How Do Game Accessories Get Made? I Talk With Adrian Alonso Of Gamegenic | Untitled MTG Podcast #24

Sign up now at kickstarter.co... for my dream come true: "The Academic." A unique, one of a kind deck box designed through creative cooperation between myself and Gamegenic!
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[@rambler209]

I really resonate with the statement that "Premium does not equal Expensive. A 2 dollar product can be Premium." A product being Premium really just means that the designer is considering the best way that the product will be used.

[@lisliaer7999]

I agree. Interestingly enough I didn't know they had that product so I just went and looked. And it's not a $2.00 product. It's $2.29 (pre tax shipping ect) for a PACK OF 10. I was ready and willing to check them out for the $2.00 + tax and shipping for 1. For 10 that's a great deal.

[@TheDylls]

@@lisliaer7999 I'm reading along like, "Oh snap, he lied 🤣" then I'm like "No! He just didn't tell the whole truth...because he UNDERSOLD HIS OWN PRODUCT!" What a guy

[@lisliaer7999]

@@TheDylls very much so.

[@tomanicodin]

Well, premium use to be more expensive because it used to be better! But nowadays Marketing has messed all up. It makes things look cool, people want those things, price can go up (at some point even quality can go down) and the company loses all ethics and goes rises the prices.

[@Jerome616]

The way he interprets your criticism as opportunity to grow shows a humility and business sense that is very nice to see.

[@P_Rodd]

liked just because of your profile pic hehe

[@xaxscratchxax926]

indeed

[@TheDylls]

Actually making me wonder if Gamegenic is publicly traded...

[@MrJBrown-ez9gy]

I already Admired the Prof and what he provides for the gaming community. But after seeing this I have all new renewed respect for him, and a newly acquired respect for Gamegenic :-)

[@tee918]

He literally designed every single deck box I love! Oh man, loved hearing about how he followed prof way back. Amazing moment

[@towelociraptor]

Adrian is an absolute deck box genius! Gamegenic's products especially have been such a revelation, their deck boxes are brilliantly designed and incredibly high quality. I've done software product design work and can appreciate when someone has an elite feel for user experience

[@TheDylls]

I'm not any sort of designer, but I wish I could be HALF as confident yet open to criticism. I feel like that might be a big part of the User Experience you mention...

[@Ixidora]

Love these talks, this one in particular is an incredibly unique opportunity to see another side of the gaming industry.

[@TheDylls]

Clicked on this SO FAST, for that reason :)

[@alexschomer6232]

What a nice, well-spoken, genuine person. His insights were fascinating, and you can tell he is passionate about his craft.

[@carelesscarlos3806]

I'm so happy you were able to get Mr. Alonso on the show! It's nice to see a guest who has a huge influence on the MTG fanbase without being involved in the "cards" themselves!

[@maidenless_tarnished]

The thought that companies probably have emergency meetings when a prof review drops on their product just warms my heart for a guy that just started out wanting to review products. I am thankful for the passion prof brings to this game/industry because now we know they are listening and we will continue to get quality/improved products.

[@gmjjjones]

I've only started this episode but the most important thing is undoubtedly those top tier socks y'all are sporting!

[@Gobeman]

I think i got a pair like those at the grocery store once... Huh

[@DuckDuckGoose13]

No freaking way! My favorite youtuber, my favorite game accessories creator, AND they're talking about a topic I really care about? What a good Thursday.

[@Mat-tg4fk]

The boulder is hands down my favorite style of deckbock of all time. Its an honor to see the man that took the same frustrations I had with the dark age of deck boxes and made something better.

[@themasterprocrastinator]

honestly I was using the simple dragon shield deck boxes for my decks and could not see the need for a more premium box ... until I got my first boulder. The utility, shape, durability and overall convinience can't be praised enough.

[@isaachernandez282]

This is how I feel about the sidewinder

[@gerakx]

44:50 "To enrich the community, is to have something that they need." Amazing!

[@espeon200]

I’d say, “Shut up and take my money,” but the conversation was so good I just wanted to keep listening until the Kickstarter goes live. This is definitely going to be a day-one back for me. Looking forward to seeing what other surprises you have in store.

