Community

Feb 5, 2012 -- 9:47PM, Thalatta wrote:

I'm confused as to

1) what this change is, exactly, and

2) why the change is being made.

Likewise.  Wizards really needs to work on improving their organized play announcements.  The pattern of poor explanation of a change, followed by negative customer reaction, followed by apology and better explanation, isn't good for anybody.

I have no idea what this article just said.  It was extremely unclear and confusing.  Helene Bergeot, you need to work on your writing skills.  Articles like that should be clear, to the point, and with the important information at the top.

If it's saying there is no Saturday tournament at my local shop, I will be disappointed.  I enjoy those, and I work Fridays (like most people) and cannot attend FNM. 

I should probably clarify, the article is vague about whether or not stores will be allowed to give out promo cards during Saturday/Sunday events if they want to, or if they will be limited to FNM only.

I understood the post - eventually. I agree that the post itself wasn't particularly clear.

One wonders why it is Wizards apparently feels compelled to drive people away from playing their game.  As someone who works full time (and, therefore, has disposable income with which to purchase luxury items such as card game booster packs and the like), a FNM not-really-a-release-party is never going to work out for me.

Not only that, but since Wizards will no longer be supporting the format of previous release parties (sealed), that means that my only options for playing sealed (a format I enjoy) will be pre-releases or PTQ/GP types of events in that format.

What is the point of eliminating events? (Yes, yes, it's not "eliminated" it just isn't supported anymore by Wizards and stores can do what they want! Without Wizards support, it's eliminated, people. A de facto elimination is still an elimination.)

This is the kind of thing that just flips an enormous middle finger to casual players. This kind of maneuver from Wizards just screams "If you don't play FNM then we don't give a crap about you!"

For those of us who either aren't interested in (or can't work into our schedules) things like FNM, prereleases and release parties are about the only time we get a chance to play. Even for people who are all up into the FNM deal, the releases and prereleases are a chance to play with people other than the same 10 faces they see every-freakin'-Friday and be part of a larger community than the dozen dudes at their local game store.

Personally, I don't play constructed. Just not a fan of the format. Which means that, essentially, until I can find a regular draft in my general vicinity that happens on a day that isn't TUESDAY (a weekday upon which I have other commitments), the only cash Wizards will get from me is going to be in the form of release and prerelease tournaments. There are a fair number of us that only appear for the "bigger" release and prerelease events. Apparently, Wizards no longer wants our money.

Dear Wizards,

This is an absolutely ridiculous move. You really want to no longer support stores having big events for your product? Most of the time I only care about the upcoming sets because of the release event. Having both the release and prerelease are nice so that I am almost guaranteed I can make one even when I cannot make the other. But now you only want to support the prereleases, so a) there's no big event when the set is actually on sale and b) like I said, if you can't make it, there's no next weekend opportunity. Sure, my local game store can do one anyway if they'd like, but why should all of the work be put on their shoulders, Wizards? I thought you wanted to support local game stores more, not give them this sign that you're pulling back on your efforts.

I love Sealed draft, and I love the excitement of a new set having just come out. I love keeping the promo cards in my binder and looking at them alongside my signed cards and remembering those events.

And you know what? I hate FNM. It's not a casual night, and that's all I play. I'm not going to go to FNM to start getting promo cards and the new-set-excitement feel. I understand you guys care more about FNM than I do, and that most of your customers do as well, but I cannot believe you care more about FNM than you do release events. I consistently support you, but in this past year you have consistently made poor decisions that seem shortsighted and having something other than your loyal customer's interests and desires in mind. And each time you do this you look worse and worse, and you get burned by your customers. Please, just stop doing it. Keep the release events because it's what your loyal customers want. And because it just makes sense to do so.

Joe