The Changing Landscape of Magic — 2023 in Review

Andy and Anthony take a look back on 2023, and what a year it’s been! Our hosts discuss some of their favorite things happening this year, including the second annual CubeCon, and a growing number of Cube events. They talk about how valuable Magic has been as a vector for creative outlets. In a candid, critical discussion they share how Magic as a game, and a product, has fundamentally changed in the recent years and how in many ways it no longer supports the way they most deeply engaged with it.

Discussed in this episode:

• Episode 130: Cube Community Building
• CubeCon
• California Cube Champs
• Washington Cube Champs
• The Ice Cube
• bmktpt Local Playgroup Website Source Code on GitHub
• Cultic Bestiary Tokens
• Hasbro’s Christmas Layoffs on Polygon
• hbomberguy: Plagiarism, on YouTube
• Princess Bride Secret Lair
• Color of Magic
• Eley Hose Reels
• Sturgeon’s Law
• The Collapse of the Atlantic Northwest Cod Fishery
• Fairy Circles

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:35 - Episode breakdown

5:31 - The good stuff — the second Cube Con and a battery of smaller, grassroots Cube events

12:22 - The joy of using Magic as a creative outlet

18:08 - Hasbro layoffs and the incentive structures of the business of Magic

36:08 - The costs of Magic’s growth and expansion

52:14 - Universes Beyond and the fractured identity of Magic

1:13:59 - Andy and Anthony’s Cube cards of the year!!

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

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Musical production by DJ James Nasty.