This often leads me down paths of discovery that I think others don't see. Or perhaps, I simply find a way to express something others have thought of, but have never moved forward with aside from a conversation with a few of their friends over drinks. I know I was pretty loud over the increasing attendance problems at tournaments. I realize that my view about the Hall of Fame vote (see it here) is hopefully correct but likely naive. I am self-aware, in that my own opinion isn't one that has a lifetime of experience with MtG behind it.
Sometimes though, I have idea that burns with the intensity of a thousand suns. Something that I MUST share with world. This is one of those. I'm positive that this is a direction that the community should move towards. Execution will be difficult and some stakeholders may fail to see the big picture of the following concept. That doesn't make this idea without any merit. I am sure that the community will embrace the concept and overall quality of the play experience will improve as a result - which means it isn't a matter of whether or not to do it. It's a matter of how.
How We Ended Up Here
The concept I'll share in a few minutes is one that is born of complaints. Not mine, mind you. I complain enough sometimes for five people (guilty). Rather, these are complaints overheard in the dark alleys of Twitter and podcasts. One complaint was about those who have been writing for five years have no ability to vote in the Hall of Fame process. Another was a hurried whisper, stating that the MTGO Community Cup was moving in the right direction but wasn't doing enough.
Did the people making these statements envision what I'm going to lay out below? I would like to think they did. Or if not, that what I'm going to suggest below is at least in the spirit of what they were talking about.
I think people who contribute to the community should be allowed/invited to help with the HoF process. And while I've never played MTGO a day in my life - nor do I actually have plans to do so - I get how people feel shut out from that process as well. Even Sheldon Menery's recent article that touches on one way to improve the Pro Tour Hall of Fame vote has a bit of flavor that helped to shape my current concept. (Sheldon, where ever you are, thank your idea).
Concept
Ask yourself the following question. How does the Magic Community recognize those that make worthwhile contributions? With the limited exception of the MTGO Community Cup and the highly limited exception of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, it really doesn't. Yes, occasionally people who have proven themselves as gamers or major contributors but somehow miss the cut due to unusual circumstances are given a special dispensation to attend an event. But that's not what I'm talking about today.
I'm talking about finding a way to recognize those that contribute to the overall community in a meaningful way. I'm stating that there are hundreds, if not thousands of people, groups, and small companies that make Magic stronger through their efforts. I'm positive that there is a method that can easily be adopted, edited, and implemented that would through its existence further support, grow and improve our overall community.
This isn't something that can be set up overnight. I do have a few thoughts about how to make it happen that I'm going to share. I hope that this ends up in the right hands, people with the ability and vision to make something like this viable. Yes, there are games out there that have been around longer (in the modern era, I'm thinking along the lines of Monopoly and Scrabble). Yet none have the diversity, the support network and the shear mass of community that is demonstrated by those that love and play Magic. By Hasbro's estimates (according to a recent article), over 12 million people have played the game, and there are over 3 million current players. Magic is a global phenomenon. What better way is there to celebrate its twentieth anniversary than to find a new way to celebrate its community?
Award Concept
Create an annual MTG community awards and recognition program. Working name for the concept is, "Magic the Gathering Awards". Or, if you prefer, the 'Watcies'.
Organization
As with the Pro Tour Hall of Fame selection committee, there has to be some oversight in the process. The mothership is the likely top of the organization, but aside from providing some minor support and serving as the head, their role could stop there. The real workhorses of this program in my mind have to be a fair mix of independent representatives with enough experience in the community and owners/operators of community destination websites. There should be a minimum of two separate and distinct committees. The first would have oversight of the award categories. The second would be in charge of actually selecting candidates (either directly or through some submission process). There are other committees that could be formed and I'll list them, but this is the core that is required.
Chair: Wizards of the Coast
Category Committee
Selection Committee
Biography Committee
Additional Committees: Awards, Marketing/Promotion, etc.