[@mistertadakichi]

I’ve always had faith in Prof’s ratings, but what sealed my trust was when he made a special video segment to discuss how KMC’s sleeve quality had badly degraded. He could’ve sat on his previous rating for those sleeves, but he put in the work and alerted the community to the quality change.

[@ShredAimlessly92]

As a Gamegenic loyalist let me just say that the idea of sleeves on par with DS is a wild thought but if any company can do it, these guys can.

[@Starkipraggy]

that new divider is absolute genius. it just solves all the problems with using a divider! now i want 10 of them! EDIT: not just in a deckbox, but even in bigger storage products like those 400+ cards/ 600+ card products, it's very rare to have just enough cards that cards dont fall over and yet aren't jammed up against the box so tightly that you could damage cards while trying to remove them.

[@steven-jellemeijer8412]

Take two dragon shields sleeves and or dividers, grab a kitchen sponge, glue together and hope for the best :P

[@TheDylls]

Totally agree! One thing I would like to know is a Min-Max size, especially in relation to number of standard cards, whether sleeved or unsleeved, etc

[@Starkipraggy]

@@steven-jellemeijer8412 I'd have to look for sponges the size of trading cards...

[@nathanielreichley4640]

Yeah I would love these for my cube Arkhive

[@TheDylls]

@@Starkipraggy I feel like the "classic" yellow/green sponge would be perfect if you cut off the green scouring side. I haven't measured, but seems like it would be slightly smaller dimensions, which would be perfect

[@DMALMAD]

Really appreciated this interview/discussion. When Adrian was talking about the sound of the box opening and closing a lot of things clicked for me. Gamegenic products really do sound right and the attention to detail is always apparent. As a community we are so lucky to have Adrian and his dedication to quality and innovation.

[@JohnSignsOn]

Have you thought about whether 'clicking' is the right sound design choice for your thoughts?

[@Dawnfeethers]

I absolutely love that divider. I hope they'll be available standalone even if the kickstarter doesn't do well enough to be elevated to the regular product line!

[@jb87rell]

Adrian it was so cool to hear from you as someone that is a fan of many of your products without realizing it until now. Thank you so much for what you do and really caring about making cool products for us!

[@plumokin5535]

Adrian is nothing short of a master of his craft. I have so much respect for him. His explanation of designing the sound of the deck box really showed his dedication, care, and skill.

[@PeanutFour]

"I critique, not complain..." - very academic. Love you, Professor. And Adrian too, your design of "the Boulder" (100+) is my top choice for tripple-deck storing in my favorite game: Keyforge

[@wolframflorian]

It makes me so happy to see Adrian over at Tolarian Community College after seeing him for a long time now on German MTG Channels like Trader Online Video. It‘s really a testament to his hard working genius! 👍

[@andrewroy5677]

Prof, next project: "The Semester" - A box that holds multiple commander decks... and go! (I use the stanley boxes that you reviewed that hold 14 commander decks currently... I have 3 but could use more)

[@sidasmad2389]

A briefcase with stanley-like interior compartments would be pretty rad.

[@andrewroy5677]

@Siddeq Asmad yes, and be able to fit your playmat in the lid... maybe even display it through clear acrylic?

[@MuscleMTG]

Felt like Homer Simpson designing his car 😂😂😂 "I want a horn Here, here, and HERE! You can never find a horn when you're mad... and they should all play La Cucarachaaa"

[@RylanMichaelPardo]

That divider is a REALLY good idea. Like I could see that becoming industry standard even if this box doesn't join the gamegenic lineup.

[@filmyfunda9009]

I m so happy you were able to get Mr. Alonso on the show! It's nice to see a guest who has a huge influence on the MTG fanbase without being involved in the "cards" themselves

[@ScottofOakland]

GameGenic makes absolutely fantastic deck boxes and other accessories. Its so great to hear from the designer of these great products!

[@mythoughtsonblank5769]

What a fantastic conversation. Truly a gift to be able to see two humble artists discuss their love for their community and their work

[@allthehobbiesbrady]

I feel that you have never pulled punches. I also know that integrity is one of your highest values. I will trust you until you prove to me I can't. Keep up the amazing work sir. 👏

[@pauldyson8098]

Forget Morgan Freeman; I want Adrian to narrate my life.

