Former Wizards Of The Coast Exec Buehler Joins Mind Control Software

Strategy game developer Mind Control Software has hired former Wizards of the Coast digital gaming VP Randy Buehler as its vice president of business strategy. Mind Control already has other Wizards alums on board; board game designer and Magic: The Gathering card game creator Richard Garfield is collaborating with the company on free-to-play iPhone app Mind Twist, and he's joined on the company's advisory board by colleague Skaff Elias. Director of game design Andrew Finch and senior programmer Alan Comer are also Wizards of the Coast vets who are now part of the Mind Control team. Mind Twist is a head-to-head, free-to-play strategy game to be delivered to iPhone as an app and Facebook via Flash, and supported by microtransaction purchases of player-controlled armies. At Wizards of the Coast, Buehler oversaw digital business development; prior to that, he was one of the world's top Magic: The Gathering players, inducted into the game's hall of fame in 2007. He's also known for his commentator role on Magic Pro Tour webcasts. In his new role, he'll seek new development and strategic partnerships for the company, and will also contribute to game design. Fellow Magic Hall of Famer Alan Comer is also joining Mind Control; once serving as an engineer and architect for the online version of the card game, he'll now be involved in programming Mind Control games including Mind Twist. Finally, Mind Control's director of game design is former Wizards exec Andrew Finch, who holds 13 years' experience in various roles across multiple Wizards brands. "I have been entrenched in the tabletop realm for many years and I know I speak for myself, Andrew, and Alan when I say how excited we are about the opportunities we will have combining our game knowledge, enthusiasm, and experience with Mind Control's incredible technology capabilities," says Buehler.