WotC
Wizards has to be an active partner. Their level of participation in this would vary depending upon the final model that this program takes. The bare minimum investment on their part is to offer a secure method of voting so that members of the community may only vote once using their DCI number and planeswalker account. I think this is a limited investment on their part, one that is relatively easy to program, oversee and validate the final voting.
WotC should chair the process. Their level of participation beyond setting up the overall design of the process can and possibly should be limited. They may, as chair, choose the first committees and fill a few seats on each. After that, I see the real work being done by the members of the committees.
Committees
The various committees have an enormous responsibility. I think the first time this is done, it will also be time consuming. This is the hard part of selling this concept. I envision people like major store and content site owners/managers being the stakeholders. People like Adam Stybs and Pete Hoefling (or designees) should be directly involved to chair committees. The committees should all have an odd number of seats and should have between 5 and 9 people on them. Each committee should have at least one Judge and one Pro Player on them - but after that, they should be filled with people who both understand the history of the game and, more importantly, the community that supports it. Efforts should be made to include people who have displayed outstanding service to the community in all aspects: online, paper, various formats, judging, writing/artists and more. No one person should be on a committee that doesn't have a pedigree of at least 5 years with the game.
This isn't something that can be put together overnight - but it's not difficult either. Given the current grumbling about the HoF process, finding a few talented people to staff a new method of recognizing all levels of Magic should be easy.
Members of committees would serve 2 - 3 years the first time. Those given awards in the first two years would have a chance to also sit on the committees as people are rotated out, to maintain balance and fresh ideas.
Category Committee
Responsible for designing the list of categories that people, websites, and/or organizations can be nominated to and the rules for entry into a category. This committee will also determine in future years what changes need to be made to the categories and any support activities.
Selection Committee
Following the rules and categories established by the Category Committee, I see this group as responsible for actually determining a list of initial candidates for each category, based upon a system of submission/voting/nomination. Some categories are very subjective perhaps should have larger pools that may be voted for, while other are more narrow in focus.
Biography Committee
This committee is critical. Their job is to develop a way to help everyone understand the contributions individual nominees have made to the game of Magic. It should be staffed principally by seasoned writers and the chair should be a well recognized and skilled editor to ensure a fair approach is taken to all biographies written.
Categories
The following are ideas only for what areas that I think deserve recognition. It is a starting point in the conversation - it may be that there are too many categories or that I'm overlooking something important. The actual category committee would hammer out what the final list looks like, and then they would add or subtract categories as warranted in future years:
Best Alterer
Best Art - Core Set
Best Art - Block 1
Best Art - Block 2
Best Art - Block 3
Best Art - Additional Sets/Products
Best Art - Overall
Best Comic
Best Content Site
Best Coverage Team
Best Game Innovation
Best Game Mechanic
Best New Product (non-WotC)
Best New Product (WotC)
Best On-Air Presenter
Best Podcast
Best Product Site
Best Support Product - Internet
Best Support Product - Physical (open to sleeves, etc.)
Best Support Product - Software/App
Best Tournament Feature Match
Best Tournament Organizer
Best Tumblr Blog
Best Twitter Feed
Best Writer - Overall
Best Writer - Casual
Best Writer - Judge
Best Writer - Format Specific
Best Writer - Fiction/Flavor/Vorthos
Best Writer - Pro
Lifetime Achievement Award - Wizards Employee
Lifetime Achievement Award - Gamer
Lifetime Achievement Award - Community Support
Social Media Maven (See Tumbler/Twitter)
Wildest T8 Deck - Standard
Wildest T8 Deck - Modern
Recognition
This is a topic I'm sure could be debated for the next 10 years. Let us all set aside our differences and realize a few things that our very important to remember, even now:
1. There is no physical location for the Pro Tour Hall of Fame museum. There are no busts of players heads in any location in the world.