[@SnipSnapDragon24]

This was a great watch and very informative. I’m even more amped for the Academic collab now. I think its going to be an instant classic. Thank you for sharing this with the community.

[@daviddrozda3709]

This was just fantastic. What a solid guest. He sees critiques as an opportunity to learn and make things better, rather than discredit the critic and the criticism. Love how he gives props to Dragon shield sleeves and aspires to match their quality. Man this just such a healthy outlook where ultimately everyone wins.

[@BakaGrappler]

So first, I wonder how many people saw the Amber 8 sided on the table. Second, I am absolutely loving the squish-able divider. It's something I need in a deck box AND elsewhere! I have been using the KMC 1000 card boxes to finally organize the cards I've had for sooooo long, and I ended up with areas in the box that were, well, rattling around a little. I've been using cast off land cards or art cards from Set boosters to act as wadding to keep those cards upright and prevent odd angles and potential bends, but a padding like the one revealed today is honestly the ideal solution. I'm looking forward to getting as many of those as I get of Academics, because they are honestly a vital part of Card Safety. And if I were to see a package of 3 of them in a LGS for a decent price with the tag line "Keep your cards upright and protected, in a box, on the go, or in storage," it would grab my attention in an instant. I'm sure Quiver users will love those.

[@marcgeronimo2997]

After how well the kickstarter went and then seeing this interview between the two of them, I am confident we will see the academic in the lineup of deckboxes from gamegenic. I am excited to see the future of the box. This is amazing.

[@DoctorDucky250]

I can't believe the Prof just had me listen to a 50 minute long infomercial for his Kickstart campaign, but I loved it.

[@Zhoyzu]

A feature i would like to see in the academic, would be the shelf in the middle for the drawers to be a similar design as the divider in the main compartment such that it could be removed along with the drawers to hold an additional EDH deck. I suppose alternatively if the drawers had "rails" that were to fit into grooves themselves the divider wouldnt need to exist at all giving the box a very modular feel.

[@TheDylls]

This was just...wow. The insight we've been given, due to the honesty and openness of this conversation is just next level. From the inclusion of "B" grades on products, to changing the "C" grade products, to the Owner of "Company A" stating explicitly that "Company B's" product is good, but refusing to state they were "excellent"? Feels like the exact mix of listening to others AND being confident in your own opinion that makes a great CEO type, and Alonso a great designer.

[@JoeGrzzly]

This has to be the best marketing campaign for a Kickstarter I've ever seen. Each of these videos featuring the Academic are essentially advertisements for the product, yet they are still the top quality content that the Professor always brings.

[@LukeLavablade]

I mean, talking about products is what the Professor does all the time. Of course he'd know how to talk about his own product!

[@TheSpottedBananaFish]

The Boulder is my preferred deck box for my decks and I bought it because of the Professors review. It's nice to meet the man who designed it

[@Vote4Drizzt]

This guy's great. Took cracks about the products right on the chin, stayed on message without being evasive. I trust your impartiality and anyone who doubts it just needs to wait and watch and see that you're consistent.

[@theguywiththetail]

Prof: "There's no game that uses 200 standard-sized cards in their deck." Battle of Wits: *cries*

[@MagmaArmor0]

Wow, what a cool interview! A chance to see the "other side" of things, and overall just two really intelligent people talking about things they are both passionate about!

[@pheonixbluere]

I love Gamegenic products and trust Tolarian Community College for the Professor’s views and opinions. Im looking forward to being one of the first supporters of your game box. It perfectly addresses a number of issues I’ve had with deck boxes and my commander decks. I will be building a deck specifically for this box.

[@LunarWingCloud]

This guy is a legend among deck box producers, a lot of my favorites are from him too! Love my GameGenic with the removable flaps and two deck storage, I use it every week for EDH night

[@TheMilkDudly]

To GameGenic, I would love to see a backpack for gamers. Built in deck box slots. Binder slots. Zipper pouches for dice. Ect. That is actually quality and affordable. I have only ever seen one good one and it was $500.

