No London Prerelease?

[Thomas David Baker]

Due to the global changes made to the Wizards Play Network (WPN) introduced by Wizards of the Coast in September of last year we regret to have  to annouce that The Games Club will not be participating in the New Set Celebrations for the impending Magic 2012 Core Set.

WTF.  So bad.

 

Is there some alternative for wannabe prereleasers?

 

[Simon O'Keeffe]

I'm with you Dan.

 

I much prefer the large pre-release that Jason can support, compared to the fractured player base of many small shop held releases.

 

I understand that it is important to support bricks and mortar stores, but surely not at the expense of the player base.

[Jason Savage]

I will not be attending any pre-release this weekend!

Dan Barrett said:

Hey all - 

 

Would just like to point out that by rolling over and choosing to attend a non-TGC London event, you are actively working against this problem being solved. Fair play if you go Colchester or Gravesend, but I for one will be voting with my feet and not attending an event this weekend.

 

Anyone else with me on this?

[Glenn Goldsworthy]

As i have 1 within a mile of my house I shall be there but only due to me wanting to win the player of the year for Colchester (I'm all about the trophy action baby), but if I was in London I would suggest a games day in a pub somewhere

[Al Pidwell]

Hi Guys, 

 

Heroes and Legends who are my local store are running a pre release event.  they're based in Tolworth and have hired a Church hall for the day so there will be no restrictions on numbers etc (I would imagine)  I've blatantly copied and pasted from their website.  They also do a decent Friday Night Magic if anyone is interested in turning up for the evening.

 

Heroes and Legends Games proudly presents it first pre-release for Magic the Gathering, with a 140 place tournament!

This will be Surrey's largest tournament for Magic the Gathering.

When you order a ticket we will send a unique code out via email. This code will get you into the event on the day so please dont loose it or forget it.

 

You can also pay on the door if you wish but a prize draw is being held for pre order tickets only, the tournament registration will be at 10am on saturday the 9th July, in the OLI School Hall behind the church. 

 

Our Lady Immaculate:

401/403 Ewell Road

Tolworth

Surrey

KT6 7DG

 

See you there,

 

The Heroes and Legends Games Team

 

 

http://www.heroesandlegendsgames.com/index.php?route=product/produc...

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heroes-and-Legends-Games/162981170405924

 

Al

[Al Pidwell]

Oops, I should have read the postings before I posted mine, Heroes and Legends are running a 140 person pre-release day.

 

I believe that they have tickets available

Tom Reeve said:

Apparently there is going to be one on Sat 9th run by Heroes and Legends Games in Surbiton (who I'd never previously heard of) at Our Lady Immaculate church hall, apparently with space and product for 140. Their facebook page is here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heroes-and-Legends-Games/162981170405...

[Mark Walker]

Absolutely. Playing a core set a week early and attending a non-TCG event, only serves to encourage this ridiculous situation. It also devalues the Games Club, and for me attending these non-TCG events physically harms it. The prereleases help to financially support the weekly events we get, and to remove these large events put the weekly events at risk. 

EDIT: If you don't attned the games club, and these other events make sense for you go for it. But the TGC regulars shouldn't attend these if you want to support TGC. 

Dan Barrett said:

Hey all - 

 

Would just like to point out that by rolling over and choosing to attend a non-TGC London event, you are actively working against this problem being solved. Fair play if you go Colchester or Gravesend, but I for one will be voting with my feet and not attending an event this weekend.

 

Anyone else with me on this?

[Nick Lovett]

I will not be attenting a pre-release.

A) They have screwed Jason (and us) over

B) It is core set - bleugh

C) I might be otherwise engaged - Not sure how well it would go down to go to South Wales for a family funeral and spend the day before playing a pre-release!

[Peter Dun]

whilst I agree with you and have the same stance you do Dan (there is no way I would even CONSIDER attending a non Games Club pre-release in protest at this absurd decision), I wouldn't hold a grudge against someone who did go. It's a case of priorities, some people want to play magic, if they can play magic easily somewhere else, there is no reason that you should hold it against them. It's not like people "owe" Jason that loyalty at the expense of their own happiness/opportunity (even though he is a great TO and has been pretty screwed here).

