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Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as '''WotC''' or simply '''Wizards''') is an '' in the mid- 1990s . Today they publish Board Game s, collectible card games and role-playing games. Currently they are a Subsidiary of Hasbro . HISTORY However, it made its indelible mark when at '' under the shell company Garfield Games to shelter it from the legal battle with Palladium. The success of ''Magic'' generated revenue that carried the company out of the original basement headquarters and into its own offices. In 1997 , Wizards of the Coast was granted on collectible card games, followed by the purchase of TSR, Inc. , the cash-strapped makers of '' Dungeons & Dragons ''. Many of the creative and professional staff of TSR relocated from Wisconsin to the Renton 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 . Between 1997 and 1999, they spun off several well-loved but poorly-selling Campaign Setting s (most notably '' Planescape '', '' Dark Sun '' and '' Spelljammer '') to fan groups, focusing their business primarily on the profitable '' Greyhawk '' and '' Forgotten Realms '' lines. In 1999, Wizards of the Coast also published the highly successful '' Pokémon Trading Card Game '' for a number of years before Nintendo took back control. Wizards of the Coast also ran a chain of gaming retail stores, run under the names "The Game Keeper" and "Wizards of the Coast", including their flagship gaming center on The Ave in Seattle for several years. The gaming center was closed by March of 2001 and eventually Wizards announced in December 2003 that it would close all stores in order to concentrate on Game Design . The stores were closed in the spring of 2004. WEB COMMUNITY Wizards has one of the most vocal online communities. Its members' posts on "magicthegathering.com" Sub Forum has made Wizards change some of their online employees, contents of articles and even the content of the website. Wizards of the Coast ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game designers have also been known to visit the D20 Character Optimization Board to get information on how character classes have been used, and which ones are considered too powerful. Wizards Community members have the privileges to:
Members run an annual "Urza Awards" competition to recognize the contributions of noteworthy users. Forum moderators also organize "UnCon", Unconventional Convention . Special guests (WotC employees, Artists and Writers) also appear in WotC's "Live Chat'" GAMES AND PRODUCTS Board games (produced under the Avalon Hill name)
Collectible card games
Miniature Games
Role-playing games and supplements
Wizards of the Coast drafted the Open Game License used by Open Gaming Foundation and the D20 System . Standalone card games
Fantasy novel series Wizards of the Coast also publishes many Fantasy Novel Series based on its other game products. Some of these are now out-of-print.
Wizards also has a juvenile publishing imprint, '' and '' Knights Of The Silver Dragon ''. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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