released by Wizards in 2000. He eventually left Wizards to become an independent game designer.<ref name="vasel 05" />


===As an independent designer===  
===As an independent designer===
He still sporadically contributes to ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''.<ref name="ravnica">{{cite web | url = https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr192 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060104153607/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr192 | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 4, 2006 | title = City Planning, Part I | work = Making Magic | author = Rosewater, Mark | author-link = Mark Rosewater | date = 2005-09-05 | access-date = 2007-04-27}}</ref><ref name="innistrad">{{cite web | url = https://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/159 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110925012914/http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/159 | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 25, 2011 | title = C'mon Innistrad, Part I | work = Making Magic | author = Rosewater, Mark | author-link = Mark Rosewater | date = 2011-09-05 | access-date = 2011-12-16}}</ref> More recently, he has created the board games ''Pecking Order'' (2006)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/22347 | title = Pecking Order | work = BoardGameGeek | access-date = 2007-05-06}}</ref> and ''Rocketville'' (2006). The latter was published by [[Avalon Hill]], a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hasbro.com/media/default.cfm?page=release&release=423 | title = AVALON HILL WELCOMES BACK RICHARD GARFIELD; Rocketville Set to Blast-Off on March 10 | date = 2006-02-07 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071107020507/http://www.hasbro.com/media/default.cfm?page=release&release=423 | archive-date = 2007-11-07 }}</ref> He has shifted more of his attention to [[video game]]s, having worked on the design and development of ''[[Schizoid (video game)|Schizoid]]'' and ''[[Spectromancer]]'' as part of Three Donkeys LLC.<ref name="vasel 05" /> He has been a game designer and consultant for companies including [[Electronic Arts]] and [[Microsoft]].<ref name="HG"/>
He still sporadically contributes to ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''.<ref name="ravnica">{{cite web | url = https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr192 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060104153607/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr192 | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 4, 2006 | title = City Planning, Part I | work = Making Magic | author = Rosewater, Mark | author-link = Mark Rosewater | date = 2005-09-05 | access-date = 2007-04-27}}</ref><ref name="innistrad">{{cite web | url = https://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/159 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110925012914/http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/159 | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 25, 2011 | title = C'mon Innistrad, Part I | work = Making Magic | author = Rosewater, Mark | author-link = Mark Rosewater | date = 2011-09-05 | access-date = 2011-12-16}}</ref> More recently, he has created the board games ''Pecking Order'' (2006)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/22347 | title = Pecking Order | work = BoardGameGeek | access-date = 2007-05-06}}</ref> and ''Rocketville'' (2006). The latter was published by [[Avalon Hill]], a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hasbro.com/media/default.cfm?page=release&release=423 | title = AVALON HILL WELCOMES BACK RICHARD GARFIELD; Rocketville Set to Blast-Off on March 10 | date = 2006-02-07 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071107020507/http://www.hasbro.com/media/default.cfm?page=release&release=423 | archive-date = 2007-11-07 }}</ref> He has shifted more of his attention to [[video game]]s, having worked on the design and development of ''[[Schizoid (video game)|Schizoid]]'' and ''[[Spectromancer]]'' as part of Three Donkeys LLC.<ref name="vasel 05" /> He has been a game designer and consultant for companies including [[Electronic Arts]] and [[Microsoft]].<ref name="HG"/>


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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|magazine=[[InQuest Gamer|Inquest]]|title=A look at the man who made Magic|last=Reid|first=Zachary|page=12-16|date=April 1995}}
*{{cite magazine|magazine=[[InQuest Gamer|Inquest]]|title=A look at the man who made Magic|last=Reid|first=Zachary|pages=12–16|date=April 1995}}
*{{Cite web |first=Nick |last=Zarzycki |date=2024-05-13 |title=The Creator Of 'Magic: The Gathering' Knows Exactly Where It All Went Wrong |url=https://defector.com/the-creator-of-magic-the-gathering-knows-exactly-where-it-all-went-wrong |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=[[Defector Media]] |language=en}}
*{{Cite web |first=Nick |last=Zarzycki |date=2024-05-13 |title=The Creator Of 'Magic: The Gathering' Knows Exactly Where It All Went Wrong |url=https://defector.com/the-creator-of-magic-the-gathering-knows-exactly-where-it-all-went-wrong |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=[[Defector Media]] |language=en}}


Latest revision as of 04:01, 5 November 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Richard Channing Garfield (born June 26, 1963) is an American mathematician, inventor, and game designer. Garfield created Magic: The Gathering, which is considered to be the first collectible card game (CCG). Magic debuted in 1993, and its success spawned many imitations.[1]

Garfield oversaw the successful growth of Magic and followed it with other game designs.[2] Included in these are Keyforge, Netrunner, BattleTech Collectible Card Game, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Star Wars Trading Card Game, The Great Dalmuti, Artifact, and board games including RoboRally, King of Tokyo, and Bunny Kingdom. He also created a variation of the card game Hearts called Complex Hearts.[3] Garfield first became passionate about games when he played the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons,[4] so he designed Magic decks to be customizable like roleplaying characters.[5] Garfield and Magic are both in the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame.[6]

