Perche Italia

[Royal Ass.]

I have always wondered why Wizards back in 94 or 95 decided to make Italian the first language to expand magic into when they printed Italian Legends and The Dark?  Was this an arbitrary decision or did they do some kind of marketing research that said italy would be a good place to expand the game?  I would have thought japanese would have come before italy.  Does anyone know anything about this?  I'm only curious.

[PacmanXSA]

Unless they're REALLY dumb, I'm sure they did some sort of analysis on the Italian market.  I would imagine sales were initially high there and they figured they'd cater to their highest supporters.

That's only speculative, however.

Pac

[Royal Ass.]

I guess.  Thought Italy doesnt initially strike me as a huge market for this game... on another note, booster packs are wicked expensive there.

[Jacob Orlove]

It's also possible that they just found a really good deal on translating the cards into Italian. Even with Magic's early success, Wizards was still a small company back then, so their actions may have been dictated as much by opportunity as by choice.

[Matt]

Weren't they originally printed by an Italian company (Carta Mundi)?

[MarkPharaoh]

I guess.  Thought Italy doesnt initially strike me as a huge market for this game... on another note, booster packs are wicked expensive there.

No way, just check out the Italian dealers on MOTL, they buy thousands like every month on there on mostly pimpage, can only imagine the profit they are making when selling them in Italy.

[Jacob Orlove]

Weren't they originally printed by an Italian company (Carta Mundi)?

Isn't that a Belgian company?

[Komatteru]

Weren't they originally printed by an Italian company (Carta Mundi)?

Isn't that a Belgian company?

I thought so too.

[Eddie]

Weren't they originally printed by an Italian company (Carta Mundi)?

Isn't that a Belgian company?

I thought so too.

It is a Belgian company. Thats why I love paying import taxes on magic cards that where printed 50 miles from where I live.

Anyway, maybe they chose Italian because there was a lot of interest, but most Italian people are bad at English (not all of them. Don't shoot me if you are Italian. It's just my experience. It is getting better.). But then again, Spanish would be a more logical choice. They have the same problems with English and I suspect the market is bigger.

[Matt]

but most Italian people are bad at English

Judging from MWS, most Italian people are bad at Magic, too.

My bad about Belgium. The name sounded pretty Italian though...

[BigMac]

Another possibility could be that there are still a lot of Italian people in the states and the market would not be exclusive for Italy but for the states as well. With this argument Spanish still would have been a better choice though.

Another mind boggling language to me is Portuguese. Is that solely to get into the Brazilian market? Because if it is for Portugal alone Dutch would have been the better market and language.

Why there are french cards still is everybody's guess though.

[Baron.Pocket]

It's also possible that they just found a really good deal on translating the cards into Italian. Even with Magic's early success, Wizards was still a small company back then, so their actions may have been dictated as much by opportunity as by choice.

It was probably a matter of opportunism. In the early Magic, maybe it was the second biggest market outside of america? A Wizard employee will probably come post the answer HERE soon.
Jking. 

[Shaman]

I am Italian and I am interested in reading a possibile answer from a Wizards employee too. I suppose it depends on some analysis of our market...anyway I assure you that Italian cards from the earlier expansions are full with mistakes  and I have always thought that they were translated by somebody who did not know the game and its rules.
Anyway I can confirm Italian people are bad in English, and in the early 90s young Italian people used Enligh only at school (internet and cable tv weren't so common).

I do not understand also why Portuguese cards exist, while Dutch don't, like BigMac wrote above. Or Russian (9th edition is the first edition in Russian).

P.S: my English must sound rude but...hey...I am Italian  please pardon me.

[Shock Wave]

but most Italian people are bad at English

Judging from MWS, most Italian people are bad at Magic, too.

My bad about Belgium. The name sounded pretty Italian though...

Judging by MWS, EVERYONE is bad at magic.

[Komatteru]

I do not understand also why Portuguese cards exist, while Dutch don't

Brazil has a lot of people in it, as does Argentina.

[Limbo]

I do not understand also why Portuguese cards exist, while Dutch don't, like BigMac wrote above. Or Russian (9th edition is the first edition in Russian).

I do understand why they do not print magic in Dutch. It is because Dutch is an ugly language gameswise. I hate reading games, rules, etc. in Dutch that weren't originally Dutch, because a lot of words are just odd / weird after translation.

[Godder]

Judging by MWS, EVERYONE is bad at magic.

Finkel's comments back that up as well (Masque's Block Limited).

[BigMac]

Argentina has a lot of people but last time i checked they spoke spanish (edited as englishis clearly mistaken) there.

Brazil has lots of people to i admit. But it still is a lot more forest than people.

[Jacob Orlove]

Brazil has lots of people to i admit. But it still is a lot more forest than people.

You're just jealous that Brazil is bigger than your whole continent.

[Royal Ass.]

Another possibility could be that there are still a lot of Italian people in the states and the market would not be exclusive for Italy but for the states as well. With this argument Spanish still would have been a better choice though.

