Rudy at alpha Investments shared w/ the community on Tuesday some interesting rumors of Hasbro prepping WotC to sell in 2021. I could write out the basics of what he is saying, but it's easier to cut n' paste the video, so here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGPuBOvTIUQ
So, let's discuss what this can mean for Magic: the Gathering, Wizards of the Coast, etc... Will the game last? Has the game in fact plateaued in regards to quality? Will Masters sets & special sets go away after a sale if the rumor turns out to be true? If, IF the company sold, is there still room for growth as in quality (or is being w/ Hasbro the pinnacle)?
If anyone comes up w/ any other thoughts, questions, or speculations, let's here them.
Disney has kept Marvel's comic division around because it generates ideas for future shows and movies. I imagine WotC would be left intact after the sale for similar purposes.
I imagine the strongest draw for Disney in the short term would be access to the best selling D&D stories, all of which are begging to be made into blockbuster movies. In the longer term, Magic's plethora of settings and stories could also make for some engaging TV shows and, maybe, some movies.
Can't watch the video as I'm at work, but the general base line assumption is that in order for a sale to take place those funds have to be put to better use within a finite time frame. If magic, and wizards, are continuing to churn profits why sell?
Hasbro will have not only have to get a return on the initial investment, but make enough to be okay with losing the additional revenue stream, AND have a more lucrative prospect on the horizon that the funds can be diverted into.
What people tend to gloss over in these types of discussions is how incredible well magic did at hanging around throughout the downturn. Not only that, but in June of 2011 Aaron Forsyth announced the first standard ban in a very long time. The game has grown in the past 6 1/2 years despite both of those forces applying downward pressure otherwise. Entire new archetypes (eldrazi stompy for legacy) in non rotating formats were also introduced during this period.
As for Disney buying it, they would be paying a premium because of the sales/profit boosts from not only the masters sets but the masterpiece series and other supplemental products positively impacting the revenue stream. If they were having positive results we wouldn't still see them in increasing print runs and occurance. I like to think that Disney is smarter than buying something like that. Star Wars was fairly dormant for how long when they pulled the trigger? Fox wasn't exactly crushing it at the box office either.
I personally don't have enough I foematin either way, but I think we'll see more competitive sealed product prior to this happening to generate as much revenue as possible.
I don't have enough time to watch entire video yet, but his story of WotC and Pokemon is not how I remember it. IIRC, WotC's contract was due to expire and Nintendo's American branch jumped the gun and started printing and distributing the Pokemon cards before WotC's line could finish out. I distinctly remember seeing both cards on the shelf on the same time. In addition, I recall that WotC never printed their final Pokemon set because of this.
Understandably, WotC was pissed and the two went to court over it and and an issue surrounding trade secrets. The two settled out of court.
The point is, the way Rudy describes it, it make it sound like WotC sold the publishing rights to Pokemon (back to Nintendo). They didn't exactly do that. Those rights were about to expire and WotC was due to transfer those rights back to the parent company anyways.
That's why he can't find any hard numbers, there aren't any. It was all settled out of court.
With that in mind, how accurate is that information from a guy who went out of his way to drive up the market price for Bazaar of Baghdad just to prove a point?
I am very hesitant to believe any talk of a sale without something more concrete than a youtube speculator saying so. Hasbro has noted time and again that WotC brings in boatloads of money, sometimes enough to keep most of the rest of their toy and game divisions afloat by their own admission. I could show numbers and qutes from previous 10-K filings from Hasbro to back this up once I'm on campus an have access to them.
Unless Hasbro is finding both that 1) WotC isn't bouying the rest of Hasbro's related subsidiaries afloat anymore - either it's not doing as well, or the others are doing better; AND 2) Disney is willing to pay them enough money to compensate for the huge industrial loss, this won't go anywhere.
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
I don't have enough time to watch entire video yet, but his story of WotC and Pokemon is not how I remember it. IIRC, WotC's contract was due to expire and Nintendo's American branch jumped the gun and started printing and distributing the Pokemon cards before WotC's line could finish out. I distinctly remember seeing both cards on the shelf on the same time. In addition, I recall that WotC never printed their final Pokemon set because of this.