[@GamegenicSupplies]

Thank you for your comment and feedback. As Adrian said, it doesn't go unheard. :)

[@SSolemn]

Me too, haven't bought one but I would love to have one for less than $500. I Don't want a photography backpack and the only one that I loved is the Kamigawa neon one, but the price is too high.

[@tomanicodin]

I decided to love Gamegenic when he said he spent 2 days addressing the sound the flap makes. Kudos to attention to detail!

[@Hyper88]

What a fantastic conversation about something so innocuous as a deck box. Bravo to you two

[@VincenzoCiardullo]

What a fascinating look behind the scenes! Great conversation 😁

[@flababofa]

Great episode Prof. Love the socks, love the divider, love you, and I can't believe this is happening for you and it makes me so very happy.

[@ribbontoast]

oh my gosh that squishy divider is so simple but so ingenious!!!

[@tserrofz9]

this might have been the most informative interview i've seen related to gaming in a long time for the creative process. My only wish is that it was about twice as long so we could get into the more specific nitty gritty of the design process and how to parse a failed design. It dosent mean its a bad design but it may not meet needs.

[@kennybaukchoi]

Definitely need that empty space compressor they demoed at the end. Prof’s deck box looks great but not for me personally, but I would buy multiple of those dividers.

[@IrrelevantGeOff]

I think its pretty cool that Gamegenic sells double sleeve packs with 100 inner and outer sleeves. That's a great move that I haven't seen anyone else pushing!

[@TDay-uk6dq]

love the content I’ve been binging all the booster box games and i really wish we could see you do more gameplay every once and a while

[@chrisg380]

I love the inner sleeves. Great fit & no greasy residue like I've seen inside Dragon Shield perfect fit. With a range of box types that makes it easier to find the right one. What a beautiful product line.

[@13lutorange]

I am on 0 of the social medias, so this is my way of blurting out the idea for a video that I got watching your talk with Adrian. I think the community as a whole would benefit from you presenting us with the following situation: If the prof had to buy new deck boxes/sleeves/life counter/ other game accessoires which would he buy and why. You can even make it a top 5 list. As we all know: Lists always get more views. I love your product reviews but they only help me with a decission I allready made. Lets say I like deck box A. I can easily check what the prof had to say about it. But if I have no idea what to get, I am not going to watch 20 or so videos until I come accros one box with a really good review. And even if I would if that review is from 2016 I wont know if that review is still accurate. A (yearly?) Top 5 deck boxes the prof would buy would help me in that situation. I really hope you get the chance to read this. It goes without saying that you can use this idea freely and however way you like.

[@RichardFriedler]

That reveal towards the end is amazing. It looks like it will help with many storage solutions. I am excited.

[@danielmills7199]

I've loved your channel since the first time i saw it! This interview has me loving GameGenic even more than I already did! Who knew that listening to your customers could result in a loyal customer base. Keep up the fantastic work Prof!

[@roguebobgaming]

Deck boxes have come such a long way. So much artistry in them now, it’s fantastic. Love the interview

[@davidhobbs6292]

That portfolio dig at the end was classic.

[@GoronRob]

26:17 "There's no game that uses 200 standard-sized cards" *laughs in Battle of Wits*

[@Ixidora]

I've lost to a battle of wits deck back when it was relatively new, the most jaw droppingly hilarious thing I've personally experienced. Additionally I believe you could fit a battle of wits deck in "The Academic", it just would likely take up the entire box...

[@xyl9480]

… why tho?

[@42CZ]

133+40+40 (if I'm remembering the token compartments correctly) it takes being a little creative but yeah it fits

[@alexyuvia]

That divider is great. I hope it does become part of the line and come in different color ways. Definitely would buy.

[@milohobo9186]

During your talk, you mentioned how you don't want to even appear biased, which I appreciate. But! I believe you have already shown your integrity when some formerly well graded sleeves had changed their process leading to markedly worse quality. You immediately sent out a video warning of the change, how to identify the good sleeves produced in prior batches, and alternative sleeves that were still high quality.

