I was talking to the regional PTO (premier tournament organizer) this past weekend at a PTQ, and he said that PTQ's may be getting taken out of PTO's hands and given to stores. He said that there was a interview done by the wizards CEO (I looked around and couldn't find one though) a month or so ago where the tl;dr was that he was wanted to integrate stores into the PTQ process more and that it was unnecessary for them to be held by PTO's.
Has anyone else heard this? Would this mean that the prizes could be worse (no plane tickets to winner?)
The decisions we have made, including our most recent decisions on the Pro Tour Qualifiers have to do with getting people into stores where they can spend their money and help the retailer, so the retailers can invest back in creating the community....
And
Having said all that, we do have Grand Prix events (which by the way we are having more and more of and are very important to our success), often run by store owners, but sometimes by the old fashioned Professional Tournament Organizers. So itโs not like we completely eliminated the relationship with those people that run events. But we are continually trying to make sure that stores get the greatest reward for the investment they put into the community.
Q: There has been a two-year trend of trying to bring Magic Organized Play more into the stores instead of external venues; the most recent example would be moving the National Qualifiers. Tell us about the reason behind that strategy and what the player response has been.
A: For the past few years we have been focusing on making sure that the hobby gaming retail industry is as financially healthy as it possibly can be, because we know that the Magic community is generated in stores. Itโs generated by people who are passionate about games, who can share their knowledge about games and share that habit of getting together on a regular basis and playing games. The decisions we have made, including our most recent decisions on the Pro Tour Qualifiers have to do with getting people into stores where they can spend their money and help the retailer, so the retailers can invest back in creating the community.
We often in our own offices say that the events are now โin store,โ but honestly thatโs not the critical factor for us. We have many store owners that run huge events outside their stores because at certain times itโs just impractical to have the play space. For us itโs more about making sure that the people who build the Magic and D&D community have the greatest financial resources to continue doing that. Whether they run the events in store or out of store doesnโt matter to us.
Having said all that, we do have Grand Prix events (which by the way we are having more and more of and are very important to our success), often run by store owners, but sometimes by the old fashioned Professional Tournament Organizers. So itโs not like we completely eliminated the relationship with those people that run events. But we are continually trying to make sure that stores get the greatest reward for the investment they put into the community.
I don't know if this is the interview he was talking about, but it does reference the point.
Edit: OP was editing while I was posting this. Nice timing sir
I'm a store owner who had been communicating with the local TO about having him bring PTQs into my store, and he gave me exactly the same story a few weeks ago. PTQs are moving to stores.
I'm a store owner who had been communicating with the local TO about having him bring PTQs into my store, and he gave me exactly the same story a few weeks ago. PTQs are moving to stores.
How many people can your store hold?
The problem with this plan is that PTQs can get 200+ people attending, which is more than most stores can handle. There are ways to deal with this, of course. How they choose to do so is what interests me here.
The problem with this plan is that PTQs can get 200+ people attending, which is more than most stores can handle. There are ways to deal with this, of course. How they choose to do so is what interests me here.
This really depends on the store. If a store can hold the tournament without turning people away or having to play on the floor then I'm all for it. Just would hate to drive up and be turned away or play shoulder to shoulder for 8 hours.
This really depends on the store. If a store can hold the tournament without turning people away or having to play on the floor then I'm all for it.
I doubt that more than a small fraction of stores can handle that many people. And of those, many would probably be so crowded it would be uncomfortable for all.
This is... somewhat terrifying. I've been to a number of PTQs in my time, and no store I've ever even heard of could handle the attendance levels I've seen. Unless Wizards dramatically increases the number of PTQs held each season (is that even possible?), so as to reduce the total attendance of each, it seems like this would seriously screw over the players.
Unless Wizards dramatically increases the number of PTQs held each season (is that even possible?), so as to reduce the total attendance of each, it seems like this would seriously screw over the players.