Understandably, WotC was pissed and the two went to court over it and and an issue surrounding trade secrets. The two settled out of court.
The point is, the way Rudy describes it, it make it sound like WotC sold the publishing rights to Pokemon (back to Nintendo). They didn't exactly do that. Those rights were about to expire and WotC was due to transfer those rights back to the parent company anyways.
That's why he can't find any hard numbers, there aren't any. It was all settled out of court.
With that in mind, how accurate is that information from a guy who went out of his way to drive up the market price for Bazaar of Baghdad just to prove a point?
He wasn't lying in the Bazaar video. He said he was going to do one of three things, and people reacted. Not his fault how they reacted. And it's a lesson that anyone who wants to invest in MTG needs to understand. As for the Hasbro sale possibility, he made it clear that it was all rumor and hearsay. The point wasn't that anyone was told anything. The point was that Hasbro's and WOTC's behavior is indicative of what a company does when it attempts to sell a subsidiary. Patterns emerge in investments, and brokers make big bucks in part by learning to recognize those patterns and staying ahead of the pack.
Seems unlikely they'd invest tons of resources into Arena if they were planning to sell. The fact that they're trying to develop something to compete with Hearthstone (i.e. the future of card games) would indicate to me that they're in it for the long haul.
If I understand the highlighted text above, Franchise Gaming Brands (e.g. - Magic, Monopoly and presumably others) represented $537.7MM in revenue in 2016. That's 10% of their total revenue and a third of their total gaming portfolio.
On top of that...
Seems pretty illogical that they would move a cornerstone of their gaming portfolio that they simultaneously describe as a "competitive differentiator".
But of all things that make me skeptical of a looming sale, it seems counterintuitive that they would dump millions into Arena just to move it. You would think they would sell prior to making that capital investment with the idea that the buyer could make that investment themselves.
Seems unlikely they'd invest tons of resources into Arena if they were planning to sell. The fact that they're trying to develop something to compete with Hearthstone (i.e. the future of card games) would indicate to me that they're in it for the long haul.
While I agree with this, I think its also important to mention that developing Arena has probably been a project they have been working on for a few years and its possible that some other situations have arisen since that project started.
Several of the more recent issues with the popularity of standard have been newer issues that have been growing in the past few years. Lots of the product sales for wizards has direct correlation to the popularity of standard after all.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
I would be concerned if Rudy has any positions in Hasbro or is trying to boost his Youtube ad revenue. From what I recall, Rudy has a background in finance before starting MTG trading.
He may say that his statements are 100% speculation, but he does have a large Youtube viewership. Getting people to watch his videos would boost his income from ad revenue. Financially well-off people watching his video could actually buy Hasbro stock, possibly affecting the share price.
To maximize profit, y'sell Wizards of the Coast while its profits are still growing and are therefore most attractive to a potential buyer. Preparing to sell the company in 3-5 years (not tomorrow, mind) is a bet in favor of the company's value dropping sometime thereafter, which it certainly could if Arena fails to gain significant ground against its competitors and/or if paper Magic stalls more than it already seems to be (poor Standard).
Personally, I've spent significantly less on Magic products over the past few years because I spend more on digital games that I feel provide more value and/or fun per dollar. They've lost good will with me (and I assume with other customers) over how often they release new products and over how expensive many of those products are (Masters sets).
Regardless, I'd frankly like to see how a Hasbro-less Wizards would change things up.
I remember during the downturn, Hasbro was demanding that each of its brands/franchises make 50 million a year. There was a lot of consternation with D&D, since even at its peak, in the 3rd edition era, it was only making 30 million. I am sure those numbers have only gone up over time. Maybe Hasbro wants MOOOOAAARRRR and WotC cannot meet the demands? That is probably a big driver behind Arena. Even if it can only capture 20% of what Hearthstone is, that will still be a 280 million dollars, which would be huge for WotC and Hasbro (as it would represent 25% of the new total Hasbro Gaming division).