[@QuietAsHeimdal]

What an excellent guest!! :O Adrian comes across as both humble and quietly sure of himself, it's absolutely magnetic

[@DegeneratesOfMagic]

Just take my money right now, I love to see this. This makes me so happy for the professor! Congrats!

[@ichliebebrot3773]

I keep saying this but it keeps being true! The more I see about game genic, the more I am impressed again and again. May their quality never decline!

[@Aceice234]

This was such an interesting video, I didn’t know I was going to enjoy a conversation about tcg accessory logistics as much as I did! Also it’s a great piece of hype for your deck box, makes me want to use it now!

[@ricardogallegos4213]

personally I was looking for a deckbox and tried out a gamegenic sidekick after the profs review and honestly I loved it. the look is elegant, the feel is perfect and the function with the magnetic flap is just awesome. looking forward to future products!

[@iamwatari4088]

I missed the kickstarter, but being that it got 4 MILLION in sale (Yay, congrats!) I really hope it would someday become apart of their line and you guys can work a deal. So that I could get my hands on it 😮‍💨

[@-cactus.raven-]

I feel that lol

[@Beckola44]

Wow... there was so much research done to make this superior product. Keep up the great work.

[@lykun_]

Can't way I expected a cliffhanger here XD GOOD STUFF. Can't wait to see what else this kickstarter has in store for us, and im hopeful that we'll see many more collaboration products between you two in the future.

[@dawsonholdsworth5371]

Praise the high-Boulderfather. And the commander players lay their decks at his feet for optimal storage!

[@Hemlocker]

That flexible divider thing is genius

[@Niedomysm]

Not going to lie the philosophy of listening to your customers and trying to improve upon what you're doing is something that everybody could take advantage of. And it makes it really hard to not just kind of like sell out only to gamegenic. Your products are amazing, and you have a philosophy that puts consumers first which in turn leads to profits from you. I hope that when you do get into card sleeves and you want to challenge Dragon shield you do it and you succeed.

[@Ducspeed]

Great episode! I appreciate you both as so does the community I'm sure. The compressed divider is PERFECT!! I made something similar which I use to organize my own collection to help push out air on the double sleeved cards, stop them from falling over, and act as a divider between sets/tokens etc. but I hate the look of what I made. I assumed no one was going to ever make something official. You guys did it! I can't wait to support the kickstarter and look forward to what's to come in the future.

[@laharaatgaming3832]

I returned to mtg a bit too late since the double box with the customizable divider would have been perfect at my LGS. The single one seems a bit too big for tournament play but then again looking at my triple sleeved legacy deck with tokens..... shut up and take my money doesn't apply here.... Keep talking and take my money is a much better fit. The best marketing video, which doesn't feel like one and with the products speaking for themselves, i've ever seen at normal speed and to the end.

[@abentevent]

I love the box, the enthusiasm, the spirit and responsibility displayed here. What I love more is that this is essentially two men talking about designing and critiquing boxes for close to an hour.

[@chaffenbake]

I really liked Adrian's thoughts on the positioning of GameGenic sleeves in the overall MtG sleeve market. I'm using them for a Cube, so I enjoy the price point more than Dragon Shields, and I personally enjoy the out-of-box shuffle feel more than DS sleeves as well. Overall, a well-thought out strategy, and I enjoyed hearing all of his thoughts on product design and incorporating feedback into their process.

[@coreysierchio4650]

I'm convinced Game Genic sleeves will be able to straighten out curled foils! Ready to order me an Academic! *Thanks for the Content* !

[@stefanielinger2527]

Uhm, how can you just drop that divider on us at the end? This is genius! I need a stack of those please.

[@ViXoZuDo]

Adrian Alonso, please, design a token tray standalone. I need a place to have my tokens and dices that is not attached to a deckbox. Something that I can carry around with any of my multiple deckboxes... and if it fit inside the dungeon as another deckbox, even better.

[@DanieleFrizzi]

Maybe it's a stupid suggestion, but what about a 40+ boulder?

[@guitarpunk200]

It's cool to see who designed my deck box!

