Wizards Of The Coast Faces Controversy After Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Sale

Video Games

Dec 1

Whether one has played the game or heard about it in passing, Magic: The Gathering is certainly an influential game. New starter packs, additions, and limited-edition cards are bound to sell quickly; and the current 30th Anniversary Sale was no exception. Before breaking the one-hour mark, Magic: The Gathering’s 30th Anniversary pack was declared sold out. However, social media posts have declared the pack being pulled as opposed to being sold out. According to thegamer.com, while the rate of the sales at first might be seen as a success from a financial standpoint, the sale has “thrown many fans of the franchise into a downward spiral of surprise, disappointment, and of course resentment.”

Social media posts have been released about not only the contents of the packs but also what the cost to benefits ratio of the packs. The packs themselves, four packs with fifteen cards each, are a literal game of chance. A lottery of whether the cards will be approved for tournament use or collector's items. According to Matt Bassil of wargamer.com, “the fact that [consumers] have to play the lottery game has been a major point of criticism on this product…. fans are willing to pay a premium price for collectors items like Secret Lairs, when the contents are known.” When the cards are not shown, paying one thousand dollars for items you might not want is a gamble not many feel is worth the risk.

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While the 30th Anniversary pack could have been a welcome addition to the Magic: The Gathering merchandise, a lesson can be learned and used to create a greater, more lasting impact. Magic: The Gathering’s 30th Anniversary release has revealed a strong gaming community looking out for one another and offering possible solutions to make the purchase of the Anniversary cards more beneficial. This included a possible secret lair, a proxy pack for those just starting the game, and a smaller price tag.

What the next step will be for Magic: The Gathering is unknown at the moment, but whatever release will occur next will bring a vast community together to discuss and provide feedback for Magic: The Gathering and future consumers to come.