I don't have enough time to watch entire video yet, but his story of WotC and Pokemon is not how I remember it. IIRC, WotC's contract was due to expire and Nintendo's American branch jumped the gun and started printing and distributing the Pokemon cards before WotC's line could finish out. I distinctly remember seeing both cards on the shelf on the same time. In addition, I recall that WotC never printed their final Pokemon set because of this.
Understandably, WotC was pissed and the two went to court over it and and an issue surrounding trade secrets. The two settled out of court.
The point is, the way Rudy describes it, it make it sound like WotC sold the publishing rights to Pokemon (back to Nintendo). They didn't exactly do that. Those rights were about to expire and WotC was due to transfer those rights back to the parent company anyways.
That's why he can't find any hard numbers, there aren't any. It was all settled out of court.
With that in mind, how accurate is that information from a guy who went out of his way to drive up the market price for Bazaar of Baghdad just to prove a point?
He wasn't lying in the Bazaar video. He said he was going to do one of three things, and people reacted. Not his fault how they reacted. And it's a lesson that anyone who wants to invest in MTG needs to understand. As for the Hasbro sale possibility, he made it clear that it was all rumor and hearsay. The point wasn't that anyone was told anything. The point was that Hasbro's and WOTC's behavior is indicative of what a company does when it attempts to sell a subsidiary. Patterns emerge in investments, and brokers make big bucks in part by learning to recognize those patterns and staying ahead of the pack.
I think you misunderstand me. I'm not saying Rudy is/was lying. I'm saying that Rudy did something he didn't have to do just to prove a point. He leveraged his viewership to do so, causing speculation on an (admitedly) undervalued card, and pushed the market in a direction he wanted.
Without going into opinions on what I think of Rudy, the point I'm trying to make is. Do we really want to take the word of an individual who has no qualms whatsoever at using his public presence to manipulate an already sensitive "market"? Is he really being 100% with his intentions here at giving us a "heads up" or, like ShiroeTheEnchanter mentioned, does he have something else up his sleeve to make a boat load of $$$ at this sort of rumor?
I think it's fine to talk about this, but let's not lose sight that Rudy, investors, and speculators alike are out to make cold hard cash. If that means sending WotC on a suicide path because it means more money in their pockets over five years or whatever, you can bet they'll do it.
I can't believe people actually still listen to Rudy/"Alpha Investments" enough to take it seriously. The guy has proven again and again that he just tries to cause hysteria to gain views. Every few months as his views dwindle he happens upon some oh so real new fakes that are supposedly more real than the last. The guy is full of *****, always has been, supported people like UnsleevedMedia and is literally a troll. Don't fall for the hysteria. I'm embarrassed that someone actually even made a thread about this.
I can't believe people actually still listen to Rudy/"Alpha Investments" enough to take it seriously. The guy has proven again and again that he just tries to cause hysteria to gain views. Every few months as his views dwindle he happens upon some oh so real new fakes that are supposedly more real than the last. The guy is full of *****, always has been, supported people like UnsleevedMedia and is literally a troll. Don't fall for the hysteria. I'm embarrassed that someone actually even made a thread about this.
Ah, it wouldn't be a thread on MTGSalvation without someone bringing up Jeremy. So because one content creator didn't join the mob, everything he says is false? Sorry, MTG isn't a safe space. Hasbro is always considering all assets for sale, and if their numbers make sense they will move forward with such plans. Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean everything they say is not true.
And this may not be true, and Rudy clearly stated it was hearsay. He simply provided information. Man...I'm really trying to think of more I can say without eating a banhammer for wrongthink.
Wikipedia has the following to say about clickbait:
the techniques employed by clickbait authors can be considered derivative of yellow journalism, which presented little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead used eye-catching headlines that included exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.
What gets me is that he calls *himself* "Clickbait Rudy". It's an open admission that he likes to be deceptive but his audience somehow takes this as a sign he's being honest. Sure, he hedges all his most sensational claims by calling them speculation, rumors, or entertainment, so he's not an outright liar, but spreading rumors is not the same thing as providing real information. Just because he's open about the fact that he's a manipulative sensationalist does not mean you can trust him. Props to the various people upthread who have provided research and citations where Rudy has not.
