For those of you who may not know me, I suppose an introduction is in order. My name is Toby Wachter, and I’m the new Content Coordinator here at Metagame.com. Based on my experiences and interests, this is a dream job for me. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to make this website grow, not only in the coming months, but for years to come. But, before I get into my personal philosophy regarding Metagame, I’d like to let you know where I’m coming from.

I’ve been playing trading card games for about ten years now, and I was an avid comic book fan before turning cards sideways made me swear off all other hobbies (which makes my working with the Vs. System pretty ironic). I practically grew up with TCG’s, and I was involved with them on almost every level as a player. I’ve been a middle school kid, scraping together enough money to buy one more booster, hoping to open that big rare I had been dreaming of. I’ve played casually in comic shops and on kitchen counters, as well as on the Junior and Professional tournament circuits. In the process, I wrote plenty of strategy articles on card games, putting out weekly columns online and monthly articles in magazines such as Inquest and Scrye.

Once I got to college, I played less competitively, finding the journalistic side of TCGs to be a lot more enjoyable. You could still find me drafting at the local store about once a week or throwing together some wacky deck, but my goal switched to becoming one of the best TCG writers out there instead of trying to become one of the best players. As a result, I’ve spent the last few years coming pretty close to being a “Professional” TCG writer. It was a great way to get some money while I was going through college, and I majored in Mass Media Studies with a minor in English, so it all fit together very well.

I was planning to simply continue writing, but being able to develop the content at Metagame.com was an offer too good to ignore. As the release date for Marvel Origins approached, I saw plenty of enthusiastic online websites and communities popping up, and this was before a single card had been put on display at a store! As the months have gone on, I’ve seen that enthusiasm continue, as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Vs. players not only enjoy their games, but are constantly looking to help them grow in a positive way. Also, I can tell you from experience that everyone working with the games, from Online Media to R&D, has that same enthusiasm. It seems that everyone here is always scanning message boards and websites, looking to find the pulse of players from Tulsa to Tokyo. We’re genuinely interested in hearing what you have to say and trying to put out the kind of product you want to see.

Also, it’s very exciting to be working with Yu-Gi-Oh!, which has transcended the TCG genre to become a mainstream juggernaut. Even as the “just another fad” whispers continue to circulate, Yu-Gi-Oh! proves the critics wrong by continuing to grow. Whether you go to the park, the local card shop, a summer camp, or halfway across the world, you’re likely to find people dueling to become the King of Games. Metagame will continue to be your source for the highest level Yu-Gi-Oh! strategy, giving you the best deck advice and pointers to take your game to the next level.

I’m hoping that Metagame.com can have a big part in continuing to build the community, creating a hub for the unique interaction between the fans and the people behind the games that’s defined our attitude. I’ve found that there tends to be some elitism and arrogance in the gaming industry, as the people behind the cards often don’t care what the players think, particularly if they don’t have success in tournaments. I’d like to continue to bridge that gap and help the community realize that at least here, you can influence the game you love, and feel like you’re a significant part of it.

This, of course, brings me to my job. My responsibility is to make Metagame the best site possible for the readers, and with so many of you out there, I’ve got quite the task ahead of me if I want to make everyone happy. We have some very cool things in the works, but I also want to know what you want to see up here. The Vs. community has thrived on interaction between the players and the company, and I don’t see why Metagame shouldn’t be an extension of that. As far as I’m concerned, I work for you guys. So, I’m inviting everyone to tell me what they’d like to see on Metagame by emailing me at toby@metagame.com. Keep in mind that I don’t work in R&D, so please don’t send me your card ideas for Galactus or Spider Jerusalem. I do want to know what you’d like to get out of this website. Would you like to see more focus on the history behind the heroes on the cards? How can we improve tournament coverage? What can Metagame do to help the massive Yu-Gi-Oh! community? These are only a few examples of things we’re aiming to improve, and the best way for me to know how is to hear it directly from you. I won’t be able to respond to all of your emails, but I will certainly read all of them and consider what you have to say.

I’ll be dropping in here from time to time, since I’ve been writing about card games for so long that I don’t think I’m quite ready to stop. I’ll be at the first Pro Circuit event next month to cover the event, so if you see me around, feel free to stop by and say hello. It should be an exciting and historic weekend, as we begin Vs. competition at its highest level. It’s going to be the genesis of something that will last for years to come, and I’m looking forward to meeting many of you in person to find out how we here at Metagame can best serve the community.