Then why aren't they selling magic cards in the North end of Boston!!?? (i live in allston) Most italian americans are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation and thus speak english.

 Actually I don't understand how italians can play magic as they are constantly getting in hyperbolic arguments and waving their arms around.  they wouldnt be able to stay in the time limit.  (this is coming from someone with a lot of relatives in Italy)

[BigMac]

You're just jealous that Brazil is bigger than your whole continent.

True, true, and it has more forest. But to be jealous of some country that is bigger of Holland, hell every country is bigger than Holland. Except perhaps Belgium, but that is where magic was printed originally. So in terms of magic always bigger.

I seem not to have any bigger than issues. Well, you have seen me. Getting bigger than me is only given to Americans.

Leaves the question, why french??

[49 Cents]

Another mind boggling language to me is Portuguese. Is that solely to get into the Brazilian market? Because if it is for Portugal alone Dutch would have been the better market and language.

Why there are french cards still is everybody's guess though.

Seriously, I hope they never EVER print Dutch Magic cards. They sound HORRIBLE. It would ruin alot of the game for me..
How do you Italians think about this? and the Germans here?

[Bram]

Zwarte Lotus
Mox Saffier
Mox Robijn
Mox Parel
Mox Smaragd
Mox Git
Tijdwervel
Wandeling in de Tijd
Herinnering aan de Voorouders
Bibliotheek van Alexandrië
Mana Afvoerkanaar

Bleh. I´m quite happy with the languages we have now. No need for Dutch magic. Unless we get exclusive, alternative artwork on our cards )and the old cardface'.

[49 Cents]

Zwarte Lotus
Mox Saffier
Mox Robijn
Mox Parel
Mox Smaragd
Mox Git
Tijdwervel
Wandeling in de Tijd
Herinnering aan de Voorouders
Bibliotheek van Alexandrië
Mana Afvoerkanaar

Bleh. I´m quite happy with the languages we have now. No need for Dutch magic. Unless we get exclusive, alternative artwork on our cards )and the old cardface'.

Remember we are Dutchies, they'll probadly print everything with a white border..
And if you think those names are horrible, what about these:

Onvermoeibare Stam
Meloku, de Vertroebelde Spiegel
De smeltkroes van Werelden

And just TRY to translate random crap like Replenish..

[BigMac]

If they can translate it into German i do not see why they cannot translate it into dutch. Hell they can translate it into Russian and Japanese. What is so wrong with Dutch compared to hoshimoshi cards.

[Bram]

How about the fact that, unlike the languages you mentioned, it's a hoarse and ugly language?

[alban]

How about the fact that, unlike the languages you mentioned, it's a hoarse and ugly language?

I totally agree. It is, like our country, a language close to the dirt :shock: , and it doesn't "feels" clean when I see it on a card..
As mentioned before, it just doesn't sounds right. Dus ik speel mijn Vogels uit het paradijs en rust het uit met een zwaard van licht en schaduw 

[Revvik]

Not to mention the minute font you'd have to use on Dutch cards to compensate for all the sidetracking in the rules text.  Mana Drain would read:

Counter target spell.  At the beginning of your next main phase, add x mana to your mana pool, where x is equal to the converted mana cost of the spell countered.
Get sick of all the restriction debate over the brokenness of Mana Drain.  Oh man, I drained this guy's hardcast Colossus this one time.  On a related (not really) topic, this reminds me of something obscure that you've never heard of but is insanely hilarious.
Flavor Text: "OMG have you seen a McKroket? - BR4M*

Actually, Dutch MTG would have no room for flavor text.

*All in good fun 

[Komatteru]

Actually, it would be more like:

Counter target spell.  Oh man, I drained this guy's hardcast Colossus this one time.   It was really broken when.... Oh, right, the rest of this card.  At the beginning of your next main phase, add x mana to your mana pool, where x is equal to the converted mana cost of the spell countered.  Man, this card is redic, but I'm sick of all the restriction debate over the brokenness of Mana Drain.  Dude! Look! A squirrel!  Oh, and why isn't this card foil?  I once found this thing called "Banana Drain" once.  That bears an amazing similarity to Mana Drain, no?

[49 Cents]

True, True. Even 'Flying' would be 2 keywords: 'Heeft Vleugels' or something..

Counter target spell.  Oh man, I drained this guy's hardcast Colossus this one time.   It was really broken when.... Oh, right, the rest of this card.  At the beginning of your next main phase, add x mana to your mana pool, where x is equal to the converted mana cost of the spell countered.  Man, this card is redic, but I'm sick of all the restriction debate over the brokenness of Mana Drain.  Dude! Look! A squirrel!  Oh, and why isn't this card foil?  I once found this thing called "Banana Drain" once.  That bears an amazing similarity to Mana Drain, no?

That translates reaaaaaaally weird. with all the GGG's and stuff..