MTG Salvation

First check out The Gravity Feed article on Magicthegathering.com

I'm not sure I like this idea. Sure, the $1.99 price point is nice, but I think it's a bad way to get new players into the game as the breakdown of the 6 cards is horrible:

"While we never guarantee the rarities of cards within packs, the expected contents of each 6-card booster is a tips/token card, 1 land, 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that has an equal chance of being rare/mythic, uncommon, or common. You even have a chance of opening a foil card."

I can just see someone spending $1.99 and they get two worthless cards: The land and the tip sheet and then get 3 commons, 1 uncommon and than a crap shoot for rare/mythic, uncommon or common. That doesn't seem like a very good deal to me.

Plus, I think it confuses new players. Imagine some kid who buys a bunch of $1.99 packs and then thinks that he can go to a store and draft or play sealed.

I think the 6 card pack will just confuse people.

it most likely will confuse new players, but the majority of the people who already play either are not intrested or they fall in like myself, "Hey it's just Conflux cards, wee" or they will do what i have planned and play Super Mini-Pack-War Drafts where everyone brings 6 packs and drafts using the six packs minus the lands (then puts in thier own basic land cards) and play for the sheer amusement of it, or for prizes. one person buys a boosterbox (however many that ends up as) and entry fee is just product, everyone drops the $18 for 6 packs, to get the chance to win the leftovers with second gettign 3 packs and first getting the rest.

I think this product will work very well. People are more prone to remember a mythic they pull out of one of these than the 10 they got with just commons. They aren't designed for anyone that a) Can afford a booster pack instead or b) Can afford to spend a lot of money. They are an impulse buy for the price of a couple candy bars.

It's a neat product, and despite not buying any Magic since Lorwyn was released, I could see myself buying one of these to check out a new set.

This does not seem like a great idea. Paying 2 bucks and pulling five commons and a land would be infuriating. I'd never gamble on these things.

Like, totally not worth it.

So if I buy three on average I will get:

10 commons
3 lands
3 tips/tokens cards
4 uncommons
1 rare/mythic

So I'm paying an extra 50% to get what? +2 lands, + 1 uncommon and +2 tips&tricks over an usual booster? No, thanks, I'll pass.

Cute! I really hope that these mini-packs will be available in Asia as well...

Terrible idea that reeks of more horrible post-TSP block decision making.

It may not lead to this, but this just reeks of WotC pushing the game down the road of reduced pack sizes in general. MaRo's "We're just keeping up with the industry standards" line somes to mind, as he justifies 9-card boosters for 2010.

Ugh, this sounds like an awful idea.

Pay half the price for less than half the cards with good odds on being completely disappointed?

These are going to be a train wreck.

i just think having a common be in the random spot is a bad idea. If it was just uncommon/rare/mythic it could be pretty cool. This isnt supposed to be your main pack buying option. its supposed to be a "im standing in Walmart check out line, why not grab one" kind of idea.

When I read the title of the thread I thought it was a joke.
This is just bad for all the aforementioned reasons from previous posts. Rares are pretty much what sells the game and this random thing is just lame.

I don't understand all the complaining. If you don't like it, don't buy it! If you don't buy it, and you get your friends to stay with normal boosters, and everyone does that, WOTC will see that it's a failure. Stop complaining and buy 15-card boosters instead.

I'm complaing about the ethical "choice" made by WotC.

What is the ethical "choice"?

If they were on par with the value of a booster, they would be competing with sales of boosters and people would be asking for them in gaming stores. They aren't for gaming stores. They are designed for stores like Target or Wal-mart and customers that are looking to impulse buy something cheap.

Now either discuss the problem at hand: 2$ 4 cards boosters, ot go read another thread. I don't want anymore discussion about attitude, it is childish and un-constructive. So what do you think about these new boosters ?

"While we never guarantee the rarities of cards within packs, the expected contents of each 6-card booster is a tips/token card, 1 land, 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that has an equal chance of being rare/mythic, uncommon, or common. You even have a chance of opening a foil card."

If you don't count the tips/token card or the land card, it sounds like you get 5 cards: 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that has an equal chance of being rare/mythic/uncommon/common.

Nothing about this announcement should be offensive to anyone.

I think this is an awsome Idea they just impleanted it incorrectly. It should have been 1 land 3 commons 1 uncommon 1 rare/mythic. Should that have been the case I would happily buy a booster box or two of theses.

It should have been 1 land 3 commons 1 uncommon 1 rare/mythic.