2. Recognition can be payment in and of itself. Imagine, being a content site and being able to state, "Home of 2015's Magic Writer of the Year," or even better, "Winner of 4 Magic Awards." For those who would drag their feet at the work involved in setting up this program, the dividends are clear and valuable.
That said, there are a few different ways to permanently recognize those that make contributions. Most of them are beyond cost-effective and easy to implement.
WotC should (and must, in my opinion), find a permanent way to recognize members of the Hall of Fame. While they do have a page for the Hall of Fame on their site, it fails to offer a clear picture of who these players are. That is easy enough to fix and worth doing. I envision a page that shows the current year's Hall of Fame players (pictures and brief biographies) with links to previous years. A visual, permanent online museum is the solution until WotC comes up with a physical alternative (if one is to be made).
This solution, in fact, works for the purposes of the MTGO Community Cup (if it is determined to maintain it) as well as for this concept as well. If MTGO Community Cup is folded into this concept, there should still be an opportunity for winners of selected categories to play Wizards employees in a mini-tournament. Other awards are possible as well. Everything from a gold DCI card to a small prize of MtG product to a custom playmat to a signed edition of artwork would be available for consideration. Even a custom trophy can be awarded.
The point is, WotC can do a little bit more with little to no investment (other than principally time) to make being chosen a valuable commodity. I'm sure that ideas from this can be incorporated into the current program and should be considered if this concept is given a green light.
Conclusion
This concept isn't one that everyone will support. I expect there to be a fair amount of discussion about pro's and con's of different aspects of this concept. Let's be clear about a what the goal is though. Players are currently not fully satisfied with some aspects of the current methods of recognition. Magic the Gathering is 20 years old, and it is time for a full review of how to move forward and improve recognition of players and contributors to the community.
The goal is as follows:
Find a way that improves recognition, bolsters the play experience, and addresses the needs of the entire community.
I believe that this plan does that and more. It will be something that WotC must fully engage in as a parent, but I think the concepts here are a starting point to make certain that it is a fair process that places the weight of responsibility back on the community to be successful. In the end, that is what this is all about. The community, supporting and recognizing the those that make it special.
If you need further convincing, just ask yourself one question. Who do you think deserves to be recognized as a top contributor to the community - and why haven't they been yet?
Things I Think I Think but Couldn't Fit Elsewhere:
1. Sheldon Menery - First off, I think this man deserves his own category for his contribution to creating one of the coolest formats we play today. That aside, he recently wrote an article that touches on the topics expressed in this article. You can find it here: My Hall of Fame Ballot. When you're done reading it, ask yourself if he's right - or if this idea I've outlined here would be a better way to recognize those that make Pro Tour happen. It's something to consider. With a few additional categories, we could accommodate Sheldon's idea and still come up with something wonderful.
2. MTGO - I really have only a basic idea of what Magic Online is and an even more limited idea of what the Community Cup is. And that's it's problem. Recognition for a job well done shouldn't be limited to a microcosm of a community that has multiple barriers to entry (truth). We need to break out of the MTGO Community Cup and find a way to thank anyone and and everyone. The MTGO model could continue, but my belief is that if it does not evolve it will become stagnate.
3. Retailers & Content Providers - They are the true engine for this award system. Without them, this can't happen. I will state this unequivocally - any retailer that wants to talk to me about this I'm happy to do so, at length. This concept is one that will require them to work - but the dividends for participation and the end result are WELL worth the investment.
4. Mark Rosewater - The discussion on Twitter about the problems with the Community Cup came full circle with a pair of Tweets by MaRo yesterday. I've been working on this article for almost three weeks, and he sums up the problem in 144 characters. Mark, thank you for your position. Judging by your statement, I finally think the time is write to polish and publish. Here it is, this one is for you, Helene, and all of the others at WotC that support the community well above and beyond punching a clock.
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Reblogs & Retweets & Mentions of all kinds are appreciated - as an independent writer I'm only read when others like what they see and share with their friends.
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