Thoughts on Recent Changes
June 22nd, 2008
Hello all,
In case you weren’t aware, Wizards made another announcement on their website June 18th regarding upcoming changes to pre-release events. I’ve taken several days to think about the ramifications and in all honesty, I am very concerned over where our beloved game is headed. New player acquisition may be the stated reason for this latest change, but that does not explain the cancellation of the Scholarship Series, Limited Champs, 2HG Champs, or Standard States, nor does it explain the fact that we now have 1 less Pro Tour. Oh, and let's not forget the addition of Mythic Rares or smaller set sizes beginning in September. There is one explanation however, that DOES fit the bill in every single case – money.
Now I’m not going to say that money is not a good reason for change, but I think it begs to question, “At what expense?”
I always try to see things from other perspectives, and in this case, that includes Wizards, players, judges, and retailers, as well as TO’s. I like to think that I can usually do this pretty well since I was a retailer for about 8 years, a player since before the DCI existed, and have been either a TO or involved with organizing Magic events since before Wizards got involved.. I’m not saying that I see every aspect of each viewpoint, but drawing on my past experiences, I do feel that I sometimes see a lot of things that others may not.
Please understand
that I am trying to be fair and see the “BIG” picture, and in order to do that,
one first has to look at all the different pieces. Think of a jigsaw puzzle
without a box to look at. The only way to envision the final puzzle is by
looking at one piece at a time. That is how I’m approaching this and admittedly,
I don’t even have all the pieces to look at.
In the last year, so many changes have happened(or are about to happen) that it’s hard to know where to begin, let alone exactly when it started. Many of those changes can be viewed as good or bad – and it mostly depends on who’s viewpoint you’re looking through. I am sure there have been many other changes that have gone on “behind-the-scenes” as well, with some being more subtle than others. I also know I am not the only Magic “old-schooler” to have noticed some of those changes but, let’s stick to some of the more obvious changes--
- JSS/Super Series program was cancelled
- Limited Champs program was cancelled
- 2HG Champs program was cancelled
- Pro Tour’s were reduced in number
- Standard State Champs program was cancelled
- City Champs program started with mixed results
- New rarity announced(Mythic)
- Reduction in set sizes announced
- Pre-releases being re-structured
It can be (and has been) argued that some of these changes were short-sighted or just a plain bad idea, but it’s a lot of changes either way. Most of those changes directly relate to organized events, and I understand Wizards’ current initiative is “grass-roots” play, but again, it begs to question, “At what expense?”
What does that leave for “big regional events”?
- Regionals? - well given the recent track record for established events and the fact that Wizards now has a year to “tinker” with it – I don’t have much faith that 2009 Regionals will be the same animal next year. I hope I am wrong – but I’m not going to hold my breath.
- Pro Tour & Qualifiers? – Again – the recent trend has been towards FEWER. Not more. Just stating a fact.
- Grand Prixs? – some players may not see one in their area for years.
- Nationals? Worlds? – got an invite?
That leaves Regionals and Pro Tour Qualifiers as the only large events still being regularly scheduled that do not require an invitation. Now, add in the fact that both Regionals and PTQ’s are geared toward the competitive player and tell me what “big event” does that leave the “casual player”? Hmmm… you want to talk about “sharks” eating up the little fish? Well – swimming with JAWS just became the casual player’s only option if they want to play in a “large scale” event. This is NOT good for the game in any way, shape, or form. Chew on that. (Pun intended)
Moving right along to some other thoughts regarding the “BIG” picture---
When it comes to this latest change to pre-releases. some of the “missing pieces” would include things that have not been covered in detail or even announced by Wizards as of yet.. Things like-
1) Prize and Volunteer support details
2) Change in actual event cost
3) Overflow policies
4) Underattendance policies
5) Event pricing policies
6) Control of product before release date
7) ???
With that said – here are some of my thoughts about what has been announced regarding Pre-Release changes and additional locations. I’ve listed some pros and cons below but neither list is complete by any means -
SOME PROS –
- In some areas, the additional locations will make pre-releases accessible to a greater total number of old and new players.
- Retailers who qualify, should benefit by having an event in their store.
- Wizards benefits by way of both increased revenue and exposure from the increase in total locations and players enrolled.
- TO’s may be able to benefit from being able to run more than a single event in one location.
SOME CONS –
- Not all areas will have additional locations due to lack of existing stores or organizers. Players in some areas may actually LOSE places to play depending on some of the unknowns listed above.
- Lower player population areas with multiple event locations will likely face fierce competition for local players, possibly leading to price wars or worse.
- High player population areas will likely face overcrowding issues.
- Both overcrowding and under-attendance will be huge player turnoffs. If players show up for a pre-release and can’t play due to lack of space or lack of players, there is a high possibility that they will not attend future pre-releases.
- Retailers who either do not qualify or have adequate space to run the event in their store, will lose business. (Adequate space is all dependent on the # of players and will vary from location to location.) This division of stores into “Haves” & “Have Nots” (based on their event room size) could also cause a backlash effect.