Early life, family and education

Garfield was born in Philadelphia and spent his childhood in many locations throughout the world as a result of his father's work in architecture. His family eventually settled in Oregon when he was twelve. Garfield is the great-great-grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield and his grand-uncle Samuel Fay invented the paper clip.[7] He is also the nephew of Fay Jones, who, already an established artist, illustrated one Magic card for him.[8]

While Garfield always had an interest in puzzles and games, his passion was kick-started when he was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons.[4] Garfield designed his first game when he was 13.[9]

In 1985,[10] Garfield received a Bachelor of Science degree in computational mathematics. After college, he joined Bell Laboratories, but soon after decided to continue his education and attended the University of Pennsylvania, studying combinatorial mathematics for his PhD.[4] Garfield studied under Herbert Wilf and earned a Ph.D. in combinatorial mathematics from Penn in 1993. His thesis was On the Residue Classes of Combinatorial Families of Numbers.[11] Shortly thereafter, he became a Visiting Professor[12] of mathematics at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.[13]

Game design career

Precursors and development of Magic: the Gathering

While searching for a publisher for RoboRally, which he designed in 1985,[4] Wizards of the Coast began talking to Garfield through Mike Davis, but Wizards was still a new company and felt the game would be too expensive to produce.[14]Template:Rp Peter Adkison of Wizards of the Coast expressed interest in a fast-playing game with minimal equipment, something that would be popular at a game convention.[5] Adkison asked if Garfield could develop a game with lower production costs than RoboRally, with the idea of making such a game more portable and easy to bring to conventions; Garfield thought of an idea that came from combining a card game with collecting baseball cards and spent a week creating a full game from that rough idea.[14]Template:Rp

Garfield had been creating card games since at least 1982, starting with a card game called Five Magics that was inspired by Cosmic Encounter, and his work with this new card game built on his existing older prototypes.[14]Template:Rp Garfield thus combined ideas from two previous games to invent the first trading card game, Magic: The Gathering.[5] At first, Garfield and Adkison called the game Manaclash and worked on it in secret during a lawsuit filed by Palladium Games against Wizards. They were able to protect the game's intellectual property by using the shell company Garfield Games.[14]Template:Rp Garfield began designing Magic as a Penn graduate student. Garfield's playtesters were mostly fellow Penn students.[15]

Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering launched in 1993. Playtesters began independently developing expansion packs, which were then passed to Garfield for his final edit.[15] In June 1994, Garfield left academia to join Wizards of the Coast as a full-time game designer.[4] Garfield managed the hit game wisely, balancing player experience with business needs and allowing other designers to contribute creatively to the game.[2] With his direction, Wizards established a robust tournament system for Magic, something that was new to hobby gaming.[2]

Wizards finally released Garfield's RoboRally in 1994.[14]Template:Rp Wizards published Garfield's Vampire: The Masquerade-based CCG Jyhad in 1994, but changed the name to Vampire: The Eternal Struggle in 1995 to avoid offense to Muslims.[14]Template:Rp Netrunner (1996) was Garfield's CCG based on Cyberpunk 2020, where he included an element that made it an asymmetrical game, so that the two players each had entirely different cards, abilities, and goals.[14]Template:Rp Wizards published the BattleTech Collectible Card Game in 1996, based on a design by Garfield.[14]Template:Rp Peter Adkison was developing a Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG based on a design from Garfield and Skaff Elias, but left Wizards in December 2000 after Hasbro sold the D&D computer rights and cancelled the project.[14]Template:Rp

In 1999, Garfield was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame alongside Magic.[6] He was a primary play tester for the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition bookset, released by Wizards in 2000. He eventually left Wizards to become an independent game designer.[4]

As an independent designer

He still sporadically contributes to Magic: The Gathering.[16][17] More recently, he has created the board games Pecking Order (2006)[18] and Rocketville (2006). The latter was published by Avalon Hill, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast.[19] He has shifted more of his attention to video games, having worked on the design and development of Schizoid and Spectromancer as part of Three Donkeys LLC.[4] He has been a game designer and consultant for companies including Electronic Arts and Microsoft.[13]

Garfield taught a class titled "The Characteristics of Games" at the University of Washington.[13] It is now taught as part of the University of Washington's Certificate in Game Design.[20]

Games designed

File:Spiel 2015 Essen - Der Freitag - Treasure Hunter (21879288099).jpg
A game of Treasure Hunter in progress

A partial list of games designed by Garfield:

Card games:

Collectible card games:

Board games:

Other games:

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

External links

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c Varney, Allen. "Richard Garfield Template:Webarchive." The Escapist. 10 JULY 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b List of Winners, Origins Game Fair. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ 26.5248
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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