Magic Online is now Magic Offline

I’ve been trying to log on to my Magic Online account for the last couple of days without success. At first I thought it was because I was trying to log on from my Windows Visa desktop computer and Magic Online doesn’t like Windows Vista too much. I then tried to log on using my Windows XP notebook computer and my results were the same.

I went over to the Magic Online website and at first didn’t see any announcements concerning the game’s status. I then clicked the link that shows the game’s server’s status and I learned the server was down. There’s a note stating to check the message boards for more updates.

So that’s what I did. I then read the following message:

Hi everyone,We’ve received the go-ahead from our senior management, as of tomorrow morning we’re going to patch the 2.5 client one last time (installing a kicker screen to direct everyone who doesn’t read the boards to www.playmagiconline.com so they know what’s going on) and turn off all public access for good to that system.

This should happen around 9am PST, the system will go into no-pay Wedneday [sic] morning around 5am PST.

Approximately a week from tomorrow we will turn the new MOL III system back on a few pieces at a time, read the latest blog page for more information on that.

Thanks to all of you folks who make MOL what it is, and thanks to the MOL team for all their hard work in the past years to make this a reality.

Exciting times!

__________________
Worth Wollpert
Brand Manager, Magic Online
Wizards of the Coast

Why wasn’t this message emailed to everyone with a Magic Online account? Not everyone that has a Magic Online account has an account on the message board. I never go to the Magic Online message boards. Wizards of the Coast has to know how many people log on to Magic Online every day and how many people log onto the Magic Online message boards. The two numbers are not the same.

I’m somewhat bothered by the statements concerning when exactly it’s coming back. The word “approximately” used in relation to when it’s coming back doesn’t make me feel optimistic. It’s also bothers that the brand manager for Magic Online doesn’t know how to spell “Wednesday”.