Problem is this probably won't decrease attendance...especially with planeswalker points. People are looking for as many chances to grind as they can get. Sure, some people won't be able to afford to head to multiples, but by and by attendance will only drop by at most 10% or so...and we had 228 in Illinois last weekend...no LGS will ever be able to hold that many people, and most aren't able to/can't afford to find venues to hold them.
Everyone knows that good luck and good game are such insincere terms that any man who does not connect his right hook with the offender's jaw on the very utterance of such a phrase is no man I would consider as such.
Easiest way to do this without stores being destroyed by trampling Magic players is make specific weekends into PTQ weekends or even a specific day. You can run on Saturday or Sunday but everyone wanting that PTQ has to run on that weekend. That way, you don't get 200 for PTQ#1, 200 for PTQ#2 etc etc. You get 8 stores, all running PTQs in single weekend and the most that anyone could conceivably go to is 4 and that would require staggered scheduling and 0-1 drops. I think you'd see attendance for each one being around 50 which many LGSes can accommodate and if you can't, you have to go to a pre-reg model for running your PTQs to ensure no turn-aways.
Mind you, this might create an insane number of PTQ slots.
On another note, there'd be tons of work for local judges which is good experience for the lower level ones.
GPTs have already been held at the store level for a while now. The logistics could be an issue, but that's obviously assuming that WOTC won't make any changes to the number, frequency, or prize system of existing PTQs, or even PTs for that matter.
I think WOTC is well aware of the fact that their PT, PTQ, and GP schedule isn't even close to saturating the demand for high-level magic events right now. This is evidenced by the fact that the upcoming year's GP calender is roughly twice as big as last year.
So what's the verdict, does this mean more PTQs, fewer PTQs, or undecided as of now?
Seems like something will have to change dramatically with this new system, since all the paper PTQ's I've played (~10 or so) have been >150 people; not many stores can handle that many attendees.
Really depends on your locale. The "PTO" concept doesn't really exist in the same way outside of America. We already have most PTQs run by TOs, for example, usually in external hired venues.
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They could hold the events across multiple stores. Day 1 at multiple places, Day 2 at one store.
Looking at the numbers, if PTQ's are being brought to the store level, a tiered qualifying system really starts to make a lot of sense. Stores run tournaments to offer slots to a regional PTQ that is run by a PTO.
I have heard this a while ago. It won't be every store. It will probably be somewhat similar to what WotC did with the Nats Q given to select stores.
Fortunately I own a store that allows for 200+ seating.
This is what I was thinking too. Wizards wouldn't want a bad rep for poorly run events. They won't allow a vendor to run a PTQ event if their front is a booth at a flea market for example.
The amount of PTQ's will not be larger, wotc has stated that they want PT's to be small closed events, thats why GP's no longer give PT invites
They boosted the number of GPs, that's why there's no more invites given at GPs. They couldn't increase without greatly affecting the total PT invitation structure.
There won't be more PTQs unless they take away the plane ticket. Simple as that. They can't afford to fly out 2x the number of people just because they delegate to stores.
Hate to be the cynic on this, but this is another step in segregating the Magic Community. Forget meeting new people through Magic. We're keeping our store cliques to 'benefit' the B&M store again.
Is anyone really going to miss the PTOs? Really? Are the ones in the rest of the country really good or something? Because where I live (midwest), they're all greedy and relatively incompetent.
I mean, when you have around 100 people I understand limiting the prizes booster boxes for top 8... but when you have 250 people, and the only increase in prizes is a few extra boxes given out to 16-32? That's just ridiculous.
And finally, there ARE stores that can hold 200+ people. And I'd imagine if you give store owners the kinds of events that can attract 200+ people, more of them will invest in such locations, which is good for everybody.
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I'm a store owner who had been communicating with the local TO about having him bring PTQs into my store, and he gave me exactly the same story a few weeks ago. PTQs are moving to stores.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Has anyone else heard this? Would this mean that the prizes could be worse (no plane tickets to winner?)
