Well here's the thing. Wizards didn't shut down the PR. They just took away all profit and about any incentive for the TOs of running a huge event. So without actually saying it, wizards says you can run the big pre-release, but now, no free product for prizes, and you have to compete with any store that wants to jump in.
Yes, I've been to basically all the prereleases since Darksteel. I had no idea why prereleases now being part of the Wizard's Play Network thing would now stop all the large prereleases, until you guys explained it to me. (Why would you assume I hadn't been to any PRs before?)
Because of the way you replied, you didn't seem to understand how pre-releases have been run in the past, and how this will affect the future...
So, what exactly is so bad about this? I'm not quite sure I follow why this news is being taken with such negativity; what does this even change in the first place? From what I can tell, the large prereleases will still take place...
So in basic English, wizards no longer give discounts to the big tournament organizers. Stores hold own pre-releases, people who live closer to store go to pre-release there instead of big place. Eventually, the TO's no longer make money and stop holding big pre-release. In conclusion, those big group gatherings that many of us love, will be over. And like pawsox says, many of the TOs arn't even waiting to see how Shards of ALara plays out.
Pastimes has now officailly posted the pre-release locations for IL nad IN. They did have the locations set since regionals but never had the chance to post it.
try calling pastimes and checking the website. Indy is going to held at the indianpolis convention center while IL is going to be held at the dupage expo center in St. Charles.
Hi my name is John. i am a lvl 0 judge and I am also the youngest MTG judge in IL at the age of 17 (next closest being 19 i believe) and here is how i feel about some of the changes:
One the first note, i like the fact that pre-releases will be held 1 week before release date. That dead week between set release and pre-release was torture in previous years.
On the second part, i am outraged that stores can now run pre-releases. I live in IL so pastimes runs our pre-release and Indy's and despite living an hour from pastime's store itself, i have never had to drive more than an hour to a pre-release since darksteel. Wizards tries to justify this by saying: "We will be recruiting locations very soon to bring both gaming opportunities right to your door." But at what cost? I know the TO at pastimes and he is extraordinarily dedicated to his job, but with theses changes, pastimes and every other main TO in every state will no longer get their product at a discounted price.
A fellow judge Bernd Buldtcouldn't have phrased it better when he said: "It's just a brutal move to make one group happy at the expense of another, hoping that the grass root initiative will secure the survival of Magic in a changing world."
This change will make the local stores happy, the trade off being that the TOs who have been running these pre-releases for years get screwed over and stepped on. My biggest curiosity is if this was a WOTC decision or if Hasbro had a hand in this. I like the idea of mythic rares about as much as i like the idea of adding purple to the color wheel (and i hate purple). Well, there is my two cents.
Because of the way you replied, you didn't seem to understand how pre-releases have been run in the past, and how this will affect the future...
So in basic English, wizards no longer give discounts to the big tournament organizers. Stores hold own pre-releases, people who live closer to store go to pre-release there instead of big place. Eventually, the TO's no longer make money and stop holding big pre-release. In conclusion, those big group gatherings that many of us love, will be over. And like pawsox says, many of the TOs arn't even waiting to see how Shards of ALara plays out.
One the first note, i like the fact that pre-releases will be held 1 week before release date. That dead week between set release and pre-release was torture in previous years.
On the second part, i am outraged that stores can now run pre-releases. I live in IL so pastimes runs our pre-release and Indy's and despite living an hour from pastime's store itself, i have never had to drive more than an hour to a pre-release since darksteel. Wizards tries to justify this by saying: "We will be recruiting locations very soon to bring both gaming opportunities right to your door." But at what cost? I know the TO at pastimes and he is extraordinarily dedicated to his job, but with theses changes, pastimes and every other main TO in every state will no longer get their product at a discounted price.
A fellow judge Bernd Buldt couldn't have phrased it better when he said: "It's just a brutal move to make one group happy at the expense of another, hoping that the grass root initiative will secure the survival of Magic in a changing world."
This change will make the local stores happy, the trade off being that the TOs who have been running these pre-releases for years get screwed over and stepped on. My biggest curiosity is if this was a WOTC decision or if Hasbro had a hand in this. I like the idea of mythic rares about as much as i like the idea of adding purple to the color wheel (and i hate purple). Well, there is my two cents.