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A Company is Founded
Bob Bartels, the current owner of the Guardtower gaming store, founded Shield Laminating Inc. Bartels would laminate game maps, cards, and whatever else people would bring him. -
The Store Materializes
Bartels met with a lawyer, accontant, artist, and marketer in order to move Shield Laminating, Inc. to its first location. -
WARHAMMER
Warhammer 40,000 is created by Rick Priestley -
Bartels' Very Own Game
Bartels created and published his own game during this year. The game can still be found at various online retailers today. -
A Game is Created
Magic the Gathering is created by Richard Garfield and introduced by Wizards of the Coast. -
Sales Explode
Sales at the Guardtower explode due to the sudden popularity of Magic the Gathering. -
Magic Declines
Bartels said that most games operate on a growth and decline cycle. As such, Magic the Gathering's poularity finally ran dry. Luckily for the Guardtower, Magic the Gathering never accounted for more than 25 percent of sales revenue and the decline of the game did not affect the store in a negative manner. -
A Game Night is Born
Friday Night Magic is first begun. Players gather every friday to participate in game play of Magic the Gathering. The event has garnered increased participation since its inception and continues to grow.
