The current state of Magic

[MD.Ghost]

Sorry guys, was really busy the last months thanks to housebuilding - but WotC overall already started to gather informations from the community, the biggest issue seems that they (see our discussion here) aren't able to rebuild MTGO (yet). At my freetime i write some articles for the german marketing agency. Last year me and other were interviewed about "Media Perceptions Magic". I only knew about some answers from italy. But we shared the same view, that WotC digital products aren't good enough.

According to my opinion WotC needs to address three points:
develop a cross plattform app (as lemnear pointed out, you can't even play the casual "duels" on android(!) or PS4), massiv decrease to buy into competitive MTGO (i feel sorry for players that need to invest several hundreds or thousands to get digital(!) cards), graphic/visual rework of MTGO (any "competitive" mobile card game looks better... even the casual "magic duels" game looks better than MTGO)

At least i can say, the agency send all the feedback to WotC/Hasbro.

[jandax]

We already know what that looks like.

It is not pretty.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...49397726,d.cGw

Had a legit fear of getting rickrolled, there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Barook]

An interesting tidbit found by Julian:

https://twitter.com/itsJulian23/stat...93666090422272

The European MKM series isn't getting sanctioned so far because it doesn't have enough Standard and Limited for Wizards' taste.

Just what the flying fuck?

[Julian23]

One should add that it already has a T2 main event. It's just not very well-attended. Why would it? There's plenty of GPs to choose from.

[Ronald Deuce]

Pokémon throws shit at you (their fatpacks comes with sleeves, flip coins, I think dice) and makes it super easy to get into the digital game, also their foils are cool.

It's like they actually want you to spend money on their game

They could've just put more awesome cards that are hard to come by into Eternal Masters instead of abominable rares. I probably spent $36 minimum on Rorix Bladewings, and I had playsets of everything else I pulled that would be worth pulling.

This is why I buy packs about three times a year.

[Dice_Box]

You buy packs? I found your problem.

[s&s]

An interesting tidbit found by Julian:

https://twitter.com/itsJulian23/stat...93666090422272

The European MKM series isn't getting sanctioned so far because it doesn't have enough Standard and Limited for Wizards' taste.

Just what the flying fuck?

This is just WOTC saying "you suspected we are idiots, we'll prove it for you"

Its especially hilarious when you consider MKM offers tournament organizers prize support and smaller stuff (pens, notebooks, banners, ..) just for having MKM publicity at the event. Iirc its about 1€ of support / player which they give out pretty easily.

Well played WOTC.

[Ronald Deuce]

You buy packs? I found your problem.

The cards have to come from somewhere, though. If Wizards wanted people to buy more of their stuff, improving the quality of the stuff would go a long way.

[LegacyIsAnEternalFormat]

You buy packs? I found your problem.

If everyone held this view, the game you're so obsessed with would die

[Dice_Box]

I will let my local store open the packs and I buy the singles I need. Win win. Opening packs for any reason that doesn't include a draft, a sealed deck or a store inventory is a waste in my opinion.

[resum]

If everyone held this view, the game you're so obsessed with would die

i buy lots of packs. just normally three or six at a time

[Barook]

Thank God!

[supremePINEAPPLE]

I like all the acknowledgment of mistakes going on. Makes me feel like they are actually learning from stuff like BFZ and standard the last couple years. Shit like the invocations will still happen but admitting to mistakes is a lot more than you can ask from most companies.

[Barook]

I like all the acknowledgment of mistakes going on. Makes me feel like they are actually learning from stuff like BFZ and standard the last couple years. Shit like the invocations will still happen but admitting to mistakes is a lot more than you can ask from most companies.

Now if they had only listened and improved that PoS that is MTGO years ago...

The Gatewatch was a marketing attempt to increase sales, and I dare to say, it failed spectacularly at that, considering the info we have that sales are slightly down last year after years over years of record sales. The combination of unappealing story telling + trying to push the Gatewatch to be the faces of their sets (leading to various balance fuck-ups Standard has to suffer through) did its number on the sales.

