another reason blue should be banned...

[train]

From MTG.com's question and answer sessions...

Q: "Have you ever had to reject a card because it wasn't possible to include in Magic Online for some reason? What kinds of cards are difficult to include in the program? Have development guidelines changed as a result of Magic Online?"
--Tommy Pedersen, Denmark

A: From Henry Stern, Research & Development:
"The short answer: 'No.' The long answer is a bit more complex. For 99% of Magic cards developed, there is no thought given to how difficult this card will be to implement online. We just assume it will be no problem. For the few cards that might have some impact, we ask our resident programmer, Alan Comer, if a given card will be possible to code. A good example of such cards would be the Mistform cards from Onslaught. For now, nothing that we have wanted to do has been nixed by online constraints.

"Generally, there are two types of cards that make life difficult for the programmers. #1) Cards with complex, unique effects, like Psychic Battle. And #2) Cards that can affect a basic part of the game in unusual ways, like Artificial Evolution. (Yes, most of the difficult cards are blue.)...

It even gives programming problems...

 

[Spiderman]

But remember, the short answer was "No" and it's only 1% of cards giving the problem. Not bad considering how many cards are out there.

 

[train]

Most of the restricted cards seem to blue or black...

If blue gives reality, online, and design such problems - it should be banned...

I can say the one I'd be most interested in using is the Dream Halls if anything...

But this color really isn't necessary is it...

 

[Spiderman]

How far back in sets does MTGO go? I thought they were just doing "current" (whatever that was when it came out) and onward. Does it include, say, pre-Ice Age now?

 

[train]

According to WOTC - They won't do anythign before invasion... unless they changed their mind...

 

[rkoelsch]

You can see all the cards made. It looks like they tried programming some of the older cards but stopped. Only those from Invasion on are usable to play against someone