Ben Seck Knows Magic's Secrets

Ben Seck is an Australian Magic: The Gathering player and Creative & Game Design Director. Ben is one of the top Limited format players in the game, and the only player to have won a Grand Prix in Africa. 2:58 intro 7:24 Seattle vs. Barcelona lifestyle 14:47 career progression in the American tech industry 18:58 Ben's parents / Asian upbringing / finding Magic 23:16 landing on a game design career / nature of learning 27:46 Magic's rise alongside the early World Wide Web 35:53 ethical play in Magic 38:13 Australian Magic community 40:17 nature of offenses / societal rules / inclusion 47:38 casual vs. competitive gaming communities 51:25 what would cause Magic to fail 58:57 inside Wizards of the Coast 1:02:36 "Magic is one of the best ways to self-actualize" 1:09:14 game design goals / digital ownership / mental models 1:18:57 behavioral psychology of players / moral obligations in design 1:22:34 how to have BALANCED game discourse 1:30:14 "Magic is getting too expensive" 1:37:53 meeting Brian David-Marshall / boat ride with BDM / cooking competition 1:47:51 cooking origin story / game design gig at Upper Deck 1:52:26 game design aspirations: "auditioning" for Wizards of the Coast 2:01:52 biggest learning at Upper Deck: listen first 2:10:02 how Ben views EDH / Magic as game engine 2:19:53 creating Limited content with LSV and Marshall Sutcliffe: planning & execution 2:26:57 Marshall Sutcliffe is the BEST at what he does 2:33:52 takeaways from recording "reverse set reviews" Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic