When we consider how a customer experiences our games, we consider the whole experience.

Not just playing them. Shopping for them. Learning them. Hearing about them in the first place. From thumbing through the DMG at a local game store to comparing the green Planeswalker Deck to the black one online—our goal is to make all of this fun.

To that end, we’ve recently launched a few experiments aimed at achieving that—by getting the right products to the right customers in the right way. When, where, and how they want them.

Some went over well, some didn’t. Some will work, some won’t. But the experiments will keep coming, and we want to be clear about what drives our decisions.

We’re experimenting with new products and promotions.

The Prerelease Early Sale Promotion is one example. Guilds of Ravnica Mythic Edition is another. We’re experimenting with new expressions of Magic, and new ways to acquire them.

This is what we mean when we say we’re a “fan-focused” company. A certain kind of fan gets a thrill out of picking up a box at Prerelease. Another kind gets a thrill out of a rarified draft experience. Part of our strategy to keep Magic fun and fresh for another twenty-five years is to meet those needs.

We’re experimenting in new sales channels.

Certain Magic SKUs will soon be available directly online from Amazon, Walmart, and Target in the U.S. The idea isn’t to divert customers into these channels. It’s to meet customers where they already are.

A direct relationship with online retailers provides us with greater authorship over Magic listings. So if we want to make sure the contents of the M19 Bundle appear correctly, or highlight Dragon Heist when a customer searches for “new D&D book,” it’s better for us to work directly with them. Goal one is accuracy.

Goal two is to perfect the experience. With greater authorship over these channels, we can make sure new players find Planeswalker Decks, lapsed players find the current expansion, and so on.

Goal Three is meet customer where they are. Not every player is lucky enough to have an LGS nearby. Thousands of players and fans first encounter our games in online environments. To make sure those first encounters are positive, we need to ensure we have a relationship with the channel.

We’re experimenting with new ways to support the WPN.

We want the entire experience of engaging with our games to be as enjoyable as possible. For thousands upon thousands of players and fans, that’s through their local game store and we recognize and celebrate that. We’re more committed to that experience than ever.

As a part of that commitment, we’re moving forward with two important projects: a new in-store tournament software, and a new store and event locator.

Work has begun on both. Our Retailer Advisory Panel will be involved. More details to come, but, suffice to say, both are conceived with a holistic view of the customer experience in mind—from helping players find the right in-store events to rewarding WPN members for delivering them.

Meanwhile, we’ll continue supporting stores with the Prerelease Early Sale Promotion, special edition D&D books, WPN-exclusive products and promo cards, and so on.

Ultimately, new tools like these will help us create better experiences for players. And that experience will create new fans.

That’s the ultimate goal of all these experiments—to grow our games and, by extension, to help you grow.