Strat-O-Matic

Garfield launched Magic by winning over the influencers, one convention at a time

Before launch, Richard Garfield had Strat-O-Matic baseball players playtest the game to find balance bugs. Then he drove between comic, card, and board-game conventions demoing to small groups. He targeted shop owners, magazine writers, and pro players of other games, who then sold it to everyone else.

“And he would go and he would demo it to like very small groups of people, but he would influence the influencers. He would get the guys who owned the shops. He would get the guys who write the magazine articles. He would get the guys who are the pro players of other games. He would win them over. And once he won them over, they would then be his sales engine explaining it to the next people.”

Steal thisBefore a broad launch, personally demo to the store owners, writers, and top players in your niche so they become your sales force.