 

Dan Barrett said:

Hey all - 

 

Would just like to point out that by rolling over and choosing to attend a non-TGC London event, you are actively working against this problem being solved. Fair play if you go Colchester or Gravesend, but I for one will be voting with my feet and not attending an event this weekend.

 

Anyone else with me on this?

[Kieran Symington]

I doubt Wizards will reconsider, since their policy seems to be designed specifically to screw over independant TOs like Jason just because they don't sell their product constantly. I'm quite worried what this mens for the future of the Games Club. Without any major events like the prerelease, will it even be worth Jason's while continuing to put on events? He can hardly be making good money from the weeknight drafts after all.

[James Geach]

Sadly I'm out of town, which is a shame as I am liking the look of the set and have only missed a handful of pre-releases during the last five years.

 

I normally go to Richmond as it is my local club, I love it's ultra casual atmosphere (and I slightly resent some of the thinly veiled disdain earlier in this post) and lots of my magical friends go. However if Richmond, god forbid it, ever stopped pre-releases, could not hold one or I moved across town I would choose the TGC. I love drafting there when I can and consider it the historical home of London Magic. I don't normally post here but wanted to register my dislike at the changes. It's not the competition that I dislike as I believe competition to be healthy it's just the fact that the Games Club is not even being allowed to compete after all it has done for London Magic as well as Magic in the UK. At a time when even the largest brand leaders in the world (Starbucks is the most striking example that comes to mind, they are currently allowing local decision making about design, opening times and product selection) are recognizing the importance of devolving decision making it seems an anathema that a blanket policy decision made by Wizards will prevent a great many current customers miss out on a marquee event in a metropolis like London. Boo and hiss!

 

Geach 

[Daniel Royde]

My issue is that I want to draft- Nats and Philly coming up. If that's the only place I can draft at this weekend (without travelling really far) and I want to draft...

 

As well as saying things on here, who do we need to be moaning at Wizards side? Ray?

 

Peter Dun said:

whilst I agree with you and have the same stance you do Dan (there is no way I would even CONSIDER attending a non Games Club pre-release in protest at this absurd decision), I wouldn't hold a grudge against someone who did go. It's a case of priorities, some people want to play magic, if they can play magic easily somewhere else, there is no reason that you should hold it against them. It's not like people "owe" Jason that loyalty at the expense of their own happiness/opportunity (even though he is a great TO and has been pretty screwed here).

 

Dan Barrett said:

Hey all - 

 

Would just like to point out that by rolling over and choosing to attend a non-TGC London event, you are actively working against this problem being solved. Fair play if you go Colchester or Gravesend, but I for one will be voting with my feet and not attending an event this weekend.

 

Anyone else with me on this?

[Stelios Kargotis]

Hey Everyone,

 

Personally speaking Jason, London and The Games Club have always had a special place in my heart.  If it were not for Jason's Pre-Releases, National Qualifiers, GPT's, PTQ's, Iron Mans and Keith Lovies I and many other Judges would not have had the opportunities to develop the skills necessary in providing professional and hopefully fun events to you, the players.  Jason took the time to work with the UK Judge Community extensively and produce some of the finest Judges, he is owed a debt of gratitude, in my honest opinion.  At his tournaments young Judges would be able to gain a footing into the tournament community and be exposed to the rigorous and the experience a large tournament brings (and also learn to push in chairs and maintain their area).

 

Therefore I am deeply unhappy about the lack of pre-release for the Games Club, some of you might know that I was the HJ for the Phyrexia Pre-Release and I felt the difference between the extraveganza that Jason usually hosted and the debacle seen during the day where we had to turn away close to 60 players who were keen as mustard to get playing.  This cannot be healthy for the game or the player base.  So to that effect I will not be partaking in any pre-release either as a player or a judge as I feel that Jason has been treated unfairly.   While I dont condemn anyone visiting another venue to get their pre-release fix I would ask all of you to take a moment to remember all of the awesome times they had at Jasons events and to get behind a man who has spent the best part of his life promoting the game in his own special way.

 

That is all I have to add everyone and thank you for your time.

 

Serving Magic Players of the UK since 2008,

Stelios Christos Kargotis

Magic Judge Level 2 for the South East Region UK.