- Release Events & Pre-Release events will now be redundant. I don’t know too many players that are walking around with “bottomless pockets” and given that the two events are only separated by 6 days, players will choose one or the other to attend. This alone will only serve to “water down” attendance numbers for both events and I fully expect one program or the other will end up on the chopping block – bringing the net gain of events to ZERO. Focusing on the growing Release events might have been a better idea.
- TO’s are put in direct competition with other local pre-release
events. This is particularly unfortunate because it leaves very little
incentive for anyone other than Wizards to promote area retailers anymore. I
understand that other area TOs in the
o While I would love to be able to offer to run Premiere events in everyone’s store throughout the region, it simply has not been possible. “Why not?” you ask? Well, first of all, Wizards does not give us that many events to run. Secondly, most stores can not accommodate 100+ players. Some of the other factors that also have to be considered include, -- geographical distances and barriers(ocean & mountains), area player populations, other area premiere events and distances between, and of course, trying to hold events where they are accessible to the highest number of players. Again, I try to do my best, but there is a lot more to scheduling and planning Premiere events than just posting them on the website.
- Judging will suffer tremendously. Both short and long term. Short term- Even if there were enough judges for every single Pre-release location to have one, that leaves no one for players to appeal to. Let’s not even talk about doing deck checks, deck lists, data entry or multiple judge calls. This is a potentially HUGE player turnoff.
- Artist appearances will not be near as likely to happen. The costs and extra space required are just a couple of reasons off the top of my head.
To be quite honest and simply put, large scale Pre-release events may no longer even be a financially feasible proposition. This remains to be decided, since a lot depends on yet unknown details from Wizards and other factors like attendances(or combination of).
- Now, consider some of the things that happen if large scale pre-releases are no longer feasible under this new system.
o Flights will become near extinct. First off, a large # of players in attendance is needed. Just because 40 people show up to play at a store does not mean that 32 of them are going to re-enroll in another flight. And even if they did, they most certainly wouldn’t all drop at the same time, which means long wait times for players before the next flight.(Long wait times = very unhappy players, trust me) Add space requirements for multiple flights to that equation and you get a double whammy for running flights in stores. Oh and by the way, I haven’t even mentioned the additional space needed to offer simultaneous 2HG flights, side events, drafts, or an Open Dueling area. And these are just a few of the things that players have come to expect when attending a Pre-Release.
o Regional player interaction is lost(or at least a HUGE part of it). This affects everyone. To varying degrees, players will lose some sense of being part of a large regional community. Players’ access to non-local retailers is further diminished. So if your local shop doesn’t have it – your alternatives will be much more limited. (I dare not think about those folks with local stores that don’t carry singles at all!) Players lose another opportunity to trade and play with a much wider and more varied group of players than just the locals. I fail to see any positive aspect to losing regional interaction.
o Dealer/Retailer regional interaction is greatly diminished if not lost as well. Retailers lose access to non-local players(new customers). Retailers lose one more avenue for moving stock that may be slow in your local area. Retailers lose widespread regional advertising and exposure for their store or upcoming events. Retailers lose the opportunity to interact with other regional retailers. (This encompasses exchanging ideas, stock, learning from other’s experiences and so much more.) I’m sure there are some retailers that think they are better off having a “captive audience” with their local players, but I have never shared that view, in any capacity. This is a social game, not a crossword puzzle.
o Judge interaction and training will be crippled. With fewer large events, there will be fewer places requiring multiple judges. That translates into fewer opportunities for experience, training, testing, and learning from other judges. It doesn’t matter if the number of pre-release locations increases ten-fold; without the fertile ground of large community events, the judge quality at all events will begin to decline and suffer miserably. This is a HUGE problem that will only become bigger over time. The quality of judging at events will have a direct effect on ALL event attendances – not just pre-releases.
As I stated before, the above list of “pros & cons” is by no means complete. I am sure there are positives I didn’t think of but, I’m equally sure there are negatives I didn’t think of either. So, let’s move on to some other aspects of the “BIG” picture.
The current state of the economy is having a huge effect on everyone. It all boils down to the fact that Magic is a game people buy/play with discretionary income. Watch the news lately? People are losing their homes, jobs, businesses, cars, etc. and all the while, unemployment keeps rising. This hasn’t happened overnight – it has been happening at a steady pace for the last several years. Most of us are trying to keep our heads above water. While the economy is affecting everyone in varying degrees, the fact remains that most people have a much smaller amount of “play” money. The choice between buying groceries or buying a booster box is not the same as deciding between a Friday night movie or Friday Night Magic. Anyone that has been able to maintain or increase their usual spending habits should count themselves as one of the fortunate few. Trust me – things can get a lot worse.