After looking around, I believe the interview that they were referring to was http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21062.html, specifically where it mentions
And
"
Practice for Khans of Tarkir Limited:
Draft: (#1) (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)
Relevant part of the interview:
I don't know if this is the interview he was talking about, but it does reference the point.
Edit: OP was editing while I was posting this. Nice timing sir
How many people can your store hold?
The problem with this plan is that PTQs can get 200+ people attending, which is more than most stores can handle. There are ways to deal with this, of course. How they choose to do so is what interests me here.
Practice for Khans of Tarkir Limited:
Draft: (#1) (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)
This really depends on the store. If a store can hold the tournament without turning people away or having to play on the floor then I'm all for it. Just would hate to drive up and be turned away or play shoulder to shoulder for 8 hours.
I doubt that more than a small fraction of stores can handle that many people. And of those, many would probably be so crowded it would be uncomfortable for all.
Practice for Khans of Tarkir Limited:
Draft: (#1) (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)
Problem is this probably won't decrease attendance...especially with planeswalker points. People are looking for as many chances to grind as they can get. Sure, some people won't be able to afford to head to multiples, but by and by attendance will only drop by at most 10% or so...and we had 228 in Illinois last weekend...no LGS will ever be able to hold that many people, and most aren't able to/can't afford to find venues to hold them.
- To my youngest sister when she was 6.
I mean that's already what's been happening anyways, no?
Just rent the Veteran's Hall for the event or something. Not too complicated.
How is this a bad thing? Especially when your PTO is a moron who opens a store across from another out of pure spite (I'm not even kidding).
I like Turtles
We're only getting one PTQ for Honolulu. YES. ONE. FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
Mind you, this might create an insane number of PTQ slots.
On another note, there'd be tons of work for local judges which is good experience for the lower level ones.
This was my thought too... I mean we have been seeing this type of thing here for a while now. It's not like TO's can't rent a hall...
I think WOTC is well aware of the fact that their PT, PTQ, and GP schedule isn't even close to saturating the demand for high-level magic events right now. This is evidenced by the fact that the upcoming year's GP calender is roughly twice as big as last year.
Seems like something will have to change dramatically with this new system, since all the paper PTQ's I've played (~10 or so) have been >150 people; not many stores can handle that many attendees.
I run a Tumblr for Magic-related statistics, graphs, and quizzes. Come check it out!
Looking at the numbers, if PTQ's are being brought to the store level, a tiered qualifying system really starts to make a lot of sense. Stores run tournaments to offer slots to a regional PTQ that is run by a PTO.
Fortunately I own a store that allows for 200+ seating.
L2 Judge & Store Owner
This is what I was thinking too. Wizards wouldn't want a bad rep for poorly run events. They won't allow a vendor to run a PTQ event if their front is a booth at a flea market for example.
They boosted the number of GPs, that's why there's no more invites given at GPs. They couldn't increase without greatly affecting the total PT invitation structure.
There won't be more PTQs unless they take away the plane ticket. Simple as that. They can't afford to fly out 2x the number of people just because they delegate to stores.
Hate to be the cynic on this, but this is another step in segregating the Magic Community. Forget meeting new people through Magic. We're keeping our store cliques to 'benefit' the B&M store again.
I mean, when you have around 100 people I understand limiting the prizes booster boxes for top 8... but when you have 250 people, and the only increase in prizes is a few extra boxes given out to 16-32? That's just ridiculous.
And finally, there ARE stores that can hold 200+ people. And I'd imagine if you give store owners the kinds of events that can attract 200+ people, more of them will invest in such locations, which is good for everybody.
Commmander - Eight-and-a-Half Tails; Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker; Prime Speaker Zegana; Alesha, Who Smiles at Death; Daxos the Returned; Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest; Patron of the Moonfolk; Animar, Soul of Elements
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!