When it comes to youtube content creators it's not about whether an author uses tactics to get people to view his content as much as what the quality of that content is. I've found Rudy to be a great youtube content maker when it comes to MtG and he covers an angle that isn't actively pursued by others in the community. That being said, it's always up to the viewer to interpret the information they get from any kind of source, as even well meaning people can lead someone astray if they don't have accurate information to work off of.
His video about WoTC getting sold off is one of his bolder speculations, but it is just that: a speculation based on rumors he has heard from others he is connected with. Honestly, I think a lot of people like the idea of the game getting taken over by another company given how the game has been getting handled recently. We're at the point that CFB is pushing pauper to try and keep interest up because without standard, there isn't an affordable point of entry for competitive players to really jump into. Modern is too volatile and legacy is crazy expensive thanks to the "no proxy" policy held by WoTC. WoTC's lack of ability to quickly adapt effectively to situations as they arise is also hitting them hard.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
All we can hope is if someone does buy it they do away with the reserved list. As that would create an INSANE boost in sales.
Imagine if you will, Classic Masters. A set with all 10 original duals at rare, the P9, library, bazaar, tabernacle, all at mythic. Along side a draft format filled with rebels, elves, zombies, dragons, and all the great artifacts and things of the past.
I'd draft the hell outta that.
The game actually needs a company that doesn't have all the past concerns the current WoTC has, but at the same time the immediate effect of this would have some serious repercussions. For one the prices on a lot of cards would become extremely volatile when the RL gets removed due to anticipation of the reprintings. Not to mention the subsequent crash on prices afterwards.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
All we can hope is if someone does buy it they do away with the reserved list. As that would create an INSANE boost in sales.
Imagine if you will, Classic Masters. A set with all 10 original duals at rare, the P9, library, bazaar, tabernacle, all at mythic. Along side a draft format filled with rebels, elves, zombies, dragons, and all the great artifacts and things of the past.
I'd draft the hell outta that.
The game actually needs a company that doesn't have all the past concerns the current WoTC has, but at the same time the immediate effect of this would have some serious repercussions. For one the prices on a lot of cards would become extremely volatile when the RL gets removed due to anticipation of the reprintings. Not to mention the subsequent crash on prices afterwards.
We'll arrive at an impasse eventually. On one side, you have speculators and investors basically sucking the life out of the game and the other side you have players salivating for the key RL cards. At some point, something has to give. I'm not going to get into some long discussion about the RL, or how everyone plays Draft or Standard, those horses have been beat already. But given the choice of the two, I prefer the investors market collapses instead of a mass exodus of players. Remove the players from the equation and what's left? Just another Beanie Baby market.
All we can hope is if someone does buy it they do away with the reserved list. As that would create an INSANE boost in sales.
Imagine if you will, Classic Masters. A set with all 10 original duals at rare, the P9, library, bazaar, tabernacle, all at mythic. Along side a draft format filled with rebels, elves, zombies, dragons, and all the great artifacts and things of the past.
I'd draft the hell outta that.
The game actually needs a company that doesn't have all the past concerns the current WoTC has, but at the same time the immediate effect of this would have some serious repercussions. For one the prices on a lot of cards would become extremely volatile when the RL gets removed due to anticipation of the reprintings. Not to mention the subsequent crash on prices afterwards.
We'll arrive at an impasse eventually. On one side, you have speculators and investors basically sucking the life out of the game and the other side you have players salivating for the key RL cards. At some point, something has to give. I'm not going to get into some long discussion about the RL, or how everyone plays Draft or Standard, those horses have been beat already. But given the choice of the two, I prefer the investors market collapses instead of a mass exodus of players. Remove the players from the equation and what's left? Just another Beanie Baby market.
I feel the problem with Magic the Gathering isn't easily rectifiable even if the RL got removed. The game is at the point where having standard sets that are remixes of older core and standard sets would work fine, just that the company refuses to do it out of fear of chronicles? That's the best guess anyone really has as they have such a rich library of cards to pick from.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
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So, let's discuss what this can mean for Magic: the Gathering, Wizards of the Coast, etc... Will the game last? Has the game in fact plateaued in regards to quality? Will Masters sets & special sets go away after a sale if the rumor turns out to be true? If, IF the company sold, is there still room for growth as in quality (or is being w/ Hasbro the pinnacle)?