I’m not going to get into a long economic discussion here but, there are some rather disconnected parties that don’t seem to understand that we are ALL being affected in one way or another and have been for the last few years. Everyone involved with Magic should realize that it’s not just yourself that is or isn’t being affected. That includes(but is not limited to) retailers, players, judges, Wizards, and organizers.
There’s something else I have to question…..
This most recent change announced regarding pre-releases. Was this a “knee-jerk” reaction to something? Or was this planned? Hear me out before you answer. Wizards just added 9 new pre-release locations with Shadowmoor, remember? Well, keep in mind the fact that the organizers of those 9 new events just invested more money into computers, equipment, supplies, staff, etc. to run those new events. Now, if this “restructuring” was something that Wizards had already planned, I’d have to say it was deceitful on Wizards’ behalf, at best. On the other hand, if this “restructuring” was NOT planned at the time, then this change has to be a “knee-jerk” reaction to something. That alone should raise questions. “Knee-jerk” reactions are usually short-sighted and seldom prove to be a wise course of action since they are not well thought out plans. The current “plan” for pre-releases leads to more questions than answers.
So was it deceitful or just a reaction? I opt to believe it is a “knee-jerk” reaction, mainly because I don’t want to believe the other possibility. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been involved with premiere events since their inception, and anyone that knows me, knows I have always been a fan of Wizards. Not just a fan of Magic – but a fan of the company. The way they listened to the community, their policies, the employees, and their efforts have always been top-notch. So I really have a hard time with the idea of Wizards being deceitful, but “knee-jerk” reactions aren’t a typical move for Wizards either. No matter which answer you think is the correct one, neither paints a pretty picture or leads me to believe in a rosy future.
So…. Where does all this lead us?
Your guess is probably as good as mine. I don’t have a crystal ball anymore than you do. The concerns I’ve touched on are just a few and more keep coming to mind as I think about them. I’m not sure where we are headed and quite frankly, I’m not sure the people leading us do either. I have more questions and concerns than ever before. Some of the decisions and changes over the past year appear to have been poorly planned, some are questionable at best, while still others feel like “mandates from on-high”. I remember when it felt like the community’s opinion mattered. Community opinion now seems to be nothing more than aftermath. Regardless of how things play out, there will be hurdles to jump, and we’ve been doing that for years. Hopefully we will continue to clear those hurdles and not run smack into a wall. While there is no way to anticipate all the different possibilities or pitfalls of these latest changes, I wanted to cover some of the questions folks have been asking me and give the community some “food for thought”.
Eventide
Pre-Releases are scheduled to run as normal in both
As far as a Shards of Alara Pre-Release in September goes, there are still a lot of unknowns and I can only tell you what I know. Time is now very short for trying to book a large venue and it just doesn’t make sense for me to start racking up large expenses like venues without at least having an idea of the new total expenses or expected income. Contrary to what seems to be a popular belief, most PTO’s are not sitting on tons of money. So until more details become available and some of the blanks are filled in, I honestly can’t tell you yet what the future holds for pre-releases in September or beyond.
On a personal note, I’m saddened by the idea of losing ANY big community events. Like so many of you, I really and truly enjoy big events. There is simply nothing like seeing the many old friends I’ve made over the years all together in one place. The judge crew – players from all across the region – area retailers and others. Some of those friendships are almost 15 years old now and many of them may have never come to pass if it weren’t for the “big” events.
I LIKE big events. I was playing when Legends was on the shelves and can remember what it was like when the only people to play was ourselves – the local players. Sure it was fun, but it also left a lot to be desired. Then the large scale events such as pre-releases, States, and even PTQs came along to fill that void. I include PTQs in that list because at that time, there wasn’t a huge divide between the casual and competitive players like there seems to be now.
:Rant ON:
Speaking of that huge divide – we
also didn’t have “Net decks”. You had to actually think about how to build a
“better mousetrap” from scratch – not just print out a deck and buy those cards. Richard
Garfield invented this game so his students would have to think about the
choices they made – not so they could just copy someone else. Yes I know you
have to think during a game, but that is only HALF of it. Deck ideas are the
other half. You do realize that those “net decks” come from people who ARE
thinking about new deck ideas, right? –
I very seldom post the Top decklists to the Shuffle Up website because I
believe it takes away from the game as a whole. Some time ago, Wizards began
requiring us to send in decklists for the Top “whatever #” – but if all you’ve ever done is “net-deck”,
then you are cheating yourself out of half the game.
:Rant OFF:
I’m going to quickly wrap this up. It’s already a lot longer than I thought it would be. I’ve tried to be fair and show where I see reason for concern. It might be a little bit long-winded but I wanted to make sure my concerns were understood, even if you may disagree. I don’t know that anything I’ve said will be of any use but I’m one of those people that just feel better writing stuff down on paper (Ok – so technically this is not paper – but same result). Oh, I almost forgot, the “BIG” picture?….I don’t like the way it’s looking, how about you? I 'm calling a mulligan…maybe the next hand will look better.
Sincerely-
James W. Bailey Jr.