Then you are selling cheaper rares than boosters, which messes up the secondary market and competes with boosters amongst hardcore gamers. Who are not the demographic these are being marketed towards.

Yes that was kinda my point I wanted cheaper booster packs the economy is being hit hard theses days everyone else is lowering their prices why can't wotc?

I mean its costs them the same to print a rare as it does a land so this would easy cut THEIR costs (fewer cards per pack) while at the same time boosting their sales (lower end sale price= increase demand).... I would think that would be a good thing for them.

Quote from technik4

Then you are selling cheaper rares than boosters, which messes up the secondary market and competes with boosters amongst hardcore gamers. Who are not the demographic these are being marketed towards.

I agree. If they just took the common out of the rotation of the random slot - I would think these are cool. But I would be pissed at getting nothing but 2 uncommons in a pack for $2.

Though admittedly - if I am in a mass market store while traveling and they don't have 15 card packs... I know me... the itch is worse than crack and I'll end up buying a few "Just to gamble"...lol

I predict these packs will start selling for $1 or less as soon as enough people don't get a rare in their pack and realize it's a waste.

kind of seems like just another ebay repack scam that wizards for some reason thought they would utilize.

Honestly, I see nothing wrong with this. Yes, the Uncommon/Rare/Mythic for the random would have been better, but w/e.
The reason I like this is because I can see myself in Target with a bit of moneys rumbling around my pocket and getting one of these. There's nothing unethical because I'm not being tricked or duped. I know what I'm in for. I'm just out to blow $2.

Quote from jokalhaups

I predict these packs will start selling for $1 or less as soon as enough people don't get a rare in their pack and realize it's a waste.

No, they'll sell pretty well. Your average Wal Mart/Target customer thinks $4 is a waste of money for their 10 year old for some cardboard espeically if they aren't actively attending events and such, where $2 is the equivalent of a pack of gum or a candy bar and is about what they paid for baseball cards "back in the day." To anyone who buys cards at a game shop, this won't impact us one bit... though I'd be interested to try drafting this way! It would certainly make things interesting passing around a whole box of these things!

Heck I love the idea because it will be easier to convince my wife that I can pick up a pack or two while picking up toilet paper.

I wasn't into this idea either, and it's definitely not for me. That said, I think the appeal is in the scratch ticket factor. You have the slightest chance of getting a Planeswalker for $2. That's all. About the same odds as actually hitting good money on a scratch ticket.

This is ****ing infuriating. They get rid of tournament packs which actually sell really well for THIS? Who is going to buy these? Here's the problem:
These cost $2. A booster pack costs $4 and has 2.5 times as many cards. That means the only people who will buy these are people who can't afford a booster pack. If you can't afford a single booster pack, then you shouldn't be playing this game.

I have absolutely no intention of bringing these stupid boxes in at my store.
#edit, didn't see it was for mass market stores only, but I still wouldn't bring them in if I had the choice

Agreed with most of the posters here; this is a loser. I do impulse buy a pack at Wal-mart when I go, but almost always feel disappointed. These will be worse, and make me do it much less often.

/ They should sell 1 card packs with a rare/mythic for $1.99 - Imagine the draft! :xd:

// My Wal-marts are like 95% pokemon/yugioh and like 5% mtg. Mtg gets like 3-4 pegs max, and they're usually almost empty, which should tell Wal-mart that they actually sell. wtf? :/

I will never be thinking that I would have say this but: Normal booster packs rock ...

anyway, I don't like to get booster in occasions different from limited event but it is so, older booster rocks compared to his new ones, only 6 cards for 2$ is lot worse than 3,5 Euro for a normal one....

Fortunately I read "It won't replace regular booster packs, and it will only appear in mass market stores"

This is innovation / evolution. Have they ever given a try to minipacks? No. Will it work? How do they know if they don't try?

Quote from Dr. Jeebus

If you can't afford a single booster pack, then you shouldn't be playing this game.

I've been into the game for months before I bought something ( a Kamigawa precon ). Now, I play and make top 8s regularly in City Champs, GPs etc. How much do I spend on Magic a month? 10 bucks. Exactly - that's because Magic is also about being friends, meeting people, the old Harry Potter style talk we're all fed up with... But it's true. Your friends WILL lend you cards. They WILL give you a common you need in a deck for free. Budget is in no way necessary to play magic. High level magic, yes. But not at all. I, as a stranger, am much more willing to get in the game if I have to spend 2$ rather than 4.

If I am wrong, they'll just stop doing them, but much of this thread is against change. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Magic is based on change...