If anyone comes up w/ any other thoughts, questions, or speculations, let's here them.
That sounds like some kind of nightmare.
I imagine the strongest draw for Disney in the short term would be access to the best selling D&D stories, all of which are begging to be made into blockbuster movies. In the longer term, Magic's plethora of settings and stories could also make for some engaging TV shows and, maybe, some movies.
Hasbro will have not only have to get a return on the initial investment, but make enough to be okay with losing the additional revenue stream, AND have a more lucrative prospect on the horizon that the funds can be diverted into.
What people tend to gloss over in these types of discussions is how incredible well magic did at hanging around throughout the downturn. Not only that, but in June of 2011 Aaron Forsyth announced the first standard ban in a very long time. The game has grown in the past 6 1/2 years despite both of those forces applying downward pressure otherwise. Entire new archetypes (eldrazi stompy for legacy) in non rotating formats were also introduced during this period.
As for Disney buying it, they would be paying a premium because of the sales/profit boosts from not only the masters sets but the masterpiece series and other supplemental products positively impacting the revenue stream. If they were having positive results we wouldn't still see them in increasing print runs and occurance. I like to think that Disney is smarter than buying something like that. Star Wars was fairly dormant for how long when they pulled the trigger? Fox wasn't exactly crushing it at the box office either.
I personally don't have enough I foematin either way, but I think we'll see more competitive sealed product prior to this happening to generate as much revenue as possible.
Understandably, WotC was pissed and the two went to court over it and and an issue surrounding trade secrets. The two settled out of court.
The point is, the way Rudy describes it, it make it sound like WotC sold the publishing rights to Pokemon (back to Nintendo). They didn't exactly do that. Those rights were about to expire and WotC was due to transfer those rights back to the parent company anyways.
That's why he can't find any hard numbers, there aren't any. It was all settled out of court.
With that in mind, how accurate is that information from a guy who went out of his way to drive up the market price for Bazaar of Baghdad just to prove a point?
Unless Hasbro is finding both that 1) WotC isn't bouying the rest of Hasbro's related subsidiaries afloat anymore - either it's not doing as well, or the others are doing better; AND 2) Disney is willing to pay them enough money to compensate for the huge industrial loss, this won't go anywhere.
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
He wasn't lying in the Bazaar video. He said he was going to do one of three things, and people reacted. Not his fault how they reacted. And it's a lesson that anyone who wants to invest in MTG needs to understand. As for the Hasbro sale possibility, he made it clear that it was all rumor and hearsay. The point wasn't that anyone was told anything. The point was that Hasbro's and WOTC's behavior is indicative of what a company does when it attempts to sell a subsidiary. Patterns emerge in investments, and brokers make big bucks in part by learning to recognize those patterns and staying ahead of the pack.
If I understand the highlighted text above, Franchise Gaming Brands (e.g. - Magic, Monopoly and presumably others) represented $537.7MM in revenue in 2016. That's 10% of their total revenue and a third of their total gaming portfolio.
On top of that...
Seems pretty illogical that they would move a cornerstone of their gaming portfolio that they simultaneously describe as a "competitive differentiator".
But of all things that make me skeptical of a looming sale, it seems counterintuitive that they would dump millions into Arena just to move it. You would think they would sell prior to making that capital investment with the idea that the buyer could make that investment themselves.
While I agree with this, I think its also important to mention that developing Arena has probably been a project they have been working on for a few years and its possible that some other situations have arisen since that project started.
Several of the more recent issues with the popularity of standard have been newer issues that have been growing in the past few years. Lots of the product sales for wizards has direct correlation to the popularity of standard after all.
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Fox owned the rights to the movie. Disney buying Fox means they own it, right?
He may say that his statements are 100% speculation, but he does have a large Youtube viewership. Getting people to watch his videos would boost his income from ad revenue. Financially well-off people watching his video could actually buy Hasbro stock, possibly affecting the share price.
