Wizards are doubling the number of GPs in 2012; a chance for additional Legacy GPs?

[Tinefol]

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/news/041411a
Looks like WoTC are inspired by SCG success at running a non-stop series of events and are going the same way. They are going to announce GPs by "waves", not for the whole year. The news article also implies that this change would allow them to host GPs in unusual locations, where previously they wouldn't have been able to run them. All this done to promote magic, blabla.
The PTs are going to lose side events.

[Mr.C]

And no more regional pre-releases. Too bad, I loved the trading at the large pre-release. Oh well.

[DownSyndromeKarl]

I love how 90% of the people on Facebook read it as "No more prereleases" and they're all wiggin out. The other 10% are peeved about the fact that PT's are now going to be private. I feel that's how they should have been to begin with.

An increase in GPs as a whole would lead one to believe that there should be more Legacy GP's, I hope so. I don't know exactly how many they're planning, but one on each coast in the US, one Europe and one SE Asia should cover almost everyone. Leaving only the South American players without a 'local' Legacy GP. Assuming that Africa and Australia don't have a large contingent of 1.5ers.

[Moosedog]

Looking at this just from a legacy perspective, this can only be a good thing?

[practical joke]

Looking at this just from a legacy perspective, this can only be a good thing?

I'm not so sure, this COULD be a good thing.

However more legacy GP's might also opt for the option to get more wicked GP's like 2 Headed-giant.
Anyways I think this is a great change.

More GP's means at least more big legacy side-events, which is always a good thing even if they don't increase the ammount of legacy GP's.

I think there'll be 4 legacy GP's a year.

Asia, Western US, Eastern US (either of them could be placed more to the center offcourse) , europe.

Then again with legacy's popularity I won't be surprised if Europe gets a 2nd one as well.

[(nameless one)]

I wish they have a GP Legacy somewhere in Niagara falls. This way, everyone from the NE US and Eastern Canada can get together.

[cdr]

I wish they have a GP Legacy somewhere in Niagara falls. This way, everyone from the NE US and Eastern Canada can get together.

SCG really wants to do an Open in, say, Buffalo (since they can't do Canada), but afaik the venues in western NY kind of suck.

[warallthetimne]

There is a gp in providence which is like a 5 hour drive roughly from upstate new york. By plane like a 2 hour flight from most of the great white north.

[sclabman]

I'm kind of unclear on what they mean when they say that these events will be "private". Anyone care to clarify? Does it just mean you can't be in the building when the tournament is going on unless you're playing?

[Koby]

I wonder if this is a response to SCG events running so hot. WotC sees a cash cow and wants to milk it dry.

No surprise there! I too feel like Pro Tour stops should be a private function. While it's great to include public events, it taxes the venue/staff/resource planning to accommodate the public events. Increasing the GP stops helps make up for this too.

The loss of official support for regional preleases is also no surprise. This is old news ever since Mirrodin Beseiged. It's a shame too, because I much more enjoy playing limited against potential unknowns than the shitheads at my local store. I see the regional prerelease events as better community building than simply forking over $30 to the local store. I buy enough singles from there that I don't need to subsidize them for crappy limited events. This may be my anti-limited bias (duh! I'm a Legacy player = horrible in other formats ^^)

[cdr]

I'm kind of unclear on what they mean when they say that these events will be "private". Anyone care to clarify? Does it just mean you can't be in the building when the tournament is going on unless you're playing?

No public events, no big show, possibly can't even get into the venue without an invite - though I don't see any reason to disallow spectators.

[Sloshthedark]

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/news/041411a
Looks like WoTC are inspired by SCG success at running a non-stop series of events and are going the same way.

rather threatened than inspired

[Shimi]

I'll pray for GP Brazil every year!!!

[Mr.C]

I'll pray for GP Brazil every year!!!

GP: Brasilia, LOL.

[Deck Dont Matter]

I believe that with the increase in GPs there will finally be these events in locations in the United States and countries you would not find GPs to regularly be in...I would though really hope to see one in Upstate NY there are Plenty of Venues between Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse that this event could occur in. Just have to see if a event occurs.

[pandaman]

I love how 90% of the people on Facebook read it as "No more prereleases" and they're all wiggin out. The other 10% are peeved about the fact that PT's are now going to be private. I feel that's how they should have been to begin with.

An increase in GPs as a whole would lead one to believe that there should be more Legacy GP's, I hope so. I don't know exactly how many they're planning, but one on each coast in the US, one Europe and one SE Asia should cover almost everyone. Leaving only the South American players without a 'local' Legacy GP. Assuming that Africa and Australia don't have a large contingent of 1.5ers.

Australia is getting there. Lots of Legacy starting to happen in Brisbane and Sydney. Melbourne as well, and Vintage and Australian Highlander is popular there. So lots of people playing Eternal. The other Legacy playing countries in SE Asia seem to be the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. And of course Japan is big into it. So a GP for Legacy could probably be announced for Sydney, Melbourne, KL or somewhere in Japan. Japan most likely, because there would be definitely lots of Legacy players there, plus all the SE Asia/Asia Pacific crew would fly in for (relatively) little expense and jetlag compared to flying to Europe or the US.

Hopefully because Australia gets 1 GP a year at the moment, doubling the amount of GPS should see us get 2? *crosses fingers*

[vinnyhigh]

My town is an unusual location, so come on with that GPs wave! But if they are doing it to promote mtg, they should become a bit less strict about the copyright instead and let the fans promote mtg for them.

[bloodbrother]

What if the double number of GP's were for OverExtended being announced? They did read the rant having broken Dark Ritual decks when the MM (Mercadian Masques) onwards OverExtended format were being discussed. Now OverExtended will have a new FoW in MM (Mental Misstep). Just being a devil's advocate here. :)