[Lord Seth]

Now if they had only listened and improved that PoS that is MTGO years ago...

The Gatewatch was a marketing attempt to increase sales, and I dare to say, it failed spectacularly at that, considering the info we have that sales are slightly down last year after years over years of record sales. The combination of unappealing story telling + trying to push the Gatewatch to be the faces of their sets (leading to various balance fuck-ups Standard has to suffer through) did its number on the sales.

I don't think trying to push the Gatewatch to be the faces of their sets really led to the problems with Standard. Yes, Gideon is a pest, but he didn't become as good as he is until recently, and even if he were gone Standard wouldn't be fixed.

The major reason for Standard's woes have been them nerfing answer spells so bad so that there's not really a good way to deal with the pushed threats. I don't think the Gatewatch focus is the reason for the problems with balance. It's a problem in that it's kind of boring to always see them, but that's not really a gameplay thing.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Opening packs for any reason that doesn't include a draft, a sealed deck or a store inventory is a waste in my opinion.

Well, I guess that depends on whether you consider spending money to have fun a "waste". I still buy packs, but I don't do it expecting great returns on the price I pay for packs or with the expectation of breaking even, I open packs sometimes because I enjoy it. I also "waste" money at the bar, going out to eat, watching a movie, etc., but I enjoy it none the less. I've been playing this game for over 21 years [fucking Christ] and I still like opening packs and sometimes even buying boxes when a new set comes out. I still enjoy it.

[ParkerLewis]

Well, I guess that depends on whether you consider spending money to have fun a "waste". I still buy packs, but I don't do it expecting great returns on the price I pay for packs or with the expectation of breaking even, I open packs sometimes because I enjoy it. I also "waste" money at the bar, going out to eat, watching a movie, etc., but I enjoy it none the less. I've been playing this game for over 21 years [fucking Christ] and I still like opening packs and sometimes even buying boxes when a new set comes out. I still enjoy it.

Curiosity and excitement is a powerful force.

I've been wanting to buy a playset of Lilis for a while now, but spending 250 € on these only four cards bothers me. Yet I was almost willing to buy some MM2017 product (probably one box) because the idea of "pulling all these amazing reprints" (that I don't really want nor need) made it exciting. Well, luckily my brain was always there to keep me from being this financially inefficient (even at 120€ a box I would not really be interested in buying some), but I still spent regular time checking out the spoilers lists etc.

[Barook]

Hasbro Q1 2017 Earnings Management Remarks

MAGIC: THE GATHERING revenue was negatively impacted by the timing of new story-lead releases. As outlined at Toy Fair, the second quarter marks the release of the Amonkhet set which is expected to deliver a strong performance for this Franchise Brand.

So Amonkhet being in Q2 is impacting sales. That makes sense. But it totally ignores that Q1 had MM17 as additional set (which should make them tons of money). Looks like Standard being crappy really does its numbers on MtG.

[CutthroatCasual]

Looks like Standard being crappy really does its numbers on MtG.

I doubt WotC makes a lot of money off Masters sets given that the print runs are much more limited than Standard sets (while being "unlimited"). I honestly believe that Masters sets are WotC's gift back to the players. I wouldn't say they lose money on them, but that they don't make nearly as much money off them as many on Reddit claim. They have no obligation to print these sets, and could make much more money off spending time developing more Standard sets which would be more widely distributed while also moving more product.

[resum]

I doubt WotC makes a lot of money off Masters sets given that the print runs are much more limited than Standard sets (while being "unlimited"). I honestly believe that Masters sets are WotC's gift back to the players. I wouldn't say they lose money on them, but that they don't make nearly as much money off them as many on Reddit claim. They have no obligation to print these sets, and could make much more money off spending time developing more Standard sets which would be more widely distributed while also moving more product.

this actually made me think. i've noticed that there's been a pretty big uptick in supplemental sets in the past few years with the masters set, the conspiracy/planechase slot, and the commander slot. in addition to iconic masters or whatever coming this year. I wonder if wotc has actually spread themselves out a little too thin and that's why development for standard has suffered so much.