To maximize profit, y'sell Wizards of the Coast while its profits are still growing and are therefore most attractive to a potential buyer. Preparing to sell the company in 3-5 years (not tomorrow, mind) is a bet in favor of the company's value dropping sometime thereafter, which it certainly could if Arena fails to gain significant ground against its competitors and/or if paper Magic stalls more than it already seems to be (poor Standard).
Personally, I've spent significantly less on Magic products over the past few years because I spend more on digital games that I feel provide more value and/or fun per dollar. They've lost good will with me (and I assume with other customers) over how often they release new products and over how expensive many of those products are (Masters sets).
Regardless, I'd frankly like to see how a Hasbro-less Wizards would change things up.
I think you misunderstand me. I'm not saying Rudy is/was lying. I'm saying that Rudy did something he didn't have to do just to prove a point. He leveraged his viewership to do so, causing speculation on an (admitedly) undervalued card, and pushed the market in a direction he wanted.
Without going into opinions on what I think of Rudy, the point I'm trying to make is. Do we really want to take the word of an individual who has no qualms whatsoever at using his public presence to manipulate an already sensitive "market"? Is he really being 100% with his intentions here at giving us a "heads up" or, like ShiroeTheEnchanter mentioned, does he have something else up his sleeve to make a boat load of $$$ at this sort of rumor?
I think it's fine to talk about this, but let's not lose sight that Rudy, investors, and speculators alike are out to make cold hard cash. If that means sending WotC on a suicide path because it means more money in their pockets over five years or whatever, you can bet they'll do it.
(Also known as Xenphire)
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Ah, it wouldn't be a thread on MTGSalvation without someone bringing up Jeremy. So because one content creator didn't join the mob, everything he says is false? Sorry, MTG isn't a safe space. Hasbro is always considering all assets for sale, and if their numbers make sense they will move forward with such plans. Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean everything they say is not true.
And this may not be true, and Rudy clearly stated it was hearsay. He simply provided information. Man...I'm really trying to think of more I can say without eating a banhammer for wrongthink.
the techniques employed by clickbait authors can be considered derivative of yellow journalism, which presented little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead used eye-catching headlines that included exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.
What gets me is that he calls *himself* "Clickbait Rudy". It's an open admission that he likes to be deceptive but his audience somehow takes this as a sign he's being honest. Sure, he hedges all his most sensational claims by calling them speculation, rumors, or entertainment, so he's not an outright liar, but spreading rumors is not the same thing as providing real information. Just because he's open about the fact that he's a manipulative sensationalist does not mean you can trust him. Props to the various people upthread who have provided research and citations where Rudy has not.
His video about WoTC getting sold off is one of his bolder speculations, but it is just that: a speculation based on rumors he has heard from others he is connected with. Honestly, I think a lot of people like the idea of the game getting taken over by another company given how the game has been getting handled recently. We're at the point that CFB is pushing pauper to try and keep interest up because without standard, there isn't an affordable point of entry for competitive players to really jump into. Modern is too volatile and legacy is crazy expensive thanks to the "no proxy" policy held by WoTC. WoTC's lack of ability to quickly adapt effectively to situations as they arise is also hitting them hard.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The game actually needs a company that doesn't have all the past concerns the current WoTC has, but at the same time the immediate effect of this would have some serious repercussions. For one the prices on a lot of cards would become extremely volatile when the RL gets removed due to anticipation of the reprintings. Not to mention the subsequent crash on prices afterwards.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
We'll arrive at an impasse eventually. On one side, you have speculators and investors basically sucking the life out of the game and the other side you have players salivating for the key RL cards. At some point, something has to give. I'm not going to get into some long discussion about the RL, or how everyone plays Draft or Standard, those horses have been beat already. But given the choice of the two, I prefer the investors market collapses instead of a mass exodus of players. Remove the players from the equation and what's left? Just another Beanie Baby market.
I feel the problem with Magic the Gathering isn't easily rectifiable even if the RL got removed. The game is at the point where having standard sets that are remixes of older core and standard sets would work fine, just that the company refuses to do it out of fear of chronicles? That's the best guess anyone really has as they have such a rich library of cards to pick from.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!