Author Skaff

Entries 10 Total Bio

Skaff Elias was a Senior Vice President for Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro. Skaff was responsible for the design and development of many Wizards' card games and was the primary architect of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and organized play system used for all Wizards products including the Pokemon card game. This customer retention program for Magic distributes millions of dollars in prize and scholarship money and supports over 2000 tournaments weekly at retail locations worldwide. Skaff was the brand and business manager for Magic: The Gathering during its formative years, taking it almost from launch to a $300 million brand. He has also been contracted to design and develop computer games for Microsoft and Electronic Arts. Skaff received a B. A. in Physics from Princeton University and was studying for his Ph.D. in Mathematics at University of Pennsylvania before leaving to help start Wizards of the Coast. 

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Podcast #7: Scrabble

Oct 11, ’09 11:34 PM

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties beyond our understanding, the audio quality of this podcast is not up to our usual high standards. We’ve elected to post the podcast despite the slight audio problems and we hope you can enjoy the show.

Word freaks rejoice! For the first time, Games With Garfield is doing a podcast devoted to a single game. And the name of the game is Scrabble! Join game designers Tyler Bielman, Skaff Elias and Richard Garfield as they sift their way through the history, variants and yes, even “Garfield Garbage.” Join us for a celebration of the world’s favorite word game.

LINKS: Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer | Scrabble | World Scrabble Championship | Word Freak | Carcassonne | Speed Scrabble | Bananagrams | Scrabble Variants | Upwards | Boggle | Alphablitz | Quiddler | ‘Doing!’ | OSPD | Clabbers

EMAIL: info@threedonkeys.com

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Podcast #6: Casual Randomness

Aug 24, ’09 5:17 PM

Randomness, indeterminacy and Richard doing a French accent! All this can be yours as game designers Tyler Bielman, Skaff Elias and of course, Richard Garfield delve into one of the most important characteristics of games. The discussion covers the role of the roll of the dice and unearths the secrets of “rando-chess.” Think you hate luck in games you play? This podcast just might change your mind.

Notes: Replace the words “Preston Poulter” with “Tom Guevin” in you head and make sure to listen to the bitter end!

LINKS: Elo Chess Rating System | Euchre | Pitch | Monopoly | Club House Games| Bejeweled | Diner Dash 2 | Life | Small World | Team Fortress 2 | The chicken heart that ate New York | Magic: The Gathering | Wa-hoo | The billionth digit of Pi | Hidden Object Games | Lode Runner | Dominos | Backgammon

EMAIL: info@threedonkeys.com

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Podcast #5: For the Kids

Jul 20, ’09 11:43 PM

What was your first game? Did you ever change the rules or even make up your own? Join game designers Tyler Bielman, Skaff Elias and Richard Garfield as they discuss their humble beginnings and what they have learned about games from watching their own children play and grow with games. The discussion touches on all the kids’ classics, like kickball, Candyland and of course, Schizoid. Tell us your, or your kids’, personal “first game” stories in the comment area below.

LINKS: Netrunner | Dungeons and Dragons | Dungeon (board game) | Monopoly | Parcheesi| Schizoid | The Great Dalmuti | Bartok | Candyland | Hangman | Civilization | Titan Quest

EMAIL: info@threedonkeys.com

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Podcast #4: Magic News

Jul 1, ’09 6:42 PM

Games With Garfield gets personal this week when we discuss the upcoming rules changes to Magic: The Gathering with the game’s creator, our own Richard Garfield. Alongside game designers Tyler Bielman and Skaff Elias, the podcast features a frank discussion of each M10 rules change. Plus, a conversation about the new Duels of the Planeswalkers XBLA game and if you listen closely, you might be able to add a few celebrity gamertags to your friend list. It’s all about Magic this week; a look at the future, stories from the past and one magical colon make this a must-hear Games With Garfield podcast.

LINKS: Magic: The Gathering M10 rules changes |  Duels of the Planeswalkers XBLA | MTGCast | Randy Beuhler | Shandalar | Battlegrounds | Armageddon | Magic Online | Age of Booty | Schizoid

EMAIL: info@threedonkeys.com

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Podcast #3: Translation into Digital

Jun 21, ’09 9:38 PM

The third installment of Games with Garfield opens with humorous stories from GDC, extolling the virtues of analog presentations and <Start Riot>. But after the giggling subsides, game designers Tyler Bielman, Skaff Elias and Richard Garfield get into the topic of tabletop games being converted into digital environments.  Why are there so many people online and yet nobody to play with? Why would someone want to add walking around to a perfectly good tabletop game?  And what classic game trains kids around the world to cheat?  Tune in and find out.

LINKS: Settlers of Catan | Dominion | Dungeons and Dragons | Magic: The Gathering | Spectromancer | Game Developers Conference | Zork | Pitch | Carcassonne | Lost Cities | Acquire | Call of Duty: World at War | Brettspielwelt | Archon | Knightmare Chess | Kung Fu Chess | Blitzkrieg (kriegspiel) Chess | Quadradius | Starcraft | Electronic Battleship | Guts

EMAIL: info@threedonkeys.com

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