Organized Play VP Addresses Player Concerns

[Bovinious]

Today WOTC released a partial transcript of a Q&A session from PT: KL about the recent changes (read: cutting) of organized play. In the interview they assert that they have the best interest of the players at heart, but a few things they said still concern me. They are taking a PT away and instead trying to strengthen "grassroots", which to me means they want more scrubs to start playing who will buy boosters, which seems like a shameless money ploy. Also, they said "Yes, we're removing a PT, and as part of that adjustment we're going to put more emphasis on grassroots programs still to be determined, as well as adding more GP events, more regional support for certain areas, etc.". This is despite the fact that the number of GPs is actually decreasing (see http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15411.html for proof of decreasing GPs), along with the number of PTQs. I think its good that WOTC is addressing player concerns, but I still think they are fucking up by making there less incentive to get better, if anything they should be adding PTs (Legacy anyone?), as well as more GPs/PTQs to feed them. What do you guys think about WOTC's recent cutting of Organized Play and their response to player concern?

For the lazy, here is a link to the release: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgevent/ptkl08/qanda

EDIT: This may have been better suited for the Community Board, can a mod please move it? TYZ. - NP - Bardo

[Janos_Wuryon]

Ive made numerous comments about this at the MTG Players Union forum but to recap my primary point about this nonsense from WOTC ill summise.

1. taking amatuer prizes does nothing to make more people want to play in a GP.

2. They claim they axed champs/states cause the turnout was to small?? A GP averages 600 people at one event in one location. Champs/States averaged 40-100+ at every location across the world. Seems like plenty of support to me

3. "Grassroots" look im all for working on increasing your player base but last time I checked the vast majority of the "casual" gamers spend very little to keep playing games. I haven't spent $ on any of my casual hobbies in years. I dont buy D&D books, I rarely buy Miniatures for Warhammer. I only buy Magic because Im driven to compete and I need new product to do that. Casual guy doesnt need to buy shit to keep rocking his 70card all pixie/elephant deck. Get serious

[Wallace]

1. taking amatuer prizes does nothing to make more people want to play in a GP.

No shit, the amatuer prizes were a big draw for me. I mean it would be sweet to finish well enough at a GP to win money, and it was even better to win an amatuer prize. After a lot of thought about it though, after yuo win an amatuer prize once, you can never win again, due to the fact that you will have at least one pro point and will no longer be an amatuer.



2. They claim they axed champs/states cause the turnout was to small?? A GP averages 600 people at one event in one location. Champs/States averaged 40-100+ at every location across the world. Seems like plenty of support to me.

I totally agree with you on this one. I loved the champs and states tournaments, they were a chance to play in a semi-local, higher level event. We had 120+ in 2007 and 114 for Standard champs in 2006 in New York City if I remember correctly. How were the turn outs not enough, how did the $25 entry fee not cover the prizes they gave out? I mean these events have booster pack prizes, booster packs!!! At $25 a head and just 100 people, thats $2500 in entry fees. At retail ($3.99 a pack) that would cover 625 packs (17.36 boxs), I know they didn't give close to that many out...


3. "Grassroots" look im all for working on increasing your player base but last time I checked the vast majority of the "casual" gamers spend very little to keep playing games. I haven't spent $ on any of my casual hobbies in years. I dont buy D&D books, I rarely buy Miniatures for Warhammer. I only buy Magic because Im driven to compete and I need new product to do that. Casual guy doesnt need to buy shit to keep rocking his 70card all pixie/elephant deck. Get serious

Agreed..I really don't have much to add here, casual players do spen money on magic, but, imo, not nearly as much as tournament players. I mean if you play standad you have to build a new deck every 6-9 months, extended stays the same for the most part and with a few exceptions Legacy and Vintage don't change too much.

If your a limited player then you have to spen $10- $20 a tournament. To me this should be one of wizards biggst markets...

[Krikkit]

shameless money ploy

yeah, fuck wizards for wanting to make money.

PS: Bovi, what do you think about my avatar? just spill out all your feelings about it.

[Ebinsugewa]

Wait, they seriously removed amateur prizes at GPs? Jesus Christ. This is even worse than I thought. I will probably never play competitive non-Legacy Magic again.

[FoolofaTook]

Magic is either good enough and interesting enough to survive without major support for organized competition by WoTC or it's not.

I have always felt that it was good enough and I see the current movement away from competitions organized by WoTC to a more community supported effort as a very positive sign.

Since coming back to the meta I have played in one sanctioned event and a dozen small unsanctioned ones. In that time there have been TWO Legacy events that I know of that the DCI sanctioned that drew more than 64 players: GP Philly and the Worlds in NY. Prior to WoTC stepping in in the late 90's and crapping all over everything I used to play in a 512 tournament every 6 weeks in the tristate area. This had been going on for nearly two years before WoTC killed it.