[@brimmreaper2169]

I’m new to mtg I can’t wait to try to get one of your boxers The first day I was trying to get into it I looked up videos and your videos popped up so I started watching your videos every sense I’m happy you are going to do this

[@fenton993]

Het Prof! You don't know me yet, but you soon will. I plan on helping out in our format in a massive way and reached out to the Command Zone so I can get started. I'm an extremely smart person and see a lot of problems with how people make decisions in games (Including content creators), and you are one of my favorite content creators, so I want you to help me improve the way players think. Good things are coming your way...

[@happybrain2674]

you can see and hear the joy of both talking about the things they love to do😊

[@Mediocre_Bambino]

What a stellar guy, hope you work with him more in the future Prof. This is damn exciting stuff!

[@sandman2953]

Great content prof, some of the best yet. I love to see Adrian’s passion about his product and getting a look behind the scenes and a candid conversation with the main man orchestrating it all was wonderful!! I look forward to when the kick starter goes live and definitely need to get more gamegenic products!

[@KarlJones73]

I like removable lids and the trays but, I think it would be better if the box unfolds to be your play mat with library location, graveyard and so on.

[@whalesequence]

I can't wait to see the features, counting down the days until the kickstarter starts, this box is perfect for my commander tokens deck

[@speaksincircles]

Ooof this is so exciting

[@leafletleaflet]

Nice, a shout out to the card dividers! They're the best ones I could find on the market that I liked- unfortunately not always in stock though

[@Veggie_King]

Their sock game is on point

[@loragheta]

its honestly so wholesome that it only took 18 minutes for the kickstarter to hit the goal.

[@richardthomas9529]

My Lord!!! Looking at the "Sock Game" on display in this video helps cement the fact that We are the SAME!!! 🥰😘😍

[@DaelinD]

When guests come on his show, Prof makes sure to tell them to wear spiffy socks. Just so they look their best, hehe.

[@bethpitblado1588]

I imagine a bin of colourful socks sitting in a back corner of the office. When guests show up in basic black, they can dig through the pile to find something with pizzazz.

[@aycrown3774]

give that man a thumbs up/heart and a great bumb on the back for those card dividers they are sooo much better then any before

[@hunterstephens3671]

I am so pumped for this Deck Box! Can't wait to see those stretch goals. Hats off Prof, you'll see my name in that first 1k

[@Lixeffect]

Hey Prof, It’s clear the idea of perceived conflict of interest is in the back of your mind but I think you explained it well. I think people who coke to you for evaluation and review by now know how seriously you take each one and how consumer focused you are. And you’re right in that everyone’s needs are going to be different. I watch a lot of your reviews and end up being like “that is cool but not for me”. The two times that wasn’t the case was the Amazon carry bag and the Gamegenic Lair 600 - both of which I wouldn’t have even known about without your deep dive. Indeed the lair 600 I went to my LGS with your review in hand and said “look at this, we need to get some of these in” - they got 9 of them in and when people saw it in action they all just vanished off the shelf. Your eye for quality is honed and trusted - and I think people understand you take that trust very seriously. Especially seeing as you have the power to correct mistakes as was pointed out in this interview! The companies take you as seriously as you take your reviews. The academic just seems like a smaller, cheaper and more portable version of the lair and I think that’s great. Definitely will be seeing you on Kickstarter! Thanks for everything you have done and continue to do to improve and inform the world of peripherals.

[@XenWarriorTheReal]

I'm glad you addressed the view of the public on your grades for the future reviews of Gamegenic products, because after the announcement of your deckbox went live, I remember looking at your lastest gamebox reviews and a lot of them were gamegenic products and they were all pretty favorable and I remember thinking: I know he probably couldn't say anything because of possible NDAs or something, but by the time these reviews were filmed, he was probably already working with them on his deckbox and it's not disclosed anywhere in the video that he's in a "partnership" with them, but glad it's addressed here and that it probably will be in future reviews. Looking forward to the kickstarter!

[@a.j.j7533]

might be the first sit down interview I’ve seen with the subjects wearing socks lol.

[@willis7111]

This box looks awesome! My only thought is that I wish it had a handle somehow so it could be like a briefcase for your deck. That way, I could